AC Froze

[StrayDog]

I would think the compressor is having to work harder with low refrigerant.

I’m just a dumb pump guy put a compressor is really a glorified pump.

If there isn’t enough refrigerant in the system then there isn’t any resistance for the compressor to work against.

It’s not really intuitive but it’s how the physics be.

I’d take my multimeter and measure resistance across my compressor motor (breaker turned off).

If resistance checked out I’d call a different tech... but that’s just me.

[Robertt]

I feel your pain. Came home one afternoon and the inside unit is working but it was not cooling. I go outside and the outside unit is not coming on. I called a local company and tell them the start capacitor on the outside unit is probably the problem. The guy shows up, takes six screws off the side of the unit, slides off four wires. Puts a new one in puts the wires on and screws the panel back on. He was here less than an hour. Comes inside and hands me a bill for $500. It's a $30 part! I told him that was highway robbery. He said the work is already done and that is the cost. I told him this will be the last check I will ever write your company and it will be. I had him leave the old one and found them online at Lowes and Home Depot. If I had known I could get them there I would have just went and got the part myself.

[Mike]

I feel your pain. Came home one afternoon and the inside unit is working but it was not cooling. I go outside and the outside unit is not coming on. I called a local company and tell them the start capacitor on the outside unit is probably the problem. The guy shows up, takes six screws off the side of the unit, slides off four wires. Puts a new one in puts the wires on and screws the panel back on. He was here less than an hour. Comes inside and hands me a bill for $500. It's a $30 part! I told him that was highway robbery. He said the work is already done and that is the cost. I told him this will be the last check I will ever write your company and it will be. I had him leave the old one and found them online at Lowes and Home Depot. If I had known I could get them there I would have just went and got the part myself.

This is the truth. I recommend everyone reading this thread go purchase at least one replacement capacitor for each one you have on your units. Get one for both the inside & outside units and keep them handy. I have a whole fleet of them for my two units. This will save you $$ and lack of AC over a weekend. I buy all mine from Solar Supply but any AC house will sell them to you and they are cheap, not more than $30 each, most are less than $20. My local guy I use for repairs charges $75 per capacitor and $100 service call. Do yourself a favor and get a backup, they are simple to change.

[double bogey]

Just run the ac normal after you defrost it, it may not freeze up again. The nights are pretty cool right now, so that might be the issue. If it will make ice, there most likely isn't anything wrong with the compressor. If it is off, both pressures would be nearly the same after enough time to equalize. The compressor will most likely never run higher amps than the RLA except for part of a second when starting. This guy doesn't know what he is doing. Several non ac guys on here know more than he does, as most of their reasons for icing up are correct.



If are changing your own capacitors, make sure and change one wire at a time and get them on the correct terminals. You wont believe how many times I have followed techs that wired the capacitor wrong.


Get a voltmeter and learn to use it. I have had 3 instances in the last 5 years where I turned off the disconnect and still had power at the unit.

[Playa]

Who doesn't check/maintain a filter guys....com' on jeez....

I have filters on subscription through Amazon. They arrive, I change them. Way easier than having to go to the store to learn they don’t carry 14x14, then I forget the following trip and suddenly it has been 5 months and the dirty ones are still in use

[thebomb6_99]

You guys have AC units for your house ?

[HubCityThumper]

I have filters on subscription through Amazon. They arrive, I change them. Way easier than having to go to the store to learn they don’t carry 14x14, then I forget the following trip and suddenly it has been 5 months and the dirty ones are still in use

This is so true...hahaha

[Uncle Saggy]

R-22 is $100 per pound

LMMFAO
Residential company’s are crooks for the most part. Beware of those that charge book rates for repairs

I will not post what we pay for 22

[Smart]

I feel your pain. Came home one afternoon and the inside unit is working but it was not cooling. I go outside and the outside unit is not coming on. I called a local company and tell them the start capacitor on the outside unit is probably the problem. The guy shows up, takes six screws off the side of the unit, slides off four wires. Puts a new one in puts the wires on and screws the panel back on. He was here less than an hour. Comes inside and hands me a bill for $500. It's a $30 part! I told him that was highway robbery. He said the work is already done and that is the cost. I told him this will be the last check I will ever write your company and it will be. I had him leave the old one and found them online at Lowes and Home Depot. If I had known I could get them there I would have just went and got the part myself.

I’d have told that summidge he can undo his work or we can come up with a better price.

[RifleBowPistol]

Possibly low on Freon, or there may not be enough air flow across the evaporator coils. Causes of lack of air flow, would be coils clogged up with dirt, lint, hair, leaves, ect., or the fan is not moving enough air. Basically, if there is not enough air flow across the evaporator coils, it will get too cold and freeze up. Then the high side pressure climb, then it eventually shuts off.
I have taken a water hose and sprayed the coils off, blew a lot of crap out of the coils, at the same time, the water will thaw out the coils.

Not sure if you are dealing with a heat pump, or just a A/C unit. But a heat pump, is just a A/C unit, that has a condenser and evaporator coils inside and out side, depending on if you want heat in the house or to cool the house. The evaporator coils will always be cold when the system is working and the condenser coils are always hot, when the system is working. If it is actually the A/C freezing up and the evaporator coil in the house is freezing up, a water hose, would probably not be a good idea. But it may work, depending on your system. If you can not clean the evaporator coils with water, blowing them off with pressurized air, works to clean them.

[Playa]

Possibly low on Freon, or there may not be enough air flow across the evaporator coils. Causes of lack of air flow, would be coils clogged up with dirt, lint, hair, leaves, ect., or the fan is not moving enough air. Basically, if there is not enough air flow across the evaporator coils, it will get too cold and freeze up. Then the high side pressure climb, then it eventually shuts off.
I have taken a water hose and sprayed the coils off, blew a lot of crap out of the coils, at the same time, the water will thaw out the coils.

Not sure if you are dealing with a heat pump, or just a A/C unit. But a heat pump, is just a A/C unit, that has a condenser and evaporator coils inside and out side, depending on if you want heat in the house or to cool the house. The evaporator coils will always be cold when the system is working and the condenser coils are always hot, when the system is working. If it is actually the A/C freezing up and the evaporator coil in the house is freezing up, a water hose, would probably not be a good idea. But it may work, depending on your system. If you can not clean the evaporator coils with water, blowing them off with pressurized air, works to clean them.

I hope he got it figured out, this thread is from the end of May, I bet his unit is thawed by now