Air Conditioner Help

It sounds like it is working properly but has a blockage, and low airflow probably caused by plugged filter.

Clean or replace the filter

Melt all the ice of the 'radiator'. Boiling water will make short work of the ice.

Make sure any vent lever is open, and any other blockage is removed.

The other possibility is the fan is not working at the proper speed. It could be a slipping belt or the fan motor itself.

where can i find this vent lever?, btw it seems that when i clean the filter 1 week ago i have touch that metal wire that has a round like end, i think its a temp. indicator thing and also the ground wire. do you think this could be the cause of this problem?

It depends on the model.

Some of the older ones had a small lever right in bottom of the grills. Others simply have adjustable grills. Others yet, have controls for recirculating inside air or using outside air.

It may not even have one.

If you damaged the thermistor It would do one of two things:

1. the compressor would never stop producing cold air and cause icing to build up.
2. It would never produce cold air

Make sure none of the wires going to the thermister is touching metal

maybe thats the problem hehe, thanks very much!

If you are producing ice --and haven't asked for it, it can be almost only one problem--the system doesn't register the temperature of the air leaving the heat exchanger(either the air isn't moving properly or doesn't register its temperature) it doesn't know to shut the thermal expansion valves off. It can be a restriction in air flow through cool side of the system or a bad thermocouple or both. The high side would seem to be working fine(compressor/condenser) if the system had the capacity to freeze anything.

remnants; check the coils that you can see from the back side of the unit you cannot believe how plugged up they can get hi pressure hot water could clean them out, perry

Another possibility- you have the thermostat set to maximum, so the unit never cycles properly, causing a buildup of ice...Try setting the thermostat about mid-range.

Sounds like you have a window AC or thru the wall.

You must give attention to the thermostat bulb.

It is not only a thermostat, but a de-icing control as well.

1. It must be mounted with the factory mounting clip in the precise place where it was from the factory.Hehe. All window a/c units will ice up if allowed to run continuously.

2. Your thermostat points may well be welded closed, so that, even though the bulb senses the ice building up,hehe, it allows the compressor to continue to run.

Hello RemnanTS

The de-icing feature built into most refrigeration and air-conditioning systems works by sending a periodic pulse of hot compressed gas through the cooling coils, heating them, and driving off accumulated moisture before it has a chance to freeze to ice.

That way, ice does not ever build up.

It is possible your thermostat has failed, or stuck on max.

Kind Regards....

I think you are right--In Ammonia systems it's called hot gas bypass--Hot gas directly from the compressor is diverted to the coils and defrosts them in a huge hurry(of course, unless I am mistaken).

I'm not an air conditioning specialist but it is also possible the refrigerant charge in the unit is not right.

j.

You are right the quantum of refrigerant need to be checked and should be recharged to the correct level to solve the ice formation in the condenser pipes and to improve the cooling power of the AC.

You could have thermostat problems as several have indicated.

You could be low on refrigerant. An interesting thing happens to home air conditioners when they are low on refrigerant.

When properly charged, refrigerant liquid and vapor flow through the evaporator coil (the part that looks like a radiator where the ice builds up) at roughly 45-55 degrees F until all the refrigerant evaporates. Then the vapor superheats to a few degrees below ambient temperature before re-entering the compressor.

When the refrigerant charge is low it works a little differently. Where liquid enters the evaporator coil , the pressure is too low and it gets too cold right right where it enters. There is actually less refrigerant flowing, so all the refrigerant quickly evaporates and begins to superheat. Only a small portion of the evaporator coil is working and it is too cold.

Since it's too cold where the refrigerant initially evaporates, it freezes moisture out of the air. After the air flow stops through the blocked part of the evaporator, there is relatively little load on that part of the evaporator and the frozen zone advances, eventually freezing the entire coil.

If you observe the freezing zone advancing from where the refrigerant enters the coil to where it leaves, this is probably the cause. You have a leak somewhere in the refrigerant loop and the charge is low. Find and repair the leak, then recharge properly, and you're back in business.

It looks like you have to check deferent issue at your AC system and fixed to prevent damaging the compressor Through my experience when the ice build up on the evaporator coil (radiator) that strongly indicated long cycling system, that cause by low set point for the thermostat or the AC condenser under charge ( low refrigerant).

Well, I recommend you to do this:

- let the ice milt by shut down the unit for 48 hours.

-check the condensation drain and clean it up.

-replace the Air filter (if it is replacement) or clean it up if it washable.

- check for the evaporator coil (Radiator) and clean it up carefully by using low pressure air

- adjust the supply air registers in the house to make sure the deliver equal air to the rooms.

- turn on the system, and wait 10-15 minutes then check the supply air temperature on the closest register to the evaporator coil. it should below 60 f degree. if not. you have to check the refigerant charge for the system probably under charge, unit has leak. or it has restriction.

You are low on refrigerant.

And your filter plugged up.

Hi RemnanTS,

Since you are getting ice, the AC is cooling fine. What is not working is the part that gets rid of the heat. That part is outside the house. Either the outer fan is not working or the fins are plugged up with dirt. There are other possibilities that will take a professional to find. Good luck.

regards,

S

It's just a window shaker men. No hg bypass on those toys. ( throw away pieces of #@*&). Dirty evap coil or oa ambient lower than 68 dg f at night while he runs it all night.