Repairing a window air conditioner that freezes

Window air conditioner are great for small rooms and apartments. They have low installation costs and also low power usage. This makes them one of the most popular air conditioning systems in the world.

There are a few minor drawbacks though. Besides the cooling capacity, that is quite low, made only for small areas, one of the most common problem is the accumulation of ice outside the air conditioner. This usually happens in cooler weather.

Temperature

Strange, but even though in hot weather these units are very effective, in cold weather they work very poorly. When the unit cools the air inside your room, condensation appears on the outside of the unit. Because of low temperatures from outside, this water formed from condensation can freeze and lead to ice formations.

Removing the ice

Before you start removing the ice, make sure that there is no power running through the unit. Turn it off and unplug it from the electrical supply. To avoid damaging the unit, use a hairdryer to slowly melt the ice. This can be done if the air conditioner is on the ground floor. If the unit is on higher floors, you should let the ice melt naturally. Let the air conditioner off and let it do the work.

Cleaning the filters

Maintenance is a very important process for every air conditioner. One of the components that needs special attention is the air filter. This needs to be cleaned or replaced more often. If the air filter get’s clogged with dust, it will reduce the efficiency of the air conditioner. For reusable filters, use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust and after this wash it with some soapy water.

Additional problems

Cooling coils can also have a great influence on the freezing of the condensed water. In case the coils are dirty use a vacuum cleaner to remove the debris and also a coil comb to repair any bent coils.