The evaporator coils are the centerpiece of the air conditioning system: the part that actually cools the air. Liquid refrigerant enters the coils under a great deal of pressure. There, it expands into a gas — which it achieves by pulling heat from the air around the coils. The cool air can then be blown into the home with a fan.

But when ice or frost forms on the coils, it forms a barrier between the refrigerant and the air it’s trying to cool. As a result, the air conditioner has to work harder to do its job, which raises both the cost of running the system and the strain on other components. Even worse, it usually leads to more ice forming on the coils, which only makes the issue worse. Eventually, it will cause a breakdown, though its efficiency will often drop precipitously until then.

Frost on the air conditioning coils can be caused by a number of factors, including but not limited to the following:

Scraping the ice off may sound like a good idea, but in fact, it might be the worst thing you can do to address the problem. In the first place, it won’t actually solve the problem. The ice will just reform soon thereafter. Furthermore, there’s a very good chance that you could damage the coils in the process. Cleaning a dirty filter or sealing a refrigerant leak is a moderately inexpensive process, but replacing the coil adds a tremendous amount of cost and effort to the job. If you spot frost on the coils, turn the system off and call in a repair service immediately.

For AC repair services in Glendale, CA , call Greenleaf Heating & Cooling today!