Need help HVAC system freezing up

[1967coronet440]

That’s the thing I can’t stand being hot when I try to sleep. They’re talking upper 80’s the rest of the week. My neighbors dad is a semi retired tech 30 Year’s in the business. I’ll see if I can get him to come by.

 

[1967coronet440]

I still got the pool open so if I start to overheat I can go for a dip lol. But my wife and kids will be complaining as soon as they get here. She’s out at her friends house doing her hair with my car and my credit card. I’m supposed to be fixing her car

 

[Officer Higgins]

If you need equipment check out ingrams most affordable i have seen bought my equipment there. Unless your friend has connections for better prices. Also ingrams has women models posing by equipment... What a pervert just like alot of fellows on here lol including myself. Great digs man pool may come in handy.

 

[1967coronet440]

I got a pretty good price on it and I’m sure if I need something he will set me up for cost. I paid $1,187 for 3.5 Ton coil and condenser

 

[1967coronet440]

Actually I just talked to him he said turn it off and let the fan run for a couple hours then turn it back on and see if it happens again.

 

[Officer Higgins]

Yep try to defrost that coil with airflow across it. I was going to say turn heat on to defrost it quickly but its really almost too hot.

 

[MoparBill]

Often a frozen coil is from lack of airflow... make sure your return grilles aren't blocked with furniture.... plugged filter, etc.

 

[Lefty71]

Try this; first, make sure airflow is as good as possible. Turn the power off to the outside, or just set the system switch to Off. Set the fan switch to ON instead of auto, so it will run continuously. If it was a block of ice, this will need to be done for more than a couple hours. If you have the capability (and you put it in yourself), double check the fan speed on the furnace or air handler board. It should be as high as possible in most cases in AC mode, likely the black wire is the highest speed on most motors. Take the filter out, go get the cheapest one you can find, if you have a one inch thick plain old filter. Anything in a one inch variety will likely be a restriction, unless its the blue spun fiberglass style (others may dispute me on this, but its for good reason). Plan on throwing that style out every single month. After at least 5-6 hours of continuous fan operation, restart the AC and report back in a day or so. If it freezes back up when it seems to be running properly otherwise, then it may be a leaker. BTW, Day and Night units should be at least 5 years warrantee even unregistered so don't sweat it. HTH, Lefty71

 

[1967coronet440]

Should I run it with no filter? I just bought a new one from home depot it’s the “better” rated in their good better best rating system. But I also have a few of the green Flanders brand fiberglass strung type.

 

[1967coronet440]

Had to cut the drain to get the cover off so I gotta fix that, didn’t think that one through then water started pouring out lol. Panicked I guess.

 

[1967coronet440]

This is the Flanders brand I have. 96 cents at Home Depot lol. Found a few packs of them on the job a few months ago

 

[dla4567]

If you don’t have the correct tools and know what you’re doing then call someone that does. If you run it low on refrigerant you will over heat the compressor. If it freezes the evaporator it can cause a leak or slug the compressor and break the valves. Either way you are likely to cause more damage. If it’s only 4 months old it’s likely an install issue. (Leaking solder joint, threaded fitting, or never probably charged.) proper tune up of a new unit is very important.
Also- The so called better or best air filters are usually to restrictive for proper air flow. The cheapest are usually the best. Buying the more expensive filters is like paying extra for a pre dirty filter.

Common Causes of freezing coil:
-Low refrigerant charge.
-Low air flow.
-Restricted refrigerant flow.
-Setting thermostat to low.

Good luck and stay cool.

 

[dla4567]

Let’s just see what Donnie Baker thinks about furnace filters.

 

[1967coronet440]

If you don’t have the correct tools and know what you’re doing then call someone that does. If you run it low on refrigerant you will over heat the compressor. If it freezes the evaporator it can cause a leak or slug the compressor and break the valves. Either way you are likely to cause more damage. If it’s only 4 months old it’s likely an install issue. (Leaking solder joint, threaded fitting, or never probably charged.) proper tune up of a new unit is very important.
Also- The so called better or best air filters are usually to restrictive for proper air flow. The cheapest are usually the best. Buying the more expensive filters is like paying extra for a pre dirty filter.

Common Causes of freezing coil:
-Low refrigerant charge.
-Low air flow.
-Restricted refrigerant flow.
-Setting thermostat to low.

Good luck and stay cool.

The thermostat was set to 71 I believe, think that could’ve been too low? I had it at 70 many times over the summer

 

[1967coronet440]

Also a few of my registers in the basement and the spare bedroom were closed, could that have caused it?

 

[dla4567]

To low is usually below 68. The new ones can go a little lower, maybe 66. This all depends on proper set up. I typically recommend not setting stat below 70.
The evaporator coil runs about 40 degrees cooler then the temperature in the house. (70 degree House=30 degree coil.) With proper air flow coil won’t freeze until it gets down to 28 degrees.
(On the newer systems only 30-35 degrees colder.)

 

[dla4567]

Registers in basement are usually closed in summer and should not be a factor when sizing ductwork.
If ductwork and furnace blower are sized correctly closing one or two vents should not be a problem. Many people close off the first floor to force more cold air upstairs, this causes problems.

 

[1967coronet440]

I think I can rule out leaky solders, I did a pretty good job on them and we ran the vacuum pump on the system before we charged it and it held.

 

[1967coronet440]

Registers in basement are usually closed in summer and should not be a factor when sizing ductwork.
If ductwork and furnace blower are sized correctly closing one or two vents should not be a problem. Many people close off the first floor to force more cold air upstairs, this causes problems.

4 out of the 6 downstairs were all closed. Plus one upstairs

 

[dla4567]

If you check the temperature of the air entering and leaving the furnace, (close to the furnace), the leaving air should be 18-20 colder then the entering air. If it’s more then a 20 degree drop you may have an airflow problem.