Home A/C: lines going into the heat pump icing over

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2007 10:50 am

Hi gang,

Was wondering if anyone knows how to fix a problem with my home A/C, which has been problematic for the whole time I've been in this house.

When I came back from Atlanta last night, I found that it was no longer working - 78 degrees in the house. Fan is still running but nothing cold coming out of the registers. Well, I went outside just now, and found out that the lines going into the heat pump, as well as at least one of them that I can actually see inside the unit, is covered with ice.

What's going on? At some point I knew this, but that knowledge long since fell out of cache for me.

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2007 10:52 am

Freon leak?

I'd call an HVAC guy. Karl diagnosing and fixing an HVAC problem does not sound very "Shultzplan" to me. :wink:

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2007 10:55 am

Karl Shultz wrote:

When I came back from Atlanta last night, I found that it was no longer working - 78 degrees in the house.

Uh, my A/C does work and my house is 78 degrees. How cold did you want it?

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2007 11:20 am

Vincent Keene wrote:

Karl Shultz wrote:

When I came back from Atlanta last night, I found that it was no longer working - 78 degrees in the house.

Uh, my A/C does work and my house is 78 degrees. How cold did you want it?

The Westerfield brothers say 78 on max = broken AC.

I had my unit at the my old apartment do that. The whole thing would freeze over. Turns out it was a little low on coolant (freon) and would just run forever. I agree with Ryan, freon leak.

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

Vincent Keene wrote:

Uh, my A/C does work and my house is 78 degrees.

Apparently not well enough. :wink:

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

You're low on freon and the evaporator in the air handler froze over. If you turn it all off and let the thing thaw out, it will limp along for a few hours until it freezes over again. Time to call the A/C contractor and get the leak fixed and your wallet lightened.

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2007 12:33 pm

Well, Service Experts are here tomorrow to fix it...again. I really need to replace the thing outright, but that amount of money simply isn't there right now. Fortunately I paid for the service contract a year and a half or so ago, so at least I don't have to pay the flat rate service call penalty.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2007 12:33 pm

Michael Westerfield wrote:

The Westerfield brothers say 78 on max = broken AC.

No way I could afford to keep you boys cool. I think Stephen sweats at any temp above 65F. I'm comfortable between 78-82.

Ash Nelson · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2007 12:43 pm

We have one and a half window units that keep our 1800 sq. feet less hot than outside. If it gets too bad then we pile into the car and drive around in the a/c. :lol:

RobLupella · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2007 12:51 pm

Arthur McDonald wrote:

You're low on freon and the evaporator in the air handler froze over. If you turn it all off and let the thing thaw out, it will limp along for a few hours until it freezes over again. Time to call the A/C contractor and get the leak fixed and your wallet lightened.

The other thing you can do is tun of the heat to speed the thawing process. :shock:

My guess is that the air handler is full of ice. I agree with Art that you are probably low on Freon so you probably have a leak somewhere....

Chris Brown · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2007 12:57 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

Michael Westerfield wrote:

The Westerfield brothers say 78 on max = broken AC.

No way I could afford to keep you boys cool. I think Stephen sweats at any temp above 65F. I'm comfortable between 78-82.

makes sense to me...old people like it hot

VK's gonna move to FL soon, and start wearing his sweat pants up around his arm pits

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2007 1:13 pm

A lot of the Volvos run into this same problem. The evaporator starts to leak and when the freon gets low enough, the compressor will freeze.

If you have a Carrier unit, I would have the company inspect the condensor for rust. Carriers are notorius for rusting out parts internally. If they say there is a big problem, instead of replacing out the big parts, spend some more and get a Ruud or a Trane. Well worth your extra expense.

I have a friend in HVAC and every house he has bought he put in a new Trane unit, regardless of how new the other branded unit was. - AB

Chris Landi · **Joined:** Mon Mar 08, 2004 6:31 pm **Posts:** 579

Vincent Keene wrote:

Michael Westerfield wrote:

The Westerfield brothers say 78 on max = broken AC.

No way I could afford to keep you boys cool. I think Stephen sweats at any temp above 65F. I'm comfortable between 78-82.

My god...67 degrees here for nightime sleeping in the summer. 71 degrees for daytime temps. I'd like to go as low as 60 for the winter but my wife won't have it.

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:08 pm

Well, something's clearly amiss. The ice on the unit outside is gone, so I turned it back on to try and get some cool air back in the house (yes VK, I like the house pretty cold). Now, I can't get the air handler *inside* the house to turn the fan on.

Aaron, Trane or Rudd you say? If it comes down to that, I'm not buying a crap unit, that's for sure. This one's a "Goodman" and every tech that's been out here has told me that they're junk.

RobLupella · **Posted:** Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:22 pm

Karl Shultz wrote:

Well, something's clearly amiss. The ice on the unit outside is gone, so I turned it back on to try and get some cool air back in the house (yes VK, I like the house pretty cold). Now, I can't get the air handler *inside* the house to turn the fan on.

Aaron, Trane or Rudd you say? If it comes down to that, I'm not buying a crap unit, that's for sure. This one's a "Goodman" and every tech that's been out here has told me that they're junk.

Goodman is a builder unit made by someone else (Trane?) It doesn't have all the bells and whistles but it is a basic unit.

I wouldn't buy a Trane on a bet. I bought one and it has sucked from the day I bought it. The dealer support is horrible. I would buy Carrier, RUUD, Rheem, YOrk, etc before I paid money to those bastards at Trane.

Maybe you need to go Solar ROFL

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