Your air conditioning system has one job: to cool your home. Therefore, if you see ice developing anywhere on the air conditioning system, you may not think very much of it. After all, air conditioners provide cool air, so isn’t ice normal? Unfortunately, no. This is not a good sign.

The fact of the matter is that ice developing on your air conditioner is indicative of a problem. If you do see ice on your AC system you should call in a professional right away before any further damage occurs to your air conditioning system. But what’s the problem with ice on your air conditioner?

You May Have a Dirty Air Filter

The air conditioner’s evaporator coil is where the cold liquid refrigerant evaporates when it comes into contact with warm indoor air. At this time, heat is absorbed by the refrigerant before being moved outdoors. If the air traveling over the evaporator coil is obstructed by a dirty air filter, however, then the coil is going to get far colder than it should.

As a result, the condensation that your system removes from the air as it draws heat out can freeze on the coil. This becomes a dangerous cycle, as that ice will then wrap around the coil and further obstruct the absorption of heat. Luckily, all that you have to do in this situation is either clean or replace your air filter.

What If You Have a Refrigerant Leak?

While a dirty air filter is the best-case scenario for this kind of problem, oftentimes ice on the evaporator coil can be a result of a refrigerant leak, which is a considerably more serious problem.

When refrigerant escapes out of your AC system, the heat absorption process in the evaporator coil is compromised. The coil will get too cold, and the condensation can freeze on it. If you notice ice on the actual refrigerant lines, then this is unfortunately very likely the cause.

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