What's Wrong with this Picture: Icy A/C
ANSWER: Iced up evaporator coil.
This is an actual picture, taken at an actual U.S. Inspect inspection. According to U.S. Inspect Florida Inspector, Jack Fuquay:
When I walked in to one of my inspections yesterday, it was very warm. I walked over and lowered the air. It did not get cooler. When it came time to look at the air handler, I removed the cover to see the coils…and the above is what I found.
What's wrong with this picture? The evaporator coil is iced up. The evaporator coil in the air handler of an A/C system works by having cold refrigerant running through it as air is blown across it. This cools the air. Ice build up on the evaporator coil is not normal. It can be caused by several things. For example, the air flow across the coil could be insufficient/restricted or there’s not enough refrigerant in the system (low refrigerant charge).
Fixing a restricted air flow problem could be as simple as replacing the air filter. It’s very easy to check the filter and replace if necessary. A more serious problem could be a faulty blower fan motor or dirty/blocked evaporator coil. If the filter looks OK and the blower fan sounds like it’s running, the next step would be to schedule a service call with a qualified HVAC contractor to check the evaporator coil, blower fan, and refrigerant charge.
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Comments
...iced up
I did an inspection several years ago - got a call from the buyer a few months later. An HVAC contractor was telling him he needed a new furnace and a/c; the a/c was not cooling. He was very unhappy to say the least. I remembered the furnace was older, but the a/c unit was only a few years old.
The HVAC guy said the coil froze up because it was not sized properly, to size it properly, they had to put in a new furnace because the older furnace cabinet would not accomodate a properly sized coil - "that's why they did it wrong". (thanks buddy) Oh, and the coil was in backwards.
It was clear the buyer would not take my word for anything, so I had another HVAC guy (who installs the brand of a/c) meet me at the property. The buyer is ticked - he's been stewing on this...
First thing I look at is the filter and of course it was completely clogged. Huh, evidently the other guy didn't point that out. So, we stood there for awhile as the coils starts to thaw - and the new HVAC guy pulls out his manual. Gee, the coil IS properly sized and matched, and properly installed. Imagine that.
We told the buyer to let it thaw completely, put in a new filter, and see how it works. I got a call a couple of days later - it was very hot out - the buyer thanking me for saving him $6000.00 - the a/c worked great! I guess the other HVAC guy wasn't returning his calls after the message he left concerning our visit and the results. His Realtor used the guy "all the time".