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Does
your air conditioning seem to be blowing out the registers with
less force than usual? This could be due to an ice block forming
in the plenum of your furnace. Under certain conditions the air conditioning is delivering its cooling to the furnace faster than the furnace can blow it to the rest of the house. To fix the ice buildup, we first look for causes of reduced air flow in the furnace. A dirty filter can cause this. If the filter is dirty enough to block the air flow to the furnace, then the cooling cannot be removed fast enough from the furnace. More cooling means a lower temperature in the plenum, and this causes ice to be formed. The ice in turn further impedes the flow of the air through the furnace, and the end result is a huge ice block, which impedes the air flow to the home to such a point that the home is cooled little or not at all. In extreme cases, the ice block grows to where it is beyond the bounds of the evaporator drain pan, and can cause water to run down the side of the furnace, and out onto your basement floor. The solution to this problem, once an ice block has formed, is twofold. First we have to melt the ice block, and second, find the cause of the reduced air flow, or the ice will re-form the next time the air conditioner is started. |
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MELTING THE BLOCK |
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Turn
AC OFF! |
Turn
off the air conditioner’s outdoor unit. Just to
be sure, use the disconnect outside, or turn the circuit breaker to the
ac unit off in the basement. Leave the furnace powered. (see next) |
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Leave
Fan ON |
Turn
the thermostat FAN setting to ON, so that the furnace will continue to
circulate your warm house air through the furnace. |
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OR Defrost |
ALTERNATIVELY,
you could just turn the whole system off, and wait until you no longer
hear water dripping – this may not stop until the following day. |
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Prevention |
When
normal air flow is restored, proceed to the steps for Preventing the
Next Ice Block before re-starting your air conditioner. |
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PREVENTING
THE
NEXT BLOCK
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It's
Probably the FILTER. |
Replace
your furnace
filter. If it’s a washable filter, wash it, if it’s a cardboard
frame fiberglass filter, replace it once a month. Sometimes
filters can be dirty enough to impede air flow, and still look “not
that dirty” |
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Air
Circulation - Getting the
cool air to work for you. |
Be
sure that the registers are
open to all the rooms in your house. Follow
the instructions for
setting your high air returns properly for air conditioning. |
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NOW TRY IT!
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Once you’ve checked all the above, and the FAN ON setting on your thermostat produces full air flow, try turning your air conditioner back on. If this has solved your problem, and your cooling is back to normal, enjoy! Have a great summer! |
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| If, however, the cooling and air flow once again diminish after a few hours, your problem is more serious, and you’d be advised to call our service department 414/778-4190. | |||
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There are other causes
for
the Ice Block symptom, but they have to be remedied by a licensed
professional. Examples of other things that could cause the
freezeup:
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SERVICE 414/778-4190
You can leave us e-mail
or write to
us at
Air Comfort Systems, Inc.
635 South 70th Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53214
To arrange a FREE in-home
estimate for new
equipment, or for further information about us or any of the many home
comfort services we offer, please leave us an e-mail message, leave
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you within the next business day.
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