Notice Ice On Air Conditioner Pipe? | Troubleshooting Tips

As scorching temperatures are making their way across the United States, your AC unit is working hard to keep your family cool. However, as the demand is high for your air conditioner, you may run into some system issues at some point. While several problems can occur, ice formation on your AC pipes is a common issue.



Keep reading to learn more about this common air conditioning problem, including tips on how to fix it.

Ice on air conditioner pipe?

Notice ice on air conditioner pipe outside your home? Even in the middle of the summer, this is a common AC problem. Luckily, there are only a few possible causes of this issue, and the solution can be pretty straightforward.

Here are a few common reasons why you have ice on your air conditioner pipe outside:

Not enough airflow over evaporator coil

Adjust settings to thaw the ice

Examine AC filter

On some occasions, a dirty air conditioning filter could be limiting the airflow in your system, which could lead to a frozen pipe. To ensure proper airflow—and also improve indoor air quality—make sure to change your air filters periodically. If your filter looks grey and dirty, toss it immediately and add a replacement. This could help to thaw the AC unit’s frozen pipe outside.

Check AC vents

Another place to look is your AC return vents, including your supply vents. While your supply vents are used to push cool air into your home, return vents are utilized to bring warm air into your air conditioning system. When either of these are excessively dirty or clogged, that can have a huge impact on airflow. Additionally, as these vents can be opened and closed, make sure they’re in the open position.

Hire an AC professional

If you’d rather leave the problem to the AC experts, that’s a great decision! They can troubleshoot the issue right away and determine the best solution. Calling an AC professional can save you tons of time and energy.

Notice low refrigerant levels?

Refrigerant is a liquid that cools the warm air in your AC system. However, if your AC unit is low on this refrigerant, this can cause a decrease in temperature while also dropping the pressure. As a result, the AC unit can freeze up outside.

Refrigerant leak

Many homeowners think their AC system needs a “refill” on refrigerant. However, that isn’t true at all. As refrigerant continues to move through your system in a closed loop, low refrigerant means you have a leak.

If you have a frozen air conditioner line outside, there could very well be a leak.

However, check out some other common signs of a refrigerant leak:

• Warm or mild air coming from your vents
• Unusually high energy bills
• Bubbling or hissing sounds coming from your refrigerant line



If there happens to be a leak, keep reading for what to do next.

Contact an AC expert

Unfortunately, if you have a leak, there aren’t many options for a DIY solution. To get your AC back up and running, be sure to call an air conditioning professional. Refrigerant is expensive and the solution can be complicated, so it’s best to leave it to the experts.

If you notice ice on your air conditioner pipe outside, follow the tips above to find a quick solution.