As spring begins to thaw the last traces of winter, the last thing you want to find buried under the snow is a broken AC unit. Unfortunately, the harsh Champaign, IL, winters leave many AC units unresponsive or blowing hot air when it’s their time to shine in the spring.
Keep reading to learn what causes your AC unit to stop working over the winter and how you can prepare your unit for the demands of the upcoming months.
Can My Air Conditioner Freeze in the Winter?
Even though you aren’t using your AC during the winter, your outdoor unit can still freeze up if there are problems within your HVAC system.
If there is too much moisture present in the air around your unit, especially around the coils, it continues to freeze and build up as ice in and on your unit. Excess moisture in the air can be caused by a dirty or clogged air filter restricting airflow or can occur naturally due to humid weather conditions.
When coupled with the freezing temperatures outside during winter, it’s even easier for your HVAC unit to freeze over. That’s why it’s normal to see some ice during the winter, but your HVAC system’s automatic defrost setting should have no problems clearing it. If you notice ice that continues to build up and won’t melt, there might be a problem.
What Causes My AC to Stop Working over the Winter?
As your air conditioner sits dormant for months, there are many things, small and large, that can go wrong to cause it to stop working. Below are some of the most common reasons homeowners in Champaign, IL, find their AC not working after its winter break.
Small Mishaps
Sometimes, your AC won’t turn on because of something small or inconsequential. If a breaker tripped without you noticing, it could leave your AC unit inoperable. Luckily, this is an easy fix — just flip the breaker and see if the problem resolves.
If a breaker isn’t tripped, your AC woes could be caused by a dirty air filter or an emergency shutoff switch that was accidentally flipped. Check your unit to ensure the emergency shutoff switch hasn’t been engaged and change your filter if necessary.
If none of this gets your AC working again, there is a bigger problem brewing.
Storm Damage
During the fall and winter is when Champaign, IL, experiences the most storms and extreme weather. All that wind and rain can kick up all kinds of gunk that finds its way into your HVAC unit. This buildup can clog filters and drains, block fan blades, and cause other trouble deeper in your system.
Large debris, like falling tree branches, can cause serious damage to your outdoor unit and render your AC useless come spring. If you notice any damage after a storm, call your local HVAC professional right away to avoid major problems.
Faulty Condenser
If your condenser coils become clogged with debris during the winter, you might not notice it right away. However, if these clogs are not fixed promptly, they can cause your unit to overheat and stop working.
Refrigerant Leaks
If your AC blows air, but it’s not cool, you may be suffering from a refrigerant leak. Refrigerant is a volatile liquid your AC system uses to cool air, so when there’s not enough of it, your AC becomes ineffective.
A refrigerant leak can also cause your evaporator coils to freeze up, but this wouldn’t happen during the winter when your unit isn’t running. However, if your AC runs fine at first and then stops working and there is ice on your coils, a refrigerant leak is likely.
How Do I Reset My AC After the Winter?
If your AC isn’t working due to a blown fuse or tripped breaker, resetting it should fix your problems.
To reset a tripped breaker, open your circuit breaker box and identify the corresponding circuit. If the breaker is tripped, flip it into the “On” position.
When the breaker is not tripped, you can try resetting your AC by flipping it, leaving it off for 30 seconds, and then turning it back on. A blown fuse is a little harder to resolve, but your local electrician or HVAC professional can get it done for you.
You can also “reset” your AC by restoring it to its pre-winter condition with a little bit of TLC and professional cooling services.
What Do I Do If My HVAC Is Frozen?
If you wake up to a frozen HVAC unit, don’t panic. First, turn off your unit and let it thaw out by itself. It might take several hours for your unit to thaw out naturally, but if it’s progressing too slowly, you can turn on your unit’s blower to assist.
After that, call a local HVAC expert to get to the bottom of what’s causing your frozen unit. Your system may require an AC repair, and it’s best to get those done at the beginning of spring before you need your AC the most.
How to Prepare Your AC for the Upcoming Season
There are a few things you can do to reset and prep your AC unit, even if it didn’t freeze over or break during the winter. When spring rolls around in Champaign, IL, use these simple tips to get your AC system ready for the hottest days of the year.
Clear Debris Around Your Unit
All of the things that come with winter weather, like leaves, twigs, branches, and dirt, can impact your AC’s performance. Debris that builds up around or on top of your unit can interfere with its ability to properly ventilate and regulate itself.
As a general rule of thumb, you should have at least two feet of clear, unobstructed space on all sides of your outdoor unit. If you don’t currently have that, it’s time to break out the rakes and gardening gloves.
Inspect and Seal Ductwork
Tears in your ductwork can be a huge energy drain on your home. Even a small rip in a duct can let cool air escape before it ever reaches the inside of your home. This leaking can cause warm air to come out of your vents and drive up your cooling costs.
Before you start depending on your AC to stay comfortable, you should have your ductwork carefully inspected, and any tears sealed.
However, this is a very involved process, and any AC repairs dealing with ductwork should be left to the professionals. Some local HVAC experts even offer ductwork inspections as part of their AC unit safety inspections.
Get Help with Professional AC Tune-Ups
Even with lots of careful attention from you, your HVAC system performs at its best when it receives timely tune-ups in the spring and fall. During a tune-up, an HVAC expert has more access to the inner workings of your AC system and can pinpoint problems in their infancy. A professional AC tune-up will:
- Improve efficiency
- Avoid major breakdowns
- Cut down on AC repair costs
- Improve indoor air quality
- Reduce energy bills
- Extend the lifetime of your AC
- Ensure your unit passes AC unit safety inspections
With regular maintenance and tune-ups, your AC can keep your house feeling cool for up to 20 years, so it shouldn’t be overlooked.
Schedule Your Spring AC Tune-Up Today
It’s important to keep up with your system’s maintenance and AC unit safety inspections. Whether you’re overdue on maintenance or the time for it is quickly approaching, it’s never a bad time to schedule your next maintenance visit.
For professional care, you can count on scheduling your AC tune-up with Castle Home Comfort Heating & Cooling today.
Keep reading to learn what causes your AC unit to stop working over the winter and how you can prepare your unit for the demands of the upcoming months.
Can My Air Conditioner Freeze in the Winter?
Even though you aren’t using your AC during the winter, your outdoor unit can still freeze up if there are problems within your HVAC system.
If there is too much moisture present in the air around your unit, especially around the coils, it continues to freeze and build up as ice in and on your unit. Excess moisture in the air can be caused by a dirty or clogged air filter restricting airflow or can occur naturally due to humid weather conditions.
When coupled with the freezing temperatures outside during winter, it’s even easier for your HVAC unit to freeze over. That’s why it’s normal to see some ice during the winter, but your HVAC system’s automatic defrost setting should have no problems clearing it. If you notice ice that continues to build up and won’t melt, there might be a problem.
What Causes My AC to Stop Working over the Winter?
As your air conditioner sits dormant for months, there are many things, small and large, that can go wrong to cause it to stop working. Below are some of the most common reasons homeowners in Champaign, IL, find their AC not working after its winter break.
Small Mishaps
Sometimes, your AC won’t turn on because of something small or inconsequential. If a breaker tripped without you noticing, it could leave your AC unit inoperable. Luckily, this is an easy fix — just flip the breaker and see if the problem resolves.
If a breaker isn’t tripped, your AC woes could be caused by a dirty air filter or an emergency shutoff switch that was accidentally flipped. Check your unit to ensure the emergency shutoff switch hasn’t been engaged and change your filter if necessary.
If none of this gets your AC working again, there is a bigger problem brewing.
Storm Damage
During the fall and winter is when Champaign, IL, experiences the most storms and extreme weather. All that wind and rain can kick up all kinds of gunk that finds its way into your HVAC unit. This buildup can clog filters and drains, block fan blades, and cause other trouble deeper in your system.
Large debris, like falling tree branches, can cause serious damage to your outdoor unit and render your AC useless come spring. If you notice any damage after a storm, call your local HVAC professional right away to avoid major problems.
Faulty Condenser
If your condenser coils become clogged with debris during the winter, you might not notice it right away. However, if these clogs are not fixed promptly, they can cause your unit to overheat and stop working.
Refrigerant Leaks
If your AC blows air, but it’s not cool, you may be suffering from a refrigerant leak. Refrigerant is a volatile liquid your AC system uses to cool air, so when there’s not enough of it, your AC becomes ineffective.
A refrigerant leak can also cause your evaporator coils to freeze up, but this wouldn’t happen during the winter when your unit isn’t running. However, if your AC runs fine at first and then stops working and there is ice on your coils, a refrigerant leak is likely.
How Do I Reset My AC After the Winter?
If your AC isn’t working due to a blown fuse or tripped breaker, resetting it should fix your problems.
To reset a tripped breaker, open your circuit breaker box and identify the corresponding circuit. If the breaker is tripped, flip it into the “On” position.
When the breaker is not tripped, you can try resetting your AC by flipping it, leaving it off for 30 seconds, and then turning it back on. A blown fuse is a little harder to resolve, but your local electrician or HVAC professional can get it done for you.
You can also “reset” your AC by restoring it to its pre-winter condition with a little bit of TLC and professional cooling services.
What Do I Do If My HVAC Is Frozen?
If you wake up to a frozen HVAC unit, don’t panic. First, turn off your unit and let it thaw out by itself. It might take several hours for your unit to thaw out naturally, but if it’s progressing too slowly, you can turn on your unit’s blower to assist.
After that, call a local HVAC expert to get to the bottom of what’s causing your frozen unit. Your system may require an AC repair, and it’s best to get those done at the beginning of spring before you need your AC the most.
How to Prepare Your AC for the Upcoming Season
There are a few things you can do to reset and prep your AC unit, even if it didn’t freeze over or break during the winter. When spring rolls around in Champaign, IL, use these simple tips to get your AC system ready for the hottest days of the year.
Clear Debris Around Your Unit
All of the things that come with winter weather, like leaves, twigs, branches, and dirt, can impact your AC’s performance. Debris that builds up around or on top of your unit can interfere with its ability to properly ventilate and regulate itself.
As a general rule of thumb, you should have at least two feet of clear, unobstructed space on all sides of your outdoor unit. If you don’t currently have that, it’s time to break out the rakes and gardening gloves.
Inspect and Seal Ductwork
Tears in your ductwork can be a huge energy drain on your home. Even a small rip in a duct can let cool air escape before it ever reaches the inside of your home. This leaking can cause warm air to come out of your vents and drive up your cooling costs.
Before you start depending on your AC to stay comfortable, you should have your ductwork carefully inspected, and any tears sealed.
However, this is a very involved process, and any AC repairs dealing with ductwork should be left to the professionals. Some local HVAC experts even offer ductwork inspections as part of their AC unit safety inspections.
Get Help with Professional AC Tune-Ups
Even with lots of careful attention from you, your HVAC system performs at its best when it receives timely tune-ups in the spring and fall. During a tune-up, an HVAC expert has more access to the inner workings of your AC system and can pinpoint problems in their infancy. A professional AC tune-up will:
- Improve efficiency
- Avoid major breakdowns
- Cut down on AC repair costs
- Improve indoor air quality
- Reduce energy bills
- Extend the lifetime of your AC
- Ensure your unit passes AC unit safety inspections
With regular maintenance and tune-ups, your AC can keep your house feeling cool for up to 20 years, so it shouldn’t be overlooked.
Schedule Your Spring AC Tune-Up Today
It’s important to keep up with your system’s maintenance and AC unit safety inspections. Whether you’re overdue on maintenance or the time for it is quickly approaching, it’s never a bad time to schedule your next maintenance visit.
For professional care, you can count on schedule your AC tune-up with Castle Home Comfort Heating & Cooling today.