Does your small business have a central air conditioner that keeps freezing up? Small businesses often have units more like residential units than the larger commercial units required for hotels, schools, and other larger establishments. The smaller size of the unit and the simpler structure make it easier to diagnose a problem – and should cost you less to correct the problem.

Here are a few of the potential causes if your small business's air conditioner keeps freezing up – and how a service technician can help.

Low or Improper Refrigerant

Think of refrigerant as the chemical "gas" that allows the central air conditioner to run properly. Refrigerant starts as a gas within the compressor in the condensing unit and goes through a couple of phase changes, including liquid then back to gas, that end up providing the cooling necessary for the air conditioner to make the inside of your business your desired temperature.

Your air conditioner can gradually lose coolant if it has developed a leak. Eventually, the amount of diminished refrigerant will become high enough that your system won't have sufficient fuel to function at full strength. You will start to see a loss of efficiency and, if the problem isn't fixed, your air conditioner will eventually experience freeze ups and then a complete loss of cooling ability. Continuing to try and operate the unit can cause permanent mechanical damage.

You will need to have a service tech come out and check your levels of refrigerant. The tech can refill or recharge the chemical and make sure you have the proper type of refrigerant for your particular unit, as well as repair the leak.

Dirty Evaporator Coils

The refrigerant becomes a liquid within the evaporator coils in the air handler part of the unit. This phase change makes the coils cold, and fan-circulated air pushes that cold air out into your business to create the comfy temperature you want. This process requires a sufficient level of refrigerant and that the surface of the coils to be relatively clean.

Dirty coils can impair the refrigerant phase change and make the surface of the coils an improper temperature. The temperature can become overly cold, which causes the coils to freeze and stops the refrigerant in its tracks during its next pass, shutting down the unit.

You can clean coils yourself using a specialty no-rinse foaming cleanser found at most hardware stores. Follow the package directions and make sure all electricity is off to the unit before you begin.

Faulty Blower Fan

There's one more part that can impair the ability of the evaporator coils to sufficiently and properly cool without freezing: the motorized blower fan. The fan helps maintain the evaporator temperature during phase change by pushing warm air over the coils, which in turn cools that air that then passes it out your vents and into your business.

If the fan stops working properly, or stops blowing altogether, the evaporator coils can become overly cold and freeze up, shutting down your entire system. If you don't hear the fan running when you stand near the air handler, call in a service tech to replace the fan and get your system working again.

If your air conditioner is in need of repair, contact a company like Phil's Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. for assistance.

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