Symptom
AC frozen or iced up?
Ice on an air conditioner's copper lines or indoor coil almost always means the coil is getting too cold — usually because airflow across it is restricted, or because the refrigerant charge is low from a leak. Turn the system off at the thermostat, set the fan to On to help it thaw, check the filter, and have it looked at if it freezes again.
Soon. Running a frozen system can damage the compressor. Switch cooling off now; it can wait for a scheduled visit unless the house is becoming dangerously hot.
What usually causes this.
These are the common possibilities, not a diagnosis. A page cannot tell which one it is — that takes a technician testing the system.
- Refrigerant lines
- Filter & return
- Indoor coil
- Blower
- Dirty filter or blocked return
- The most common cause. Without enough warm air moving across it, the coil drops below freezing and moisture on it turns to ice.
- Low refrigerant charge
- A leak lowers the pressure in the coil, which lowers its temperature. The system freezes, cools poorly, and the leak keeps going.
- Dirty evaporator coil
- Dust and film on the indoor coil act like a blanket and restrict airflow through it.
- Blower problem
- A failing blower motor, a dirty blower wheel, or the wrong fan speed setting moves too little air.
- Running in cool weather
- Running the AC hard on cool nights, well below its design conditions, can occasionally let the coil ice up.
What you can safely check.
- Turn cooling off at the thermostat and set the fan to On. The moving air helps the ice melt. Expect this to take several hours.
- Replace the air filter if it's dirty.
- Make sure every return grille and supply vent is open.
- Put towels down near the indoor unit — melting ice produces a lot of water, and the drain pan can overflow.
- Once fully thawed, turn cooling back on. If ice returns within a day or two, the cause isn't just the filter.
Leave these alone
- Chipping or scraping ice off the coil or lines.
- Heating the coil with a hair dryer or heat gun.
- Adding refrigerant — a low charge means a leak that has to be found.
Call rather than book online if:
- Water is overflowing from the indoor unit into the house
- The outdoor unit is humming or buzzing loudly with the fan stopped
What we check when we get there.
In order, and every time — the point of a diagnostic is to find out which cause it is before anything is replaced.
- 01The technician checks airflow first — filter, coil, blower and static pressure — since that's the most common cause.
- 02If airflow is fine, refrigerant pressures and temperatures show whether the charge is low. A low charge leads to leak detection.
- 03The condensate drain is checked too, because a thawing coil puts a lot of water through it.
What it is likely to cost.
If a dirty filter was the only cause, there may be no repair at all. Coil cleaning, blower work or a refrigerant leak cost progressively more. You get the price before work begins.
Repair or replace?
A leak in the indoor or outdoor coil on an older system is one of the situations where replacement is worth pricing alongside the repair, especially if the system uses R-22.
Compare repair vs replacement- Diagnostic / service call
- $89
- Heavy coil cleaning
- From $299
- Blower wheel pull & clean
- From $329
- Leak detection
- From $249
- Leak repair + recharge
- $499–$1,299
- Blower motor
- $549–$1,099
Prices are starting points for standard work in the Savannah area. Final price depends on the system and site, and is confirmed before work begins. Permits and code-required upgrades may be additional.
Questions people ask about this.
- How long does a frozen AC take to thaw?
- Often several hours, sometimes most of a day, depending on how much ice has built up. Running the fan on its own speeds it up.
- Is a frozen AC an emergency?
- Usually not, as long as you switch cooling off. It becomes urgent if water is overflowing into the house or the outdoor unit is struggling loudly.
- Why does my AC keep freezing after I changed the filter?
- Then the filter wasn't the whole story. A low charge from a leak, a dirty coil or a weak blower are the usual next suspects, and all need a technician.
Work out the decision:Seasonal Checklist
Further reading:Does your AC just need more refrigerant?Which air filter, and how often, in a humid house?
The service that fixes it.
Air Conditioning Repair is the work behind this symptom. Its page covers what is involved, how it is quoted and what we stand behind.
Symptoms that sit next to it.
Systems rarely fail in one way only. If one of these is also true, say so when you book — it narrows the diagnosis before anyone arrives.
Air conditioner not cooling, not starting, freezing up, leaking or making noise.
- AC running but not coolingAn air conditioner can run without cooling properly when airflow is restricted, the indoor coil has frozen, a component has failed, or the refrigerant charge is low because of a leak.
- AC won't turn onWhen an air conditioner won't turn on at all, the cause is usually power, the thermostat, a safety switch that has shut the system off (often a full condensate drain), or a failed electrical component such as a capacitor or contactor.
- AC leaking waterAn air conditioner leaking water indoors is usually a blocked condensate drain, an overflowing or cracked drain pan, or a frozen coil melting.
- Outdoor unit not runningIf the indoor fan is blowing but the outdoor unit isn't running, the house gets moving air without cooling.
- AC making a noiseA new noise from an air conditioner usually points to a specific part.
Not sure which it is?Describe it to the assistant
Everything else we are called about.
The whole index, in three groups.
HUMIDITY, AIRFLOW & ENERGY BILLS
House feels humid or dampSome rooms too hot or coldPower bill suddenly higher
Get it looked at.
We cover Savannah, the Coastal Empire and the South Carolina Lowcountry. Tell us what the system is doing — you do not need to know the cause. The diagnostic price is given to you before the visit, and the repair price before any work starts.
No heat, or no cooling at all?Call rather than send a request — (912) 858-3737 is answered around the clock.