Why Your HVAC System Freezes
Tennessee is probably one of the most unpredictable states when it comes to weather. The winter of 2014 was absolutely brutal with lows in the teens and some nights nearly reaching zero. Nashville, Chattanooga and surrounding areas even saw almost 18 inches of snow at one point last January; that is almost unheard of in this Southern state! So far, 2015’s winter hasn’t been too excruciating. There definitely hasn’t’ been any snowfall, but Mother Nature sure can’t seem to make up her mind. One week it may be in the low 20’s as you leave for work, up in the low 50’s by lunch, and back down in the 30’s by the time you pull into your driveway that evening. The problem with these unpredictable temperature fluctuations is that your HVAC system can’t just swap out its wool sweater for a nice light tee like you can.
When the low is in the 20’s one night, and you crank your heat up to keep your family warm your heating system cycles. When the temperature rapidly and dramatically changes throughout the day the system becomes overwhelmed and cycles more often than it should. It does make the system cycle more, but it’s designed to do that with fluctuations in temperature. You’ll be using more electricity when it short cycles, which is on/off on/off in a short period of time. It could be a faulty thermostat or a number of different things, but it’s not the outdoor weather that causes it to do that. Leakages are one major reason that your HVAC system freezes in the winter if your system is low on refrigerant. When your system freezes in the winter, as long as it’s a heat pump, that’s normal expectancy. Now, let’s cover a few other topics.
Evaporator Coil: This is the piece in your HVAC system that works with the heat pump to condition flowing air. As time passes this coil begins to become dirty, and when that happen you lose airflow inside your home. The loss of airflow occurs so gradually that you won’t realize it until the system freezes, and unfortunately this is not a do-it-yourself fix. Make sure to call the Hometown Comfort to ensure this sensitive coil gets cleaned thoroughly and correctly.
Dirty Filter: Freezing for this reason can easily be avoided by periodically cleaning your HVAC filter inside your home. However, if you forget and the system does freeze, again call the professionals at Hometown Comfort to come out and give it a thorough clean. After the filter has been cleaned you can expedite the thawing process by turning the system off but turn the fan on (if you have a heat pump) until the ice melts. If the system continues to refreeze you probably need to replace the filter and should contact Hometown Comfort to safely and effectively complete this job.
Defective Blower Motor: This is the piece that essentially blows the air into your home, whether cool or warm. The blower motor must maintain a certain speed to run properly. If it is running too slowly the system can freeze. If the blower motor stops running altogether the system will more than likely freeze, even in normal temperatures. The professionals should also attend to this tricky component of your HVAC system.
Hometown Comfort will always make your satisfaction their priority. They have a fully trained and certified staff that can work with any HVAC system on the market today. You will never have to worry about Hometown Comfort in Spring Hill, TN, when it comes to your needs. Their staff is always professional, considerate and on time. You won’t be sitting around from 12-5 wondering when our guys will ring the doorbell, if at all. Call Hometown Comfort for any HVAC issues you may experience this winter.
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