No cool
Why the Air Conditioner Ices Over
Ice on the copper lines or a block of ice on the coil. What causes it, and what not to do with a screwdriver.
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Ice means the coil is colder than it should be. The usual reasons are not enough air across the coil, or not enough refrigerant. One of those is a filter. The other is a leak. They are not the same repair.
What to do while it thaws
Turn the cooling off. Leave the indoor fan on so the coil thaws. Do not chip the ice. A punctured coil is a much more expensive day.
Replace a packed filter while you wait. If the outdoor unit is a solid block, give it hours, not minutes. Running it frozen grinds the compressor.
After it thaws
If a new filter and an open return fix it, you found the airflow problem. If it ices again within a day with a clean filter and open vents, stop restarting it. That pattern is a refrigerant problem or a failed blower, and it needs a shop with gauges.
A shop that adds refrigerant without looking for the leak is selling you the same visit again. Ask them to say where it went. What a real visit includes is a fair script for that conversation.
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