Pipes Frozen Up on an AC Unit & AC Not Working

Freezing

• Sometimes the cool air coils inside of the air conditioner unit can freeze and ice over, preventing cool air circulation from the unit. Air might continue to flow into the unit but the frozen coils prevent the unit from cooling the air, so the air is blown out unchanged at room temperature. Temperature adjustments, fan adjustments and unplugging the unit are a few of things you can do to defrost the coils and revive the unit.

Power

• You can melt or defrost the ice from the coils by turning off the air conditioner. Press the "Power" or "On/Off" button either on the unit's front control panel or on the remote control. All indicator lights and air flow turns off. It doesn't hurt to unplug the unit, as well, as a safety precaution. Allow the unit to thaw completely for 30 minutes to an hour before plugging it back in and turning it on.

Temperature

• A quicker way to restore the coils to their unfrozen state is to allow the unit to run at higher temperatures. Activate the fan within the unit to allow air to circulate through the coils. Press the temperature up button to raise the thermostat to a high number, preferably its highest setting. The warmer air flows through the air conditioner coils, defrosting them. Allow the unit to run at high temperatures for 30 minutes and then gradually lower the thermostat.

Fan Speed

• Speed up the process of coil thawing by raising the fan speed setting. Press the "Fan" or "Cool" button until you reach the highest fan speed, at which air circulates through the unit at its quickest. With the combination of the high temperature and fan speed, the coils will defrost at a much faster rate, as opposed to simply turning the power off.