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*Question & Answer Air Conditioning*

Dear Bob

What causes the air conditioning unit in my furnace housing to freeze? Is there a way to defrost it without damaging either appliance?

Dear NR

Your problem is being caused by either of two things. Poor airflow (dirty air filter, broken fan, or dirty coils) or the system is low on refrigerant. Clean the air conditioner yourself and call a service man if the fan is broken or the unit is low on refrigerant. If the refrigerant is low the serviceman will have to find the leak and repair it before recharging the system.
To defrost the ice, turn off the compressor and run the fan. This will circulate air over the coils and cause the ice to melt.

Dear Bob

Our AC unit cycles every few minutes cooling the house, but the air feels damp. Is there an adjustment that can correct this?

Dear DK

The air coming out of the ducts should be cool and dry. My feeling here is that your AC system is oversized. Properly sized, the systems' run cycle will be long enough so that the evaporator becomes sufficiently cold to condense moisture from the air. There is not an adjustment to fix this problem. You should have a service tech check it out first but I suspect the system will have to be replaced.

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