Your air conditioner's job is to keep your home cool – but what happens when the air conditioner itself becomes so cold that it freezes over? A frozen AC unit won't work well, if it will even kick on at all, so it's important to take action and defrost your unit. Then, you'll want to take steps to prevent it from freezing over again. Here's what to do:

1. Turn the System Off

If you leave the thermostat on, your AC unit will keep kicking on and refreezing as soon as it thaws out a little. So, turn the system off and let the ice melt away. In most cases, this will only take a few hours at most. If you're worried about water getting everywhere as the unit defrosts, place a towel underneath it.

2. Clean the Filter

Oftentimes, a dirty filter contributes to the freezing over of the unit. When the filter gets clogged up, dirt starts accumulating on the coils themselves. With a thick coating of dust and dirt on top of them, the coils can't transfer their "coolness" properly to the surrounding air. They grow too cold and begin to freeze over.

In most cases, a basic fiberglass or cotton filter will do the trick. If you have allergies, you may want to choose a HEPA filter, which will trap smaller particles. Going forward, remember to change your filter every month so that you don't end up with the same issue again.

3. Clean the Coils

Next, you'll need to remove the dirt and grime from the coils themselves so that they can transfer coolness properly. Purchase a coil cleaner at your local hardware store, and use it according to package instructions. Generally, you'll need to spray the coil cleaner onto the coils, let it sit for a period of time, and then wipe it off with a clean cloth. You will likely then have to allow the coils to dry before turning the system back on.

4. Turn Your System Back On

Once the coils are dry, you can turn your AC system back on. It should now run without the unit freezing again. However, in rare cases, AC units do freeze over when there is a refrigerant leak or when there's not enough coolant in the coils. If the unit does freeze again after you've cleaned the coils and changed the filter, this is likely your problem. Contact an HVAC company to come check your refrigerant levels and top up your system if needed.

For AC repair, contact a company such as A-1 Heating, Air Conditioning, & Electrical LLC AC repair services.