It is never normal to see ice in the summer anywhere on a ductless mini split air conditioner. This includes the indoor unit, outdoor unit and interconnecting line-set (refrigerant tubing). If you see ice on an air conditioner in the summer, there most likely is a problem.
If your ductless air conditioner never shuts off in cooling mode, you should call for service. This could be a sign of lost refrigerant due to leaky system or tubing. Along with this usually come a high electric bill. Let the manufacturer certified technician check your system. Call us at 888 718-8448 or request service here.
Many things can cause excessively high electric bills. This includes poorly insulated home, inefficient HVAC appliances that wasting energy or it could be a mistake from the electric company. Checking these things usually leaves one reason - the cooling system, i.e. your ductless mini split air conditioner. The electric bill will be high in the hottest months. But if electric bills are higher than normal it is almost always a sign there could be a problem with your ductless system. This can range from minor things like a very dirty air filter or a outdoor unit to severe problems like a damaged inverter compressor.
At no time should you ever see water around the indoor unit. This is a sign that something is either dripping, leaking, or not draining. But don’t worry; sometimes it can be a very minor problem.
In the cooling mode, the indoor evaporator coil and the suction line (the refrigerant line inside of insulation) sweats. That is normal process. Sometimes if the insulation is missing, it can cause dripping.
The indoor unit produces a lot of water during the summer which runs down the evaporator coil into a pan, then down a drain. The drain goes either into the ground, outside the house or into a condensate pump. If the coil is dirty, the water will mix with the dirt and clog the drain or condensate pump. This is another reason why it is important to always have a good clean air filter and have annual inspections.
Sometimes the indoor coil can actually ice-up (see above). And when the ice melts, it drips onto the floor. Like water, you should never see ice during the cooling season.
So keep your ductless system clean, if you see water try to trace where it is coming from. Sometimes it is a simple fix, sometimes not.
Check all of the obvious things before calling for a service:
- Temperature set-point is below room temperature
- The power on - check the breaker
- Refrigerant tubing missing insulation
- Drain line moved, not pitched downward
- Outdoor unit iced-up
- Dirty air filter
- Poorly insulated house and or open windows, air leaks
If this did not help, please do not attempt repairing the unit. Let the manufacturer certified technician check your system. Call us at 888 718-8448 or request service here.
