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How Snow and Ice Affect HVAC Systems

Ever thought about how the icy weather can mess with your cozy indoor climate? Turns out, ice can cause some serious trouble for the outdoor parts of your HVAC system, and it’s not just a winter thing. Sometimes, when your AC is working extra hard, it can build up ice that blocks the exhaust. At True Blue Heating and Cooling, we’ve seen it all. As the go-to HVAC company in Spring Hill, we’ve got the know-how to tackle ice buildup. Let’s take a closer look at how ice and snow can mess with your HVAC system, and most importantly, how you can deal with it.

There’s more than one problem stemming from a frozen exterior HVAC unit. When snow and ice block the exhaust, it could:

  • Shut the HVAC system down: Working hard despite the buildup, your HVAC system may overheat and shut itself down. The system will need to be cleared and restarted to begin running efficiently again.
  • Damage to your home’s ductwork and pipes: No HVAC means no proper heating or cooling in your home. This leaves your pipes especially vulnerable to the elements. When pipes freeze, there’s always a chance they could crack. This leads to leaks and additional repair costs.
  • Release carbon monoxide or other gases into your ductwork: Everything’s connected from your furnace and AC to every room within your HVAC system. If the external HVAC component backs up and dangerous gases are filtered into your home, the ductwork will carry the gas to every room in your home.
  • Render your outdoor unit inoperable: There comes a point where some HVAC units just give out. Working hard to fight the blockages caused by ice and snow caused the unit to overheat and break.
  • Increases power bills: When ice forms on your HVAC unit, it needs to work harder to distribute heat or cold air into your home. You may notice a spike in energy bills because of these spikes in power levels.

Along with the exhaust blocking, there’s a chance that the water in ice and snow will leak inside your system. If this happens, there’s a chance of electrical damage and, eventually, corrosion.

By proactively managing and maintaining ice and snow blockages around your HVAC system, you can avoid a costly HVAC replacement or repair.

Keeping HVAC Units Clear

There are a few ways to manage your HVAC system in the winter or overworked summer months.

  1. Regular maintenance: Your HVAC systems should be inspected by a professional once every year. Twice if you feel concerned about the unit at all.
  2. Clear the outdoor unit: If it snows, head outside and clear the unit as soon as you can do so safely. Like clearing your walkway before it freezes over, this will prevent ice buildup and eventual melting of ice into the unit.
  3. Clean coils: The evaporator and condenser coils are important aspects of your HVAC unit. If they’re caked in debris and dust, airflow is scarce. Wipe them down every three months. More in the winter if they get coated in snow.
  4. Change filters: Many components of the HVAC system have filters. This is to keep dirt and debris out of your air system and ductwork. Cleaning or changing filters in your furnace and AC ensures these machines run smoothly for longer.
  5. Avoid clutter: Clutter near the air intake register is a no-no. Whether it’s garden tools, outdoor lawn furniture, or a pile of kids’ toys. Clear the objects near the return air intake.

Air conditioners are very telling when there’s a problem. If you notice ice on the HVAC, it could be either an airflow problem or a refrigerant problem. The airflow problem can be rectified by the above steps.

When refrigerant gets too low, it stops being able to move heat from inside to outside. Air still blows over the AC coils, but instead of cold air, it blows warm. Alternatively, the coil could get too cold because it’s unable to regulate temperature. Condensation then ices over, creating frost on the coils and AC unit.

For HVAC Ice Help, Give Us a Call

If you’re experiencing ice or snow issues relating to your HVAC system, True Blue Heating and Cooling can help. We work with home and business owners in and around Spring Hill on problems just like these.

Waiting until HVAC icing issues expand into bigger problems could mean an irreparable unit or expensive repairs. Give us a call today, and we’ll diagnose and remedy your HVAC ice problem.

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billy sanders
billy sanders
1730826001
Great punctual service, easy to work with, great communication. Randy is great to work with, recommend him and the whole team!!
Richard Corcoran
Richard Corcoran
1730748081
Easy to get in contact and quick response time!
Cory Pugh
Cory Pugh
1730482924
James and his crew are top notch. They don't try and up sell you on stuff you don't need. They are amazing to deal with, and always answer my calls. James has done work for me for the past 6 years and I have never had any issues with their work or customer service. True blue goes above and beyond to make sure my family is comfortable year round.
Mandy Herring
Mandy Herring
1730127556
Matt and the True Blue team were fantastic. We have had issues with our HVAC unit for a while and Matt explained to me the options and we decided to get a new unit. The team was great and answered all of our questions. I would highly recommend True Blue Heating and Cooling to anyone needing HVAC help.
Indigo Adams
Indigo Adams
1729878419
No professional experience. But to the guy who helped push my car to a gas pump this morning, just wanted to say thank you AGAIN!! Kind people do exist!
Alan Mostaccio
Alan Mostaccio
1729867049
Excellent Service from true blue heating and air service technician Matt was punctual, polite, and knowledgeable . Great price on preventative maintenance twice a year!
Andrew Rainey
Andrew Rainey
1729686236
Randy was a true professional. Answered all my questions and he was in and out quickly. Even my golden retriever was happy with the service (she got plenty of pets). I will use True Blue again and will request Randy next time.
Terry Swartz
Terry Swartz
1729610476
Excellent serviceFrienly & informative
Steve Amoroso
Steve Amoroso
1729115290
Great job done quickly
David Morrow
David Morrow
1728993713
Great service and great people to work with. Fast service and great price. Recommend them highly
frank evans
frank evans
1728941358
I was referred to the company by a neighbor. Matt showed up right on time and quickly diagnosed the problem and let me know what would need to be done. He got everything done quickly and thoroughly explained what he had done and made sure everything was working properly before leaving. I was so impressed with the service, I signed up for the maintenance plan. It’s great to do business with a company that goes the extra mile for its customers! Thanks Matt and True Blue for a job well done! I highly recomnend them!
Tammy Johnson
Tammy Johnson
1728584504
These guys are the best, gives great advice on saving money an throwing it away on a unit that needs to retire lol thank you so much
Kandice Lyons
Kandice Lyons
1727207696
They did a great job! Will absolutely use them again!
Derek Lane
Derek Lane
1727114255
Excellent service. Matt showed up within a few hours of me calling. Great communication and notification before arrival. Matt Quickly diagnosed the issue.
Brandy Henderson
Brandy Henderson
1726855981
True Blue Heating and Cooling scheduled me same day and had a technician(Randy) out within the hour. They are very thorough and resolved my issue so we have working AC again. Thanks guys! Highly recommend!
Peggy Patterson
Peggy Patterson
1725283880
Mark Schmittou
Mark Schmittou
1725038312
Matt was awesome and figured the problem out in a matter of minutes
Rontez Roan
Rontez Roan
1724349408
True Blue is and amazing company with great results
Christopher Click
Christopher Click
1724336058
Very pleased with the service provided by Randy! He was on site less than 24 hours after putting in the request, carefully went through our system and made recommendations on repairs or additions, and when we decided to move forward, he scheduled for next day and had everything installed and ready to go in about an hour. We were not happy with our previous HVAC company and wanted to try someone different. We’ll be sticking with True Blue moving forward!
Grant Voss
Grant Voss
1724188355
Casey and Matt at TrueBlue were great! We were on the fence of getting a completely new unit because of the cost. After we heard about a Bosch unit that was extremely efficiently AND QUIET! we choose the change our 17 year old unit that was on its last leg. They even rip out and exchanged the ducting to new! It was fast service. Within a week they were here and completed the job in one day (new duct and all). I highly recommend TrueBlue if you need a new HVAC unit.
Marcos Maligalig
Marcos Maligalig
1724100716
Excellent same-day response and service on my 2 ton unit! Will be using them again for sure!
Orville Kronk
Orville Kronk
1723841380
They were recommended by a neighbor because I needed a second opinion. Tech, Randy, was responsive and did a great job. I’m scheduled for repair in 3 days and will want to review then as well. So far very good!
Robert True
Robert True
1723577448
Wonderful company. Performed an evaluation of our home HVAC system. Have used them since buying the home. Great folks to work with.
Issa Yacoub
Issa Yacoub
1722885717
I recently had some concerns about my AC unit being unusually loud, and after my builders assured me everything was fine, I decided to get a second opinion. Casey was incredibly helpful. He kindly took the time to thoroughly inspect my unit and confirmed that everything was indeed in good working order. His professionalism and attention to detail provided me with the peace of mind I needed. If you're looking for reliable service, I highly recommend checking these guys out!
Shawn Wilcher
Shawn Wilcher
1722876514
Fast and friendly service as always!
Dennis Smith
Dennis Smith
1722617738
Micheal has great answers for our cooling needs and troubles this summer. With smart and convenient service on our upstairs split unit that seemed to not cool as well over the past years of usage.
Evan Landry
Evan Landry
1722349632
Richard Mitchell
Richard Mitchell
1722279470
Great company! They got right out to help us out. Would use again and recommend to friends and family.
wesley hood
wesley hood
1721318326
Michael Kranz
Michael Kranz
1721245357
Kristin Alexander
Kristin Alexander
1721238630
Came quickly! Service was amazing! Awesome company!!
Lori J
Lori J
1721154150
EXCELLENT service! It was a very HOT day and we were having new returns put in an unfinished room. Casey was wonderful and we highly recommend this company.
K A
K A
1721066240
My AC went out and I was able to make an apointment that day! They showed up on time, were polite and profesional. They had my system fixed in about 10 min. Highly recomended.
kyle bellino
kyle bellino
1720718736
Matt was great and walked me through all the issues I was having and the solutions. Quoted me everything and didn’t put any pressure on me. I will certainly move forward with some of the recommendations. Also, the price was much better than other quotes.
Angie Baker
Angie Baker
1720532416
Air Management was fast , professional and did an amazing job at repairing my unit! Thank you so much!!! I cannot recommend them enough!!!
Jim Palkovic
Jim Palkovic
1720492448
They quoted a price over the phone, stuck to it, showed up 30 minutes prior to their arrival tome, finished the work in less than 90 minutes, and the split unit works great. If you are looking for a very well run business you need to go no further than True Blue Heating and Cooling! They are top notch for service in middle TN!Update 7/8/24.We came home last night from a trip to a no cool situation. Called today and someone was out in 3 hours. Great service with quick fix.
Terry Owens
Terry Owens
1719423309
Portia Lee
Portia Lee
1718730457
Casey Mullis  with TRUEBLUE HEATING &COOLING arrived at the scheduled time, diagnosed the problem with my HVAC and quickly resolved the problem.I would highly recommend TRUEBLUE HEATING &Cooling for your hvac issues. They did a great job! Thank you.
Adonis Fiakos
Adonis Fiakos
1718639779
Eric Scruggs
Eric Scruggs
1718234079
Always great service and great people. Highly recommend!!!!
Betty Clay
Betty Clay
1717093899
Prompt and very knowledgeable. Also very friendly. They also do great work. Thank you Matt and Casey. They come highly recommended.
Lindsay Barrier
Lindsay Barrier
1717074835
Casey and the True Blue team were easy to work with, helped me in an emergency situation and very professional! Highly recommend True Blue! THANK YOU
April Jacoby Brewer
April Jacoby Brewer
1716558018
Matthew did an amazing job and was very informative. After being in a hot house with a dog two kids and another on the way stress levels were high but Matt fixed the issue, helped answer all of my questions and made the whole process a breeze. We highly recommend!
Mitchell Burkett
Mitchell Burkett
1716260395
Best service !!Super fast response !!!Highly recommendedAsk for the owner he has some funny jokes
Rachel Lyles
Rachel Lyles
1715778738
My interaction with True Blue was simple and efficient! I had no problems setting up an appointment with Matt. He called when he said he was going to call and arrived when he said he would! Matt went above and beyond to tackle a few different issues with my HVAC system. He was clear with his descriptions of the problem and it was easy to understand what needed to be done. He was also courteous and kind. I’m grateful to be a True Blue customer!
Katie Day
Katie Day
1715024931
*Update 2023- True Blue continues to provide consistent, courteous service. They give helpful advice and don’t make pushy sales suggestions. We’ve enrolled in their maintenance plan and are satisfied!James came out on the day our issue arose. He was professional and responded immediately. He took his time and did not force us into any un-needed repairs. He communicated quickly and clearly through text with updates on our parts and appointments.
Derrick Foster
Derrick Foster
1714575216
True blue is the best in the business! Great customer service even after the work is done! Highly recommend!
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