The evaporator is the component that absorbs heat from indoor spaces and facilitates cooling. Its location inside the indoor air handler makes it one of the most neglected parts of a mini-split air conditioner. Unfortunately, a faulty evaporator can affect the performance of your unit. Therefore, you must look out for potential issues and fix them to prevent a cooling emergency. With this in mind, here are four warning signs of a faulty evaporator in your mini-split unit. 

Weak Airflow in the Home

Does it feel like there is little or no air blowing from your indoor air handler? This is a sign of weak airflow. Ideally, the unit should provide adequate airflow to cool the space to the desired temperature. If the airflow is low, your evaporator isn't efficiently pushing conditioned air into the home. This problem could occur if you have frozen evaporator coils due to a blocked air filter. With frozen coils, the blower will strain to pull air through the evaporator, causing airflow issues in the home.

Intermittent Operation

Is your indoor unit turning on and off at unusual intervals? This issue occurs due to low refrigerant. During a cooling cycle, the refrigerant flows through the evaporator coils and absorbs heat from the house. The unit can lose refrigerant due to cracked evaporator coils. When this happens, the pressure inside the evaporator drops, causing moisture from the air to freeze on the coils. The refrigerant strains to absorb heat from the air, which causes the unit to overheat. As a result, the AC turns off before the end of the cooling cycle to prevent electrical damage to the components.

Compressor Failure

The indoor unit absorbs heat from the air, while the compressor helps dissipate the heat outdoors by pressurizing the refrigerant. If your evaporator coils are corroded or cracked, they can leak refrigerant, leading to a pressure imbalance in the system. Low pressure and inadequate refrigerant can stress the compressor and cause it to stop working. You should repair the faulty evaporator and recharge the unit to protect the compressor from failure.

Unusual Noises From the Indoor Unit

Is your air handler making buzzing noises when you turn on the AC? Buzzing noises usually occur due to dirty or frozen evaporator coils. Dirt and ice buildup on the coils blocks heat transfer between the air and the refrigerant inside the evaporator. This causes the blower fan to work harder to pull air through the unit, resulting in an unpleasant buzzing sound. If the evaporator coils are frozen, you may also notice moisture around your indoor unit.

Is your mini-split air conditioner exhibiting the above signs? Check your evaporator for corrosion, cracks, and ice buildup to prevent unit failure. Contact an AC system repair service to learn more. 

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