No, your air conditioner is generally not ruined or permanently destroyed if it freezes up once, provided you shut it down promptly and do not force it to run while encased in ice. However, if you ignore a frozen system and continue running it for days, the liquid refrigerant and ice blocks can flood back into the compressor motor, causing catastrophic mechanical failure and burnout. Thawing the system completely, replacing a dirty air filter, and fixing airflow restrictions will usually restore full operation. Verification: Turn the system off immediately upon discovering ice and let it thaw completely.
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