Generally, there are not 2 fans. Instead, there are electrically controlled dampers that open and close based on signals from a control unit. The damper for your upstairs vents is probably jammed.
The control unit for the dampers is usually mounted on the wall near the air handler, or directly on the air handler. There should be 4 to 6 wires coming out of the controller: one for each thermostat, one for each damper, and possibly one or two more going to a power supply or to the air handler. They're probably labeled if you open the cover. Follow the cables to find the dampers.
The dampers that I have in my house have a cover that you can pop off to get at the damper and move it by hand.
Chlorodifluoromethane, also known as R22 refrigerant has a boiling point of -40°F at 0 psi. As you increase the pressure of the refrigerant, the boiling point also increases. At 68.5 psi, the boiling point of R22 is 40°F.
In a normally functioning system, the refrigerant is sent into the evaporator at about 55-65 psi. Which means that the boiling point will be above the freezing temperature of water. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the air passing through the evaporator, boils, and flows on down the line at a temperature above the freezing point of water. The refrigerant will likely be below the dew point, however, so there will be condensation on the line.
If the pressure in the system drops, the R22 might be entering the evaporator a bit lower than the typical pressure. In this case, the boiling point of the R22 will be below the freezing temperature of water. As the warm moist air moves over the evaporator, the moisture condenses and freezes on the coils. Ice will start to form at the beginning of the evaporator coils, and slowly creep along its length.
The ice will act as an insulator, so the refrigerant in the line will not be able to absorb the heat it needs to boil. This causes the refrigerant to boil off further along in the evaporator, which forms more ice further down the line. This process continues all the way along the line, until the entire evaporator and suction line are covered in ice.
Once the refrigerant levels get too low, there's not enough refrigerant in the system to freeze the line. So eventually if the system has a leak, this behavior will stop and you'll simply get no cooling at all from the system.
NOTE: I could be completely wrong here. This is based on my limited knowledge of air conditioning systems. I am not an expert in thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, chemistry, or HVAC.
Best Answer
Have you lived there long enough to compare the performance of the system to previous summers? (Sometimes units are undersized, or paired with poor duct design.)
Is the air coming out of the vents cold? Is it as cold as you remember before problems started? Is the airflow at the vents good?
After he added coolant, is the system working better? If yes, the system was low on charge. If not, something else is wrong.
It is possible for the system to be low on charge, but still be able to keep up on days that are moderate (albeit at a lower efficiency than a properly charged system).
It is also possible for there to be a leak, but the HVAC guy missed it. He probably only did a quick leak check (soap bubbles). There are more involved (expensive) tests he can do. However, they may not be necessary. If adding coolant made the system work well, wait and see. If the performance degrades again in a few weeks/months, you have a leak.
If there is a leak, it is usually in the outdoor unit, which is exposed to the elements, and takes a beating.
The good news is that the unit is probably still under parts warranty (typically 5 years for a cheap unit, 10 years for a good one), so if there is something expensive wrong, the parts should be covered.
(When was the last time your air filter was replaced? If it's been more than 6mo, look at it and see if it is OK. Replace if necessary. If you aren't up for replacing your air filter at least once a year, you should consider a service contract where the techs do it for you.)