Air conditioners are聽complex聽systems that rely on聽several聽components,聽such as聽a compressor, evaporator coil, condenser coil and refrigerant to regulate your home’s temperature and humidity level. While these machines are聽typically聽strong聽and reliable, it’s not聽unusual聽for AC units to make strange sounds, which may indicate that something is聽wrong.聽One such sound聽is dripping, gurgling, bubbling or running water. These聽worrying聽noises can be聽linked聽to several聽origins.

1. The AC Makes a Dripping Noise

This is聽an often reported聽air conditioner sound you聽might聽hear on hot, humid days and is聽no cause for alarm. Simple condensation buildup is聽probably聽the culprit. As your air conditioner聽functions, moisture from the聽indoor聽air聽gathers聽on the evaporator coil and drips into the drain pan聽underneath. This pan聽is designed聽to聽catch聽and聽move聽the condensed water聽away from聽your home via a drain line.

Then again, if the drain becomes聽clogged聽or聽damaged, water can accumulate in the pan,聽leading to聽a dripping or splashing noise as freshly collected condensate drips into the pool聽down below. If the dripping noise becomes聽too irritating,聽identify聽the drain pan under the indoor portion of your air conditioner and聽clear it.

Also, take AC dripping sounds as a聽signal聽that the condensate drain line is聽plugged聽and聽must聽be cleared. A float switch聽is supposed to聽automatically shut off your conditioner before the drain pan overflows and聽causes聽water damage, but the float switch could always聽break. Plus, if your AC keeps turning itself off because of a full drain pan, you’ll聽need聽to聽correct聽the聽issue聽before your unit will聽operate聽normally again.

2. The AC Sounds Like Water Is Running

While air conditioners聽make聽condensate聽as a part of聽the cooling process, they do not run on or聽consume聽water.聽This simply means聽your AC聽should never聽sound like running water. If you hear this聽water noise, it聽might聽mean聽the聽evaporator coil has frozen over聽and is now thawing and dripping water onto the ground.

This can聽develop聽for a few reasons, including:

Dirty air filter: A filter聽choked聽with dust, dirt and other聽particles聽blocks聽airflow. This may聽lead聽the temperature inside the evaporator coil to聽drop聽below freezing, which then freezes the condensate聽gathered聽on the coil.
Low refrigerant level: Chilled refrigerant absorbs heat from the indoor air as it聽moves through聽the evaporator coil. If the聽network聽is undercharged or聽leaky聽and the refrigerant level is聽low, it loses the聽capability聽to absorb the heat. This can聽make聽the temperature to聽slide聽below freezing and ice to聽build up聽on the coil.
Dirty evaporator coil: Dust and聽grease聽may聽coat聽a neglected聽evaporator coil, effectively insulating it and聽stopping聽the refrigerant聽within it聽from absorbing heat. When this聽takes place, the coil聽may聽freeze.
Malfunctioning聽thermostat: Poor temperature calibration聽might聽cause the air conditioner to run聽continually, even when the indoor temperature is already at the聽correct聽number.聽Constant operation聽can make the evaporator coil so cold that it freezes聽completely.
Blower聽troubles: The blower聽moves聽air聽over聽the evaporator coil. If it isn’t working聽correctly聽or聽operating聽at a low speed, the聽lack of sufficient聽airflow聽may聽freeze the evaporator coil.

3. The AC Makes a Gurgling or Bubbling Sound

Refrigerant is a聽vital聽ingredient in聽the cooling process. If a leak聽forms聽or air聽gets聽trapped聽in the refrigerant line, you聽might聽hear gurgling or bubbling as the refrigerant flows.聽Additionally, your system聽could very well聽gurgle聽because of聽overcharged refrigerant. Always leave AC聽repair work聽to a professional who can聽verify聽the聽correct聽refrigerant charge.

4. The AC Makes a Hissing Noise

础听hissing noise from your air conditioner聽could聽signify聽one of these聽issues:

Refrigerant leaks: Depending on the聽site聽and聽extent聽of a refrigerant leak, it may聽create聽more of a hissing noise than a gurgling or bubbling sound.
Problem聽with the compressor: The compressor located in the聽outside聽condensing unit pressurizes the refrigerant as it聽passes聽through the聽AC model. This聽element聽may make a hissing noise if it聽gets聽damaged.
Internal valve leak: The valve that聽regulates聽refrigerant聽circulation聽throughout聽the compressor may also leak and hiss.

Schedule Air Conditioning 黑料社区

If you hear a sound聽such as聽running water from your air conditioner, take steps to聽identify聽and address the cause to聽prevent聽further聽damage. 黑料社区 can聽identify聽and聽service聽any聽concern聽causing your AC to sound like running water, whether that’s condensation buildup, a refrigerant leak, a聽stopped up聽drain line or a frozen evaporator coil.聽Every聽AC repair聽comes with a one-year 黑料社区 G uarantee! To learn more or聽schedule聽a repair estimate, please contact 黑料社区.