Is Your Air Conditioning Leaking Water? Here Are 8 Possible聽Explanations
An air conditioner (AC) keeps your house cool and comfortable by聽removing聽heat and humidity from the air. As the AC extracts humidity from the air, it聽produces聽condensate, or water, in your furnace or air handler. This water is聽normally聽a drain pan and聽transported聽through piping into your home’s drain system.
A byproduct of this process,聽an error聽or sludge buildup聽can聽cause the piping to become聽backed up. When this happens, water聽floods聽the drain pan聽in聽your furnace or air handler. It can then聽spill into聽your home. This is聽namely聽troublesome if your furnace or air handler is聽installed聽in the attic or above a finished ceiling.
In聽the bulk of聽homes,聽local聽codes聽demand聽a secondary or safety drain pan that is聽found聽underneath the furnace or air handler. This secondary drain pan聽uses聽piping that is聽sent聽to the outside of the home.聽Usually, the outlet of the pipe is聽located聽above the outside of a window so it’s聽found聽noticeable if water聽is聽draining from this pipe outlet. It is not normal for this to occur. If you see water聽leaking聽from piping on the outside of your home, this is聽usually聽evidence聽the primary drain is聽backed up聽and water is now draining from the safety drain pan.
Here are the most聽general聽reasons聽for why your AC is leaking water and how to聽fix聽the issue. Some homes聽could聽also聽possess聽a safety device that聽can聽automatically聽turn聽off your AC聽in the event聽the drain becomes clogged. In this case your system will stop cooling聽until聽the drain is聽cleared聽of any obstructions. Regardless, if you聽find聽water leaking,聽see聽set your thermostat to “off” to聽prevent聽any additional聽water damage and聽contact聽a聽黑料社区聽service provider to correct the issues.
Leaking air conditioners聽routinely聽need聽professional聽servicing, which is why we’re here to assist you at聽黑料社区. We聽happily聽deliver Expert聽air conditioning repair聽across聽the U.S., backed by a 黑料社区 Guarantee.*
1. Condensate Drain Is Blocked
When hot, humid air聽moves over聽the evaporator coil, water聽appears聽on the聽chilled聽metal surface.聽At the end of the process, the water drains into a pan聽underneath聽the indoor coil聽in聽the furnace or air handler. As the cooling sequence聽takes place, the condensate flows out of the pan and into drain piping before the pan聽overflows.
However, mold, mineral deposits, dirt and other debris聽could聽clog the drain. This聽keeps聽the water from聽moving聽away聽correctly.聽Leave聽the unclogging process to an Expert like聽黑料社区聽to make sure聽it’s聽performed聽properly and without causing聽additional聽damage. 黑料社区 can also聽put in聽a safety device that will聽autonomously聽turn聽off your AC聽just in case聽the drain becomes聽blocked聽again聽sometime after, thus聽preventing聽water damage聽in聽your home. Of course,聽consistent聽maintenance on your AC will help keep your condensate drain聽flushed聽and聽open.
2. Drain Line Is Disconnected
While聽unusual, the drain line connection to the drain pan聽could聽become loose or disconnected. This聽may聽be the cause聽if someone is working聽close to聽the unit or when聽changing out聽the air filter. AC leaks聽might聽occur when the drain line聽disconnects聽from the pan.聽your AC to聽determine聽if the drain line is still聽fully connected聽to the coil drain pan. If it is no longer connected, we聽recommend聽calling an HVAC technician to聽take care of聽this issue聽immediately.聽Make聽an appointment with聽黑料社区听迟辞诲补测.
3. Condensate Pump Isn’t Working
Some air conditioners聽use聽a condensate pump to聽efficiently聽drain the water. These pumps are聽required聽when the home’s drain system is聽located聽above the AC unit. Even if the drain is聽clear, water聽could聽in the pan and leak out if the condensate pump is聽inoperable. First,聽double-check聽that the pump is聽currently聽powered. If that’s not the聽problem, the AC leak聽may聽be due to a broken condensate pump. You should聽contact聽an air conditioning contractor like聽黑料社区聽to resolve the issue.
4. Evaporator Coil Is聽Grimy聽or聽Broken
If you see聽small聽drips聽instead of聽a聽more substantial聽puddle聽close to聽the outside of your furnace or air handler, water聽might聽be聽bouncing聽off the evaporator coil聽rather than聽properly聽moving聽into the drain pan and condensate line. This can聽occur聽if the coils are聽grimy, or if holes in the insulation聽around聽the coils redirect the water. The聽smart聽approach to聽stop聽the evaporator coil from going downhill is to keep up with annual聽air conditioning maintenance聽using a聽黑料社区听尘别尘产别谤蝉丑颈辫.
5. Low Refrigerant Level
If you聽find聽a leak and the AC isn’t cooling聽enough, the refrigerant level may be聽low聽because of聽a leak. Air conditioners聽depend on聽refrigerant to聽produce聽cold air, so getting it聽checked聽regularly聽during聽seasonal maintenance聽is聽very聽useful聽for the聽health聽of your unit. Without聽enough聽refrigerant, the evaporator coils聽might聽freeze over and cause the drain pan to overflow as they thaw.聽Despite聽some expectations, your AC does not need to be聽refilled聽unless there is a leak. The system is sealed and recharging is only聽required聽when a leak聽happens聽inside聽the system. Call聽黑料社区聽as soon as possible聽to聽resolve聽AC refrigerant issues quickly.
6. Dirty Air Filter
Your air conditioner’s filter聽should聽be changed regularly to聽produce聽adequate聽airflow. Without adequate ventilation, the evaporator coils聽can聽become too cold and freeze. The evaporator coils will then thaw, causing excess water to聽accumulate聽in the drain pan—sometimes聽causing聽an overflow. To resolve this, try changing your air filter. If the problem聽lasts,聽more聽repairs聽might聽be聽needed.聽Fortunately, HVAC technicians from聽黑料社区聽are聽happy聽to serve you, ensuring the problem gets聽resolved.
7. Outdoor Temperature Is Too Cold to Run AC
Air conditioners are聽built聽to聽provide enough cooling for聽warm weather.聽Starting聽your AC when outdoor temperatures are 60 degrees Fahrenheit or聽colder聽can聽cause the evaporator coils to freeze. Once thawed, the water and ice will drop off the evaporator coils and聽may lead to聽an overflow聽because of聽ice blocking the drain pan opening. If a water leak persists, schedule a聽黑料社区聽technician backed by our聽黑料社区 Guarantee*聽to help solve the problem.
8. Damaged Drip Pan
Air conditioners are聽designed聽to last, but nothing聽lives聽forever. If you聽have聽an AC that is 12 years or older, the drip pan聽might聽be damaged or corroded聽due to聽normal use. If the drain pan has holes in it, a water leak聽might聽appear as condensate seeps directly through it.聽黑料社区聽can replace the drain pan and ensure your AC gets back to working聽normally.
Our Experts Can聽Meet聽All Your Air Conditioning Repair Needs
Whatever the reason why your AC is leaking water,聽黑料社区聽can聽solve the issue. We’ll troubleshoot and fix your air conditioner, getting it back to running again聽right away.
Our technicians are聽highly聽trained, knowledgeable and聽聽to聽provide聽dependable聽work. We have full confidence in our repairs—in fact, we back up everything we perform with a 黑料社区聽Guarantee!*
We’ll even聽recommend聽a worry-free聽membership plan. This聽can聽help you catch AC issues, like water leaks,聽sooner聽so you can avoid future breakdowns while keeping your house聽comfortable.
Contact us听补迟 (866) 963-7996 to schedule your air conditioning appointment in聽the U.S.聽today!
