WHY YOUR AIR CONDITIONER IS LEAKING WATER

Air conditioners are the most effective and common cooling units that is virtually in every American home. It does more than keeping you cool, it also dehumidifies the air. As it blows cooler air all over your home, a blower fan moves the warm and humid air inside a coil. The system has its own refrigerant that acts to absorb the heat that will then make the coil become colder. This causes condensation to form on the outside of the coil.

You’re seeing a “leak” from your air conditioner because the condensation formed over the coil, which normally drips to the drain pan and is carried out to a pipe or condensate line connected to your plumbing, might be pooling more than usual. This would indicate that something is happening to your cold evaporator coil.

A leaking air conditioner can be caused by a lot of things, but here is a few of the most common reasons that would aggravate the pooling and leaking of your units.

Clogged drain line

Clogs are a common occurrence in any drainage system, and the drain line of an air conditioner is no exception. When it gets dusty and dirty due to unmaintained units, the accumulated stuff might mix with the wetness and prevent the water from draining properly. This is why owners are advised to have regular cleaning service for air conditioning systems, because the efficiency decreases over time for any unchecked unit.

Broken or faulty condensate line

A unit installed in the basement will have a drain pump that pushes water outdoor. When your pump is broken, or hasn’t undergone maintenance checks in a while, its performance may be faulty, causing it to unsuccessfully push the water outside, causing it to pool around the unit.

Low refrigerant

An air conditioner that has a low refrigerant is a serious concern and should be corrected as soon as possible. If the refrigerant is the part that is leaking, it will cause a freezing of the system, and subsequently causes melting that will cause the water leak. The refrigerant should be inspected immediately to determine where the leak is and what to replace and repair, so as not to render the whole unit useless.

If you have noticed any leaking in your air conditioner, it would be best to contact an HVAC expert as soon as possible to determine the cause and provide the right solutions to answer the problem. It’s safer to have your unit checked by a professional that to chalk it all up on the DIYs you read, because any HVAC unit needs to be handled by someone who understands how the equipment works.

You will also find that having regular maintenance checks of your unit effectively prevents leaks and any other malfunction that an air conditioner might have. This will also prevent any bigger damages that might affect not only your air conditioner but your other climate control systems as well. Observing preventive measures will save you from costly repairs in the future, and keep your units in their optimal capacities for a longer time.