An air conditioner refers to an indispensable household device in extreme weather conditions, which is truly a blessing today when global warming has increased to the next level. To maintain the house pleasant and well-ventilated for daily activities, you must keep it running frequently.
However, your air conditioner is likely to have problems over time due to factors including improper maintenance, frequent use, and changing weather, all of which contribute to the cooling appliance’s dysfunction. The issue of leaking and dripping water is the most prevalent of all these issues that affect an air conditioner.
Eventually, you have to solve these kinds of issues as a little carefree attitude can destroy your ceilings, floors, walls, and most importantly AC’s performance. What worse can happen is that a mold may grow in damp conditions and contaminate the air you breathe. Soon after, your air conditioner would stop working or cooling.
How an air conditioner works:
The first misconception about an air con is that it cools the air. It removes the heat and transfers the hot air out of the room. This is done by three operations:
- Warm, humid indoor air is drawn from the living spaces and blown over the evaporator coil by a filtered return vent. The cool refrigerant in the coil absorbs the heat, turning it into a hot gas. Cool air is thrown back into the living spaces through the supply vents.
- A hotter vapor is created when the hot gas in the coil is compressed by the compressor outside.
- Finally, heat is released outside when the hot gas reaches the condenser.
Why does AC form water?
Most of the latest air-cons have both indoor and outdoor units. What happens is that with each cycle of the air conditioner the moisture from the humid interior air builds on the evaporator coil during this process. This involves constantly blowing warm, humid air over the coil while extracting heat from it. From there, the water drips into the primary drain pan and then slides down a drain line that leads outdoors.
There would be no issues when this smooth process runs and the line is going outside your home. The issue arises when your air conditioner has a problem getting rid of the surplus water and excessive moisture buildup. As a result, your AC may start to leak water into your house.
What to do to fix the leakage?
There is no need to panic if your indoor AC unit is dripping water, but you do need to act quickly. Most AC leaks can be promptly fixed by an HVAC specialist, and they may not demand highly expensive repairs. Turn off your air conditioner as soon as you notice a leak. If you keep using your air conditioner, water buildup could cause it to malfunction.
Fortunately, you can avoid water damage from an air conditioner leak inside your house by getting extra precautionary switches installed by a professional. Since these safety features are not required by law, they are nearly nonexistent in HVAC installations.
Common reasons for leaking air conditioner:
There may be several possible factors for your AC not to remove the moisture through the correct channel causing leaking and dripping. Let’s discuss some typical AC issues that could result in water leakage from your air conditioner:
Clogged drain line:
A clogged condensate drain pipe is most likely to blame if your air conditioner is leaking into the house. This pipe may eventually become blocked with dirt, and dust during the dehumidification process.
Water cannot escape and drain to the outside of the house when your condensate drain line becomes blocked. As a result, if the pipe becomes clogged, water will start collecting and start spilling from the drain pan right inside your home.
Dirty air con filters:
Airflow to the evaporator becomes hindered if the air filter is unclean or clogged, which leads to a decrease in temperature. The coil freezes if it becomes too cold. When the air conditioner is switched off, the indoor unit will stop drawing in air, which causes the interior to warm and for the ice to accumulate to melt. If the drip tray’s capacity is exceeded by the melting ice, water will leak as a result.
Poor maintenance:
Air conditioning requires timely and proper maintenance. Make sure the evaporator coil is functioning well and is not just starting to rust.
To catch condensation as it drips, a drain pan is positioned beneath or inside the air handler of your air conditioner. The water then flows outside and into the drain pipe from this point. The water will now begin to leak rather than enter the drain line if the drain pan is rusty or damaged.
Frozen evaporator coils:
The pressure inside of your air conditioning system decreases when the volume of refrigerant falls as well. Due to clogged drains, the accumulation of ice occurs as the warm currents of air cannot escape. As a result of this, a damp mess may emerge from your evaporator coil freezing.
Poor installation:
A newly installed unit might start dripping water due to incorrect installation. A broken condensate pump, disconnection of the drain line, and unleveled window unit can cause water to start dripping inside creating unexpected problems.
Solutions:
- Proper cleaning of the drain line from debris.
- Identify cracks and replace rusty drain pans.
- Insulate your ductwork and use a good quality water-resistant sealant.
- Check for refrigerant leakage.
- Clean air filters thoroughly during peak usage.
- Contact experienced professional for new AC installation.
If you are still not sure how to fix this, Then leave it to the expert. Contact us now, we’ve experts who can help you to fix these issues.
Conclusion:
It might be very frightening to see water dripping from your air conditioning unit. A filthy puddle inside would be the absolute last thing you need, not to mention the horrifying cost of repairs!
There is no need to panic, but you do need to act quickly. Turn off your air conditioner as soon as you notice a leak and get in touch with HVAC help right once.
Most AC leaks can be swiftly fixed by an HVAC specialist, and they may not even require expensive repairs.
