12 Dec Why Is Water Leaking From My Air Conditioner
An air conditioning unit is quite an essential part of a home during the hot summer days.
However, finding out that your air conditioner is leaking as soon as you pick the remote up to turn the AC on is such a bummer.
An air conditioner extracts the humidity from the air within an enclosed space, and in turn, generates condensate or water in the furnace or air handler. This water is further collected in a drain pan and sent to the drain pipe via a home’s drainage system.
However, there might be cases when this water might not be able to pass due to sludge buildup or any other reason. Although that might be one of the reasons, it certainly isn’t the only one.
Let’s find out a few of the reasons which might be causing a water leakage from your air conditioning units.
Why is Water Leaking From My Air Conditioner?
1. Drain Blockage
A clogged drain line is one of the most common causes of water leakage from an air conditioner. It is usually the case that the condensate line gets clogged with dirt and dust that passes through the pipe.
Over a period of time, it gets mixed with the moisture from the AC and can create a sticky substance that makes the flow of water difficult.
2. Rusted or damaged drain pan
There’s usually a drain pan that collects the water that might’ve gotten old with time due to rust and other factors. Do consider checking that when your air conditioner starts to leak.
3. Dirt accumulated in the air filter
The filter of your air conditioner should be changed on a routine basis, to ensure adequate airflow. In absence of adequate airflow, the evaporator coils may become too cold and freeze. Ice begins to form on the coil, which then drips on the drainage pan.
The drainage pan of the AC runs out of adequate capacity resulting in the AC leaking water through the main unit.
4. Improper installation
Many times, when an air conditioner is fairly new and it starts leaking within a few days of installation, there can be an issue with how the unit has been installed.
This can mean that AC and its drainage pipe might not be proportional. This can disrupt the flow of water from the air conditioner, out of the drainage pan. The water may not be able to flow out and can get collected in the pan. The pipe attached to an AC unit should always be at a lower height than the AC, so the water can move downstream smoothly.
5. Broken evaporator coil
If the leaks from your air conditioner are more like drips rather than a substantial puddle, then the water might not be moving properly into the drain pipe. This usually happens when the coils are soiled, or if holes in the insulation around the coils redirect the water.
In order to avoid such a situation with the coil, it becomes imperative to take care of it during the annual maintenance of an air conditioner.
6. Low refrigerant levels
In case a leak in your air conditioner is combined with lower levels of cooling, there might be a refrigerant leak. As well known, air conditioners use refrigerants to cool efficiently. Hence, it becomes imperative to get the refrigerant levels checked during the annual maintenance of the air conditioners.
Lower levels of refrigerants also lead to the coils freezing up. These coils are responsible for converting the liquid from the AC into vapor. This vapor is what is blown out of the AC.
A lack of refrigerant means that there’s nothing that can power up the coils to perform their job. While this may not pose an issue initially, once the frozen bits start melting they might leak.
7. Outdoor temperatures
At times you can actually blame the external weather for that water leakage. Here’s why.
Air conditioners are built to provide enough cooling for warmer weather. In case, you are using your air conditioner when the temperature outside is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit or lower can cause the evaporator coil to freeze. Once the frozen coil thaws, it can drop off of it, and might create an overflow because of the ice blocking the drain pan opening.
Finding The Right AC Repair Companies in Dayton
A leaking air conditioner is never a good sign. While trying to repair it yourself might seem like an easy and cost-effective solution, it can have a detrimental effect on your air conditioner in the longer run.
Whenever you’re trying to solve the issue yourself, it is essential to take all the necessary precautions, like ensuring the power unit is off and unplugged.
Finding an air conditioner repair company near you is the more viable solution. Experts in air conditioner repair companies have years of experience and know what’s the issue by having a look at the problem sometimes. Whenever looking for an air conditioner repair company make sure the technicians are certified and have complete knowledge about the equipment they’re operating on.
Many companies also offer memberships to provide a cost-effective solution that benefits the customers.
As soon as you see the issue, call an AC repair technician pronto!