A common question we get during summers is, “Why is my AC is leaking water inside?”
Water leaking from Air Conditioner is an annoying but a very common problem. You prevent your carpet from getting wet by keeping a bucket below your AC unit. This is not a sound and long term solution.
You need to take care of it. But it is also important to understand why is water leaking from your AC unit?
There are multiple causes of this problem.
To understand why this is happening, you need to know how water forms on your AC in the first place.
How Does Water Form in My Air Conditioner?
Your AC’s inside unit contains the evaporator coil that cools the warm air blown over it. This causes condensation (moisture) to form on the coil, just like how water droplets form on a cold glass of water on a hot day.
The moisture on the coil drips into a drain pan and down a condensate drain line (a white PVC pipe) that leads out your home.
8 Possible reasons behind Water Leakage from AC are:
-
Damaged/rusted drain pan
Do you have an old air Conditioner (12-15 years)? The drain pan may be damaged or rusted, so water just falls right through. You’ll need to replace the pan.
-
Broken AC Condenser Pump
There is a condensate pump that pumps the water outside. But if the pump breaks, the water isn’t being pumped outside anymore. You will need to repair or replace the pump. Call AC repair professionals for condenser or pump repair and stop this water pooling.
-
Dirty Air Filter
A dirty Air Filter blocks airflow over the evaporator coil. When that happens, the evaporator coil gets too cold and freezes over. When it melts, it drips an excess amount of water that the pan may not be able to handle.
Check your air filter to see if it’s dirty and change it if needed. You should be changing it every summer before using
-
Clogged Condenser Drain Line
A clogged condensate drain line is the most common cause of water leaking from your AC into your home.
If the drain line gets clogged with dust, dirt, sludge or mold, that water backs up into your home. In that case, you’ll need to unclog it. There are multiple unclogging methods, like using a wet/dry vac on the condensate line.
But the best way is to have a professional use a special vacuum to suck the blockage material out.
-
Incorrect AC Installation
Improper AC installation is a very common reason for leakage. An air conditioner should be installed in such a way that the rear end is slightly lower than the front end. A difference of 1 inch is fine. If the unit is too low at the front than the condensed water leaks from the front rather than dripping from the rear end.
-
Air Leakage
If the AC unit is not properly sealed then warm air from outside gushes inside the unit. The moisture present in the warm air gets condensed by the cold air inside the unit. This excess moisture buildup inside air conditioner leaks from the unit.
-
Lower Outside Temperature
During rainy season or just before the onset of winters when the outside temperature drops, less water evaporates than it usually does. This results in excess water buildup inside the unit which leaks from your air conditioner.
-
Low Refrigerant
Similar to a dirty air filter, low refrigerant will lower pressure in the AC system, causing the evaporator coil to freeze over. When the coil melts, water overflows the drain pan.
You’ll notice you’re low on refrigerant when:
- The air conditioner isn’t cooling well
- You hear a hissing or bubbling noise (indicating a refrigerant leak)
Depending on the severity of the refrigerant leak you’ll need to either repair the leak or replace the whole AC unit.
The post Why My Air Conditioner (AC) has a Water Leakage? appeared first on UrbanHands.
