At first, it might appear to be a plumbing pipe leaking through your ceiling. Upon closer inspection, however, you realize that the leak is coming from your indoor air conditioning unit! To help you through this situation, we’ll tell you what steps to take before calling a technician, and we’ll explain why this problem occurs.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY AIR CONDITIONER IS DRIPPING WATER INSIDE MY HOME?
First things first: you need to do some damage control. The last you want is water damage to worry about while contending with an air conditioner on the fritz.
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Turn off your air conditioning system. This will help stop the water flow.
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Start soaking up, cleaning, and drying the areas where the water has leaked. A wet/dry vacuum (or Shop-Vac) can come in handy for this if you have one. It’s essential to take care of this water as quickly as possible to prevent mold growth.
Once you’ve taken care of these matters that require immediate attention, you can contact an air conditioner repair technician.
WHY DO AIR CONDITIONERS LEAK WATER?
There are multiple reasons why air conditioners end up leaking water. Some of the causes can be repaired as well as prevented. However, there are rare situations that, unfortunately, may call for an air conditioner replacement.
1. The condensate drain line is clogged.
During the cooling process, your air conditioner produces condensation. This moisture drips down your AC’s evaporator coil, collects in a drain pan, and leaves your home through the condensate drain line. If grime, mold, or other debris clog the drain line, it can rupture and leak.
2. The drain pan has cracks or holes.
If your drain pan is old, it might have become brittle due to corrosion. If rust weakens the pan enough, cracks and holes can form that lead to leaks. You can prevent issues with your drain pan and drain line by getting your air conditioner maintained annually. While servicing the unit, the technician inspects it for “red flags” like these and can clean minor problems like a dirty drain line before it leads to a leak in your home.
3. The evaporator coil has “iced over.”
Your AC’s evaporator coil is supposed to be cold, but when it has a layer of frost or ice, you have a major problem. As the ice melts off the coil, the water collects in the drain pan and can sometimes leak over the sides. The most common reason why evaporator coils freeze is lack of airflow, resulting from a dust-clogged air filter. This is why it’s so important to make sure you change your air filters before they become overly dirty.
Another typical reason for frozen evaporator coils is a low refrigerant level. When your AC system leaks refrigerant, the pressure in the system drops. This pressure change causes the evaporator coil to ice over. In many cases, an HVAC technician can repair the leak and restore the refrigerant level. In other instances, frozen evaporator coils can put so much stress on your AC that the compressor will die. A compressor can be quite expensive to replace, so in some instances, it makes more sense to replace your AC system, particularly if it’s old.
Fast, Reliable Air Conditioning Repair in the Greater Atlanta Area & Western North Carolina
Premier Indoor Comfort Systems, LLC was founded in 1999 with the goal of achieving the highest level of customer satisfaction and excellence in service. When you call us for an AC repair, you know we’ll do the job right. Contact us online, or call (770) 268-2422 for a same-day appointment.