One of the most common repair calls we get is from homeowners concerned about a leaking air conditioner. Depending on the setup of the indoor portion of your AC system, water can leak out into your living space, creating a moist environment where mold can quickly develop. Additionally, we’ve seen cases where a leak actually damaged portions of a property, and the owner had to schedule costly renovations following a repair.
The best way to prevent your air conditioner from leaking water is to schedule an annual maintenance visit with a trained professional. But why did the leak occur? And why is there water in your AC system in the first place?
Why Is There Water in Your Air Conditioner?
We should clarify that water is not essential to operation in a standard central air conditioning system. Refrigerant is the chemical used in the heat exchange process, but condensation can build up in the air conditioning system as a sort of byproduct of refrigeration.
Refrigerant absorbs heat from the air inside of your home as an indoor blower moves warm air over the indoor evaporator coil. If this air is humid (contains moisture) condensation can collect outside of the coil. Under normal operation, this water should drip down into a drainage system and drain outside of your home.
How Does the Water Leak?
There are a few ways that this system may fail.
- Poor Condensate System Setup: Water falls into a drip pan which is angled so that it can then run off into a drainpipe. If the tray is angled incorrectly, if there is a hole in the tray, or if there is a broken condensate pump, water can leak out.
- Clogged Condensate Drain: A clogged drain can force water to backup into your home. The drain is routinely cleaned during a maintenance visit.
- Frozen Coil: The inside coil may freeze if the air filter is clogged or if you are low on refrigerant. When the system stops running, the water may overflow into your home.
If you experience any of these problems, you should contact your local air conditioning repair technician to make sure that the repair is completed promptly and properly.
Call Air On Demand today for fast air conditioning repair in the Homestead, FL area from professionals you can trust.