It can be a hassle dealing with an air conditioner that drips water. There are several reasons why your air conditioner might be dripping water, and here are some solutions to address the problem.
Why Does the Air Conditioner Form Water?
The air conditioner forms water due to its cooling process. It doesn’t cool the air directly. Instead, it removes heat from your interior and transfers it outside.
A return vent removes warm, humid air from your home and blows it over an evaporator coil to accomplish heat transfer. The evaporator coil contains refrigerant, which absorbs the heat, turning it into a hot gas. Now devoid of heat, the air is blown back into your home through supply vents.
The hot gas in the evaporator coil then travels outside to the compressor, further compressed into an even hotter vapor. From there, the gas moves through the condenser coil, discharging the heat inside your home to the outside environment. The heated gas refrigerant condenses back into a liquid, restarting the process.
Throughout this cycle, warm, humid air passes over the coils, and the heat is extracted, causing moisture in the air to collect on the evaporator coil as water droplets. These droplets fall off the coil into a drip pan, then through a condensate drain line, and finally are directed outside of your home.
As this cycle repeats, water accumulates on the evaporator coil. While some accumulation is normal, signs of water leaking indicate potential issues with your air conditioner.
Dirty Air Filters
A dirty air filter can sometimes cause your air conditioner to leak. Thankfully, this is one of the most straightforward causes of leaks that need to be fixed. If your air conditioning filter gets too clogged, air cannot travel freely over the evaporator coils. Without enough airflow, the evaporator coil starts to freeze up. When you turn off your air conditioner, the frozen evaporator coils melt, and the melting ice leaks from the air conditioner.
Talk to your HVAC technician about how frequently the air filters on your air conditioner should be changed to improve air quality in the home and to prevent your air conditioner from leaking.
Improper Air Conditioner Installation
If your air conditioner was recently installed and is leaking, you should talk to your HVAC technician to ensure it was installed correctly. Even if your air conditioner was installed evenly, it could leak. A leak could also indicate a poorly installed condensate line or condensate pan.
A Failed Condensate Pump
Your conditioner has a condensate pump because gravity may not always be able to carry water from the drain pan outside of your home. This is true if your air conditioner is installed below ground in the basement or an attic with an elongated condensate line. In these cases, a centrifuge pump pushes the water from your air conditioner outside your home. When the condensate created by the evaporator coil reaches a certain level, the float switch in the pump is activated, and the excess water is removed.
As with all other air-conditioning system components, this float switch or the pump can fail, leading to your air conditioner leaking water. Additionally, the tube or tank for the condensate pump could crack as it ages. A broken condensate pump will lead to water dripping and collecting around your air conditioning unit.
A Clogged Drain Line
The drain line is connected to the drain pan and directs the condensate from your air conditioner outside your home. Old, dirty, or damaged air filters let debris travel into your air conditioning system and accumulate. One area of accumulation could be the condensate line. Dirt and debris can accumulate, clogging the line and causing the drain to overflow.
Algae can also clog the drain line. Algae love to grow in wet, dark places like the drain pan and the drain line. It can grow to the point where it blocks water flow.
Sometimes, water builds up to the point where it weighs down the drain line. The connections that keep the drain line connected to the drain pan become stressed. Eventually, this weight, coupled with vibrations from the air conditioner, can cause the drain line to disconnect entirely from the pan, leading to the air conditioner leaking water.
Damaged Drain Pan
The drain pan in your air conditioner catches the condensation from the coils that drips off. The setup of the drain pan will vary based on the type of AC unit you have and its location. All air-conditioners have a primary and secondary drain pan. Most drain pans are made from galvanized steel, stainless steel, or a polymer. With time, polymer drain pans can crack, and galvanized and stainless steel drain pans can corrode. If this happens, the drain pan will start to leak water when it is not supposed to.
If you notice the drain pan is damaged, do not try to fix it yourself. Any do-it-yourself seal is unlikely to last. It is better to contact our HVAC technicians at Precision Heating & Air and let us repair or replace the drain pan for you.
Leaking Refrigerant
Your air conditioner uses refrigerant to absorb heat from inside your home and transfer it outside, cooling your home. If there is a malfunction with your air conditioner, it could lead to a refrigerant leak. Some reasons for refrigerant leaks include the following.
Improper Installation
When components and pieces of the air conditioner are not correctly sealed, it can lead to a refrigerant leak.
Eroding Metal
The metal of the evaporator or condenser coil or other metal parts within the air conditioner can begin to erode, form holes, and lead to refrigerant leaks.
Factory Defects
If the air conditioning unit leaves the factory defective, leaks can occur over time, even with proper installation. Most HVAC technicians inspect each part before installing them, so this shouldn’t happen with a professional HVAC company.
Normal Wear and Tear
The air conditioning unit’s valve stems contain several rubber seals. Over time, these seals can dry out, crack, or wear out, causing leaks. Additionally, the unit’s outdoor components can accumulate rust, suffer wear and tear, and lead to leaks.
Experience the Best in Heating and Air Conditioning in the Metro Atlanta Area
At Precision Heating & Air, we have been a family-owned business in the area for over thirty years. We work hard to offer you and our customers the best HVAC services. Our services are provided by a team of skilled NATE-certified HVAC technicians who are ready and equipped to help you with any HVAC issue.
Our services include HVAC installation, maintenance, and repair. We install mini-split air conditioners, gas furnaces, and heat pumps. We also offer indoor air quality testing, water heater installation, and tankless water heater installation. Contact Precision Heating & Air today and see what it’s like to work with a company that offers a personal touch, intense attention to detail, and the ability to find the best HVAC system for your home.
