Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking Water

Is your air conditioner leaking water all of a sudden?

Over 100 million homes in the United States have air conditioning. For the most part, they’re scattered over the southern part of the country where the heat rises to its hottest. In some cases, many HVAC systems and air conditioners leak water inside and outside their units due to their excessive use.

Is your air conditioner doing the same? Do you want to find out what it means and how to fix it?

Of course you do! Water leaking out of any electronic device is never a good thing. Read on to learn more about what makes your AC leak and what you can do to stop it.

Why Is Your Air Conditioner Leaking Water

Finding out what causes condensation in your air conditioning system boils down to a few common problems. These are some of the most common reasons why you’ll start noticing water coming out of your air conditioner.

Clogged Condensate Drain Line Can Make The Air Conditioner Leaking Water

The most common cause of AC leaking water outside or inside at home is because your unit has a clogged condensate drain line. Often, the condensate line gets clogged with dirt and dust that passes through it. Over time, it mixes with the moisture of the air conditioning unit and sticks to the sides of the drain line.

This causes it to gunk up the line and prevent the condensation from getting drained to where it should be going. This results in the drain line backing up and overflowing out of the air conditioner.

Your Air Conditioner Doesn’t Have Enough Refrigerant

Having little to no refrigerant in your air conditioner may lower the pressure in your unit & can cause refrigerant leaks. When this begins to happen, you’ll notice it first from the temperature of the air getting expelled. It won’t be as cold as it was before.

Also, having low refrigerant causes your evaporator coils to freeze up. Evaporator coils are responsible for converting the liquid from your AC unit into vapor. This is the vapor the unit expels and cools down the area around it.

Not having enough refrigerant means there’s nothing to power up the coils to do its job. This causes the coils to begin to freeze over time. This won’t pose a problem at first, but once it starts to heat up again, what’s frozen will melt and cause a leak in the air conditioning unit.

The Air Filter Accumulated a Lot of Dirt

Another common reason why your Air Conditioner is dripping water is because of the air filter. Accumulated dirt can stop the filter from doing its job and prevent it from supplying power to another vital part of the air conditioning unit, the evaporator coils.

Similar to the effect of not having enough refrigerant, a dirty air filter can cause the coils to freeze over. This time around, though, it’s because no proper airflow reaches the coils. Without air flowing through it, it gets too cold and freezes up once again.

It’s best not to let the evaporator coils freeze up in either case though. Freezing can cause some damage to itself along with other parts of the unit. The damage it causes can sometimes be irreparable and lead to buying a new air conditioning unit instead.

Drain Pan Got Rusted or Damaged

Damaged or rusted drain pans are a common case for old air conditioning units. If you’re faced with one that’s cracked, then you’re fortunate. It’s easier to fix than a rusted one, as you can use sealants to solve the problem.

A rusted drain pan is a bit trickier, though. It means the rust ate through the metal, and there’s not much to work with anymore. Often, drain pans with this kind of problem have a lot of holes for water to fall through

What You Can Do To Fix The Air Conditioner From Leaking 

Is your air conditioner leaking water the last time you checked? If it is, don’t despair! There are still some ways for you to fix your air conditioning unit yourself.

Make It a Habit to Change Your Air Filters

One of the best things you can do to ensure your AC Systems stop leaking is to change your air filters. These shouldn’t prove much of a financial problem as they’re cheap compared to buying a new AC unit.

Clean Out the Condensate Drain Line

If you’re experiencing a condensate drain line clog, then it’s best to shut down your unit first. Opening up the unit until you can see the drain line will allow you to clean this out faster and easier.

Pop open the PVC cap covering the drain line, and you should see how clogged it is from the inside. A good way to clean this is to get a long wire brush and scrub the inside of the drain line.

Make Sure Your Drain Pan Is The Right Fit For Your Unit

As mentioned above, replacement is the best fix for rusted or cracked drain pans. However, some people think any drain pan fits their AC unit. This causes a lot of air conditioning units to have ill-fitting drain pans.

If you think that doesn’t sound too great, you’re right. Drain pans should be a perfect fit for the AC unit to function well.

Pour Bleach Into Your Drain Line Every 6 Months

This step is more for the prevention of leaks in your air conditioning unit. A simple way to keep your drain line clean for a long time is to pour bleach into it. Doing this kills any microbes along the pipes, which may grow into algae or mold.

Don’t Overwork Your Air Conditioner When It’s Hot Outside

Yes, it’s tempting to set the temperature as low as it can get when it’s scorching outside. You should know, though, that doing this can cause damage to your AC unit in the long run.

To prevent this, it’s best you set your air conditioner to the best temperature. This will relieve some of the strain AC units face in converting the hot air. It’s also more beneficial for the environment.

Is your air conditioner leaking water? Refer to this list for the most common reasons why this happens and what you can do to stop it today!

Resolving the problem sooner ensures minimal damage to your unit. Don’t delay, and get fixed now!

Contact us for any additional questions you may have, or give us a call today at 206-202-9499.