In the United States, almost 100 million homes have air conditioning.
If you have air conditioning, you know that sometimes issues come up that need fixing. We are going to talk about what happens if you find your air conditioner leaking water.
Air conditioners are complicated appliances, but if you know what causes the problem you are having, you are a step ahead. If you can’t figure out why your air conditioner is having trouble, contact a professional repair service.
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Air Conditioner Leaking Water
You may be wondering what causes air conditioners to leak.
The answer to that is that there is more than one thing that makes air conditioners leak water. We will start with the one that is easiest to fix, and then move to more complicated possibilities afterward.
1. Air Filter
You will notice if you read up on air conditioner troubleshooting, this comes up a lot. If you have a clogged air filter, your air conditioning unit will not function properly. In this case, without good airflow, the condenser coils can freeze up. This leads to slow dripping inside the unit.
Once the water has built up, it will begin to leak out of the air conditioner. The only way to solve this problem is to replace the air filter. The important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t let your air filter get this dirty in the first place.
If you want your air conditioner to function the way it was intended, change the air filter regularly. Depending on your environment and circumstances, you should consider changing your air filter every 30 to 60 days. This will ensure that it is never clogged enough to cause you problems.
Changing out an air filter is very easy.
Once you locate the older filter, you have to pull it out and slide a new one in. This step of preventative maintenance will save you money in the long run. Keeping your air filters clean is one of the best steps you can take, whether you are using an air conditioner or a heater.
2. Drain Lines
If your air conditioner is leaking water and you have changed out the air filter already, it could be a drain line.
Drain lines can become clogged by several things. The leading causes of this are debris, mold, or algae that can build up in the line itself.
To find your drain line, you will need to locate the drain pan. This usually sits at the bottom of the air conditioner. The drain line will come off of the pan, jutting out at a 90-degree angle. If yours was installed by a professional, it should have a cap on the line.
Remove this cap, and you will be able to access the drain line itself. You can pour vinegar down there every so often if you want to keep mold and algae from growing in your line. Doing this semi-regularly can prevent a problem from forming.
If that doesn’t work, you should contact a professional AC repair service. It can be difficult to get into the pipe, and it may require a full replacement of the line if any damage is caused. If you want to try and get it clean yourself, you will need a wet vac and some luck.
While you are in the air conditioner, check out the drain pan at the bottom of your indoor unit, because this is going to be the next possible cause.
3. Drain Pan Leaking
If there is any damage to your drain pan, which is there to catch the condensation coming off the coils, you will experience leaks. Air conditioners leaking water because of a drain pan is not as common as air filter clogs or drainpipe clogs.
The damage will more than likely to visible.
A crack or chip on the drain pan, and you will have to get it replaced. There are two drain pans that will be in your air conditioner. In order to check them, make sure that you dry them out, a wet vac would be best for this part of the job.
Once you have the drain pans cleaned off, check them very carefully. Even the smallest crack can cause water to leak out, though the leak will be slow if that is the case. One of the drain pans will be welded into place, and if that one is broken, make sure to contact a professional.
The second drain pan is one the very bottom, and it is not welded into place.
In this case, you can remove it and check it over carefully. If you are comfortable doing that, you could even replace it yourself. If you can’t find parts or have any hesitation, calling a professional is the way to go.
Air Conditioners Are Expensive
A new air conditioner unit can cost between $3,000 to $7,000 when installed. If you don’t know how to work on your air conditioner, don’t run the risk of causing more damage. Any damage you do trying to save money on the fix will be completely wiped out by causing any real damage to the unit.
Professional HVAC repairmen are highly trained and experienced. They can get the jobs detailed on our list done without any issue. If you have any questions about that, make sure to contact an AC repair service that can get you fixed up without any complications.
Having Air Conditioning
Don’t let an air conditioner leaking water stop you from having a good summer. When the temperature goes up, the air conditioners we rely on get to work. Not having a good air conditioner makes summer weather miserable.
If you notice water leaking, start by checking the air filter. If that isn’t it, go through the list and find out what the cause of the problem is.
If you don’t have the time or feel uncomfortable doing this, make sure to call a professional to have your air conditioner looked at. This way, you save yourself thousands in potential replacement costs.
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