How To Solve Water Leak From Ac?

by Bodo Lam Web Designer

There is no denying the fact that air conditioners are indispensable to any home, office, or commercial space. They help in keeping the inmates fresh during summer. However, with time the AC machines develop problems. We often are perplexed with the issues and would like to know the answer to questions as to why AC leaks water. We therefore not only find answers to these questions but also fix problems of water dripping from AC, and also, there could be many situations where we need to address water leaking from AC. This is not easy from a common man’s perspective, and we need to find answers for the same. That is what we will be doing in this article.

Why AC Leaks Water And How To Solve Water Leak From Ac?

Clogged Condensate Drain Line

Why Does it Cause Water Leakage?

This situation leads to water AC leaks because the water that is released from the condensate is not able to find a drainage outlet. There could be many reasons for the clogging, and in many cases, it is caused by mold and mildew infestations. Finding out the reason for clogging is essential before we can address it.

How to Judge?

Judging the reason for the leakage requires identifying the source of the problem. For example, dirty air filters could freeze the evaporator coils, and this could lead to blockage. Improper installation could also be a culprit, and only a qualified mechanic can judge the problem.

How to Solve It?

The solution to the problem of leakage of water from AC depends on the actual source of the problem. If the problem is caused by clogging of the drain line, then it has to be cleaned. If it is caused by air filter blockages, it may have to be cleaned, repaired, or even replaced.

Damaged/Rusted Drain Pan

Why Does It Cause Water Leakage?

The drain pan is located below the evaporator coils. Its job is to catch condensate that regularly keeps forming when hot air moves through the evaporator coils. The condensed water then moves to the drain pipe and is pushed outdoors. If the pan is rusted or damaged, it could lead to water leakage.

How to Judge It?

The simplest way to judge and find out the culprit is to open the AC unit and look for the Drain Pan. This is again a technical job, and only those with the right experience and expertise would be able to do an excellent job of it. DIYs may not always work.

How to Solve It?

In most cases, mere cleaning of the rusted drain pan would be able to do the job. However, in case the damage is beyond repair, the only option would be to have the pan replaced and also ensure that the filters are cleaned regularly.

Broken Condensate Pump

Why Does it Cause Water Leakage?

The condensate pan keeps accumulating water, and it has to be drained out with the help of a condensate pump. When the pump is broken, the water pumping does not happen, and this leads to the accumulation of water in the pan, and this leads to AC leakage.

How to Judge?

Checking the pump is the only way to find out whether it is damaged partially or fully. It requires the right knowledge about the location of the condensate pump, and only those with the proper experience will be able to do it. He will check the possible reasons and then zero in on the condensate pump if everything else is okay.

How to Solve It?

Broken condensate pumps can rarely be repaired. Even if they are repaired, they will not last more than a few months, and it could damage other parts of the machine. Get in touch with a good AC mechanic and have a new condenser pump installed without any delay.

Dirty Air Filter

Why does It cause water leakage?

Whey an air filter is dirty, it tends to stop airflow to the evaporator coil. The evaporator coil freezes, and when melting happens, the excess water overflows from the pan. Hence it is imperative to check the air filter and rule out that dirt and debris in it is causing the problem.

How to judge?

The simplest way to judge and evaluate the problem is to check the air filter and have it cleaned thoroughly. This should stop the water leakage. If this does not happen, you have to look at other options and perhaps look at the condensate pump or the condensate pan.

How to Solve It?

Cleaning air filters regularly is the simplest way to solve this problem. The customers themselves can do it. In case the air filters are damaged and torn, then you may have to look at the possibility of replacing the air filter of the right specifications.

Low refrigerant

Why Does it Cause Water Leakage?

When the refrigerant is low, it leads to a significant drop in the pressure of the unit. This leads to the freezing of coils, and when they encounter warm water, it could lead to overflowing of the condensate drain. This will undoubtedly lead to water leakage in the unit.

How to Judge?

There are digital and other ordinary meters that could help in finding out the level of refrigerants. In most cases, it happens in the outdoor unit of the AC, and vandalism is one common reason. The AC may also not be able to cool the room, and this could also be because of low refrigerant.

How To Solve It?

The only way this problem can be solved is by refilling the unit with refrigerants. Your AC mechanic should be able to do an excellent job of it.

Is Water Leakage From AC Dangerous? Can We Use AC When Water Is Leaking?

Many of us often panic when we see water leaking from the AC. We tend to imagine things, and many of us feel that it would be safer to switch off the unit and call a service engineer over. However, in most cases, water dripping from AC does not mean that the unit is vulnerable to electric shocks. In most cases, it is water that is trying to find a way out when the other outlets are either blocked, overflowing are damaged. As mentioned above, it could be because of damaged condensate pan, condensate pump, and because of clogged air filters. All these do not have any direct connection with increasing the risk attributes of the AC and making its operation dangerous.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that water seepage is a common problem in air conditioners, especially the old ones. Identifying the root problem and fixing it quite quickly, and as mentioned earlier, the three main things to be checked are condensated pans, pumps, and last but not the least air filter.