We’ve had some warm days already and we want to know – have you noticed that your air conditioner is leaking water? There are several possible reasons for this, but whatever the cause, you’ll want to call us at Total Mechanical Systems to have one of our highly trained technicians troubleshoot your system.
In the meantime, here are some common reasons why your residential A/C may be leaking:
1. The condensate drain is clogged.
This drain helps transport collected water out of the unit. If rust, dirt, debris or algae builds up, it can partially or completely block and clog the drain and cause the A/C to leak.
2. The temperature is too cold to run your A/C.
If you try to get the unit to cool your home when it’s cold outside, the evaporator coils can ice over, causing the unit to leak. To avoid this problem, don’t run your A/C when the temperature is below 60 degrees.
3. The drain line is disconnected.
Even if your A/C is installed correctly, it’s not unheard of for the drain line to become loose over time. If it gets loose enough, it can completely disconnect from your A/C, which will cause leakage.
4. The condensate pump is broken.
If your condensate pump is broken, it can’t pump out the excess water in the condenser pan, so the pan will fill up and start overflowing (or leaking).
5. The refrigerant level is too low.
Low refrigerant can make the A/C coils freeze, which can then cause leakage as the drip pan overflows.
Are you worried about a potential A/C freon leak? If your air conditioning unit has stopped working properly or no longer cools when you turn it on, then there may be something wrong with your freon. If you start to experience a foul-smelling odor escaping your HVAC system during operation, then this is a sign as well that you could have a freon leak. Call us immediately regardless of the scenario and we’ll take care of everything. Freon is a lethal toxic substance, and for this reason, freon leaks should be handled by one of our expert air conditioning repair technicians. Inhaling freon is highly poisonous and in addition, freon leaks deplete the ozone layer and are unsafe for the environment.
6. The air filter is dirty.
When the air filter becomes dirty, airflow is restricted and the evaporator coils don’t get the ventilation they need. This causes the coils to get too cold and eventually freeze. As the ice melts off the coils, moisture will drip down, causing the drip pan to overflow and eventually leak.
It’s normal for a well-functioning A/C to produce a little bit of condensation at times. The more your A/C is on and running, the more condensation you’ll have.
However, when excess water is regularly leaking from the unit, you don’t want to ignore it. If you notice that it’s leaking for more than a day, contact us right away and we’ll be there to make any repairs and ensure your A/C is keeping your home cool and comfortable!
