You might be familiar with seeing some moisture around the outdoor condenser unit of an air conditioner. This is likely a normal thing to encounter. But it may not always be the case.
Here’s the thing. Your air conditioner doesn’t use water to get the job done. And the moisture that you see is a byproduct of the cooling process, which we’ll explain a bit about below. But there are many other instances when seeing water dripping or leaking from your air conditioner in West Palm Beach means big trouble.
Let’s explain the difference so you know when to call for repairs.
3 Causes for Water Leaking From Your Air Conditioner
If your air conditioner has started to leak water or fluid, then it is best to take a moment to assess the source. You may very well need a system repair. Here are three of the main causes of this issue.
1. There is a condensate drain clog causing the pan to overflow
During the cooling process, as heat is pulled from the air moisture that is in that air supply is going to condense into liquid. This condensation collects on your evaporative coil and drips into a condensate pan and will eventually drain out via the condensate drain line. This is what is supposed to happen at least. Dirt and debris can end up collecting in the pan and drain, leading to a clog that stops the drainage of that moisture. Since the pan is fairly shallow, it is going to overflow after a short period of time, leading to what looks like a leak in your indoor unit.
2. There is a leak in your refrigerant line
This is a much bigger issue that you’ll want to have a technician identify and address as soon as possible. Refrigerant is the lifeblood of your air conditioner and if it leaks out it will undermine the effectiveness and efficiency of your system. You’ll want to watch for hissing or bubbling noises when your AC is in operation which can indicate a leak in your refrigerant line. The sooner that a refrigerant line leak is patched and the refrigerant supply refilled, the better.
3. There is ice that has built up on your AC evaporative coil
There may also be an issue that is causing your evaporative coil to freeze over, such as weak airflow into the system or a refrigerant leak. The end result of these issues will be that your system cannot properly cool the air and instead ends up cooling the coil itself to an extreme, causing a layer of ice to build up on it. When the cooling cycle ends however, the ice may start to melt, leading to water leaking from the system.
As you can see, fluid leaking from your air conditioner really isn’t going to be a normal thing. It can be especially problematic if you have a ductless system as a leak can put wall-mounted air handlers at risk of tearing off the wall.
Schedule your air conditioner repairs with Envirotech Air Quality Services to address leaks and other problems your system is battling with.
