An air conditioner is a very important appliance in any tropical country. It helps you stay cool during hot weather. However, your AC unit may have problems over time. This can be because of things like not being maintained well, being used a lot, and the changing weather.
The biggest and most common problem that air conditioners face is aircon leaking water. Because the appliance doesn’t function effectively and can’t provide you and your family with the essential cooling you need to resist the heat, an air conditioner that is leaking causes additional stress.
Let us first get into the different causes of your air conditioner’s water leaking.
Common Causes
Air Leak
So that AC units functions at their optimal level, the air that reaches the air conditioner unit should pass through vents. Damages will result in leakage of air. The vent does not let as much air through as it should. If this doesn’t happen, there’s definitely an air leak, which results in less-than-ideal performance. To ensure that your aircon has an air leak, check your appliance to see if leaks are in the grates around the vents.
Dirty Air Filter
A dirty air filter means a blocked air filter. When this happens, the airflow gets compromised. With this, the air gets condensed and turns to ice. Once the air conditioner unit gets turned off, the ice will melt and fill up the drain pump. When the drip tray is full, there will be leaking water.
Broken Condensate Pump
Condensate pumps are located below the cooling coil. Condensate pumps are used to drain water out to avoid water leaking. Water dripping is a certain sign that a pump is broken or not performing correctly when it is clogged with dust and debris or when it is already broken.
Leaking Condenser Coil
This is one of the most common causes of water leaking from AC units. The air conditioners’ condenser unit is seen on the outside of your house. Because this is located outside, the accumulation of debris and dust build-up becomes more frequent. This build-up will result in blockage, which would result in water leaks due to water filling up the drain pan.
Clogged Drain Line
This might be the biggest problem that results in leaking water. When substances (dirt, debris, etc.) accumulate, this can result in a clogged condensate drain line. When your drain line is clogged, the water flow gets compromised. The flow of water becomes slower than normal. This would cause your air conditioner to leak water.
Poor Maintenance
Poor maintenance results in a damaged AC unit. Make sure you clean your air conditioner as regularly as possible. Additionally, make sure the evaporator coil is functioning correctly and is not just starting to corrode. If proper maintenance is not done, you may experience difficulties with an air conditioner leaking water often.
Rusting Drain Pan
When the drain pan regularly rusts, your ac unit will most likely get clogged. Because of this blockage, the water will not be able to flow outside, ultimately resulting in leaking water from your air conditioning unit.
Frozen Aircon Coil
The evaporator coil can be seen inside the air conditioning units. If by chance you open your air conditioning unit and notice that it melting slower, make sure to contact for an AC service. But to start with first aid, check and clean your air filters, as this can be the most common cause of a frozen coil.
How to Fix Air Conditioner Leaking Water
A simple step is to check and clean the following
Condensate Drain
Your air conditioner will suck in warm air and turns it into a liquid with the condenser coil. The water will again evaporate into cold air. The excess water will go through the condensate drain and condensate pump through the drain pipe; with a lack of maintenance, a blockage can occur in the drain pipe which will then result in a water build-up, eventually resulting in water droplets leaking.
To clean, just follow the following steps;
- Unscrew the access panel in order to locate the condensate drain pan.
- Check if there is water overflowing the pan. If there is this might be a sign that the draining system is clogged.
- Use a wet/dry vacuum to suck out the water in the pan.
- Pour 1 cup of bleach into the drain line in order to clean it and help prevent future clogs.
- After pouring the bleach, run some water from a hose through the drain line to rinse it out.
- Screw back on the access panel.
Evaporator Coils
Evaporator coils turn the condensed liquid into cold air. When this part is damaged, the condensed liquid is not able to evaporate, causing a build-up of water inside. To clean this up, once again, open your unit and use a soft brush or a vacuum with a soft brush attachment. Keep in mind that the evaporator coils’ aluminum fins are rather thin. While working, they could get damaged. Therefore, you ought to use caution.
Fan
The fan of the air conditioner serves the aim to blow cool air out of the air conditioner in a specific direction. Spray your air conditioner’s fan with a solution and leave it on for 15 minutes. After, rinse it off using warm water.
Conclusion
Water leakage from an air conditioner is a common problem that can have various causes. Some of the most common causes are a clogged condenser coil, a poor maintenance routine, or a frozen evaporator coil. To fix this issue, you can try cleaning the condenser coil, the evaporator coil, and the fan. If the problem persists, you might need to contact a professional for help.