Why Is My AC Leaking Water?

A common issue that homeowners experience with their air conditioning units is AC leaks. If you are experiencing leaking water, the main thing that you are going to want to do is completely shut off your AC’s thermostat to avoid further damage. To understand what is happening with your AC unit when dealing with a leak, you will want to fully understand the common causes, differences between leaks inside and outside, how to fix the leaking, and potential issues that could occur if you are not able to pinpoint a leak in time.

Common Causes Of Leaks:

1. Clogged Condensate Drain Line.

If you are experiencing an AC unit leak, the leak might be caused by having a clogged condensate drain line. This is the most typical reason you might begin to experience leaking. When your drain line gets blocked with anything, the water ends up getting backed up into your home.

clogged AC condensate line

How To Solve: If you are experiencing a clogged condensate drain line, the best way to solve it is by unclogging it. There are various way you can employ when looking to unclog the drain line. The most effective way is typically the use of either a wet or dry vac directly on the condensate line itself. The more sure way to deal with a clogged condensate drain line is by hiring a professional to handle the problem for you. They will be able to utilize professional equipment to effectively remove and unclog whatever is blocking the line in the first place.

2. Broken Condensate Pump.

If your furnace and AC unit is installed anywhere in your basement, you have a condensate pump that works to pump the water outside. The problem occurs when the pump malfunctions or breaks and the water cannot then be pumped outside.

How To Solve: If you are dealing with a broken condensate pump, the only way you are going to be able to fix it is by either repairing or replacing the pump. This is going to require professional assistance as any repair or replacement needs to be done by a professional AC repair technician for something like this.

3. Damaged Drain Pan.

Another issue that might cause leaking with your AC unit is a damaged drain pan. This is very common if you are dealing with an old AC unit that might have rusted over. A lot of the times your drain pan can either get damaged or rusted to the point where it doesn’t function properly. In these situations, the water typically falls through during operation which can result in AC leakage.

How To Solve: To fix this issue and stop the leaking for a damaged drain pan, you will need to replace the pan altogether.

4. Dirty Filter.

This is another prevalent issue that can result in your AC unit leaking. A dirty air filter can contribute to leaking because it can cause inconsistencies with the entire unit. It ultimately blocks the airflow which forces the evaporator coil to get insufficient air to warm it. This alone causes the evaporator coil to freeze. Thus, it eventually drips excess water that the pan is not capable of containing. The end result is leaking from your AC unit.

How To Solve: Dealing with a dirty filter is typically the easiest leak problem to solve. Typically, you will only need to replace the filter and change it if it is too clogged up. You should be consistently changing your air filters a minimum of once per every three months to keep it as clean as possible to avoid this problem from ever occurring in the first place.

5. Low Refrigerant.

Another big issue that could be contributing to a leaking problem is having low refrigerant. When you are low on refrigerant, the overall air pressure of the AC system goes down to unstable levels. This ultimately results in your evaporator coil getting too cold and freezing over. As a result, when it produces excess moisture from it freezing over, the excess water is too much for the drain pan to handle and ends up leaking from the AC unit.

How To Solve: You will likely be able to tell whether or not you are low on refrigerant because you will notice that your AC unit is not properly cooling efficiently. Along with this, you might even hear a hissing noise stemming from your unit. Depending on the problem and how bad it is, you might be able to repair it. If not, you might need to have the entire unit replaced.

If you are dealing with any sort of AC leak, you want to get it resolved as soon as possible. Not only can it lead to mold growth, but it can cause your entire AC unit to underperform and minimize your system’s cooling efficiency. Having a professional HVAC company fix any leak you might be dealing with is preferred because they will be able to diagnose your exact issue and figure out the best way to solve the problem. Along with this, having a professional HVAC company handle the routine maintenance of your AC unit can keep your unit performing optimally for a long time which can help you prevent future potentially costly repairs or replacements. Call us today to schedule preventative care for your AC unit.

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