Whoa whoa whoa, I’m no air conditioning expert or anything, but I didn’t think that my AC even used water—so how did it spring a leak? You’re right. You’re not an AC expert!
Sorry, we couldn’t resist.
In all seriousness, you are right to be confused by this odd phenomenon. No, your air conditioner doesn’t use water; doesn’t have a water supply line; doesn’t store water in any sort of tank or reservoir.
Then how can it leak water?
We’re not calling you a liar, and we’re not calling you crazy. You may well see water pooling around your indoor AC unit. However, it is not really a water leak in the way that you may be thinking of. And, in fact, it may not actually be originating in the AC. More on that below.
So read on, contact us with any questions that you may have, and remember that Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning is here for any air conditioning services in Colorado Springs, CO that you may need.
Where Is Your AC Located?
The reason we ask this is simple. If your air conditioner is installed at the lowest point of your home, then any water that comes in due to heavy rains and/or any water coming from a plumbing leak may wind up pooling around that unit. If this is the case, then you’ll want to talk to someone about waterproofing your basement or plumbing repairs, not AC services.
It’s Definitely Coming from the AC
Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about where this water is actually coming from. If there’s no supply pipe or tank to spring a leak, then what are we looking at?
Condensation, that’s what.
Your air conditioner is not a whole-house dehumidifier, but it will dehumidify the air somewhat as it cools it down. That’s a byproduct of the cooling process. The moisture drawn out of the air condenses on the evaporator coil, and that condensation has to go somewhere.
Onto the Floor?
No, that’s not right. It’s supposed to be drained out of your home via the condensate drain pan and drain line. So what’s gone wrong?
The drain pan may not be lined up right in the system. It may also be cracked and require replacement. Those are simple fixes. So too is cleaning out a clogged drain line with a simple cleaning solution and, potentially, a wet vac.
Much more serious is the issue of overflow due to melting ice. If your evaporator coil is too cold, then moisture can freeze on it. When it melts, it may overwhelm the drain assembly. Why might it be too cold?
Well, it may be due to a very dirty filter. If the air filter is too dirty, then simply replacing it can help to resolve the issue of restricted airflow that is impeding the heat transfer process.
If it’s not the filter, though, then you may have a refrigerant leak. If this is the case, you need repairs immediately. The longer that you run a system that is low on refrigerant, the more likely your system is to suffer very serious damages.
