What To Do With A Leaking Air Conditioner

Cold air through vents and distribute it throughout your house. They aren’t supposed to leak water, and if yours is doing so, you know you have a problem – but it’s usually a simple fix, so don’t fret too much about the issue before you know exactly what’s going wrong.

We appreciate saving money as much as the next person, so we completely understand the hesitation to call a professional HVAC company when you run into problems. Even if you can get a reasonable price for the service, it’s still money coming out of your pocket…

While it’s probably safer to have a technician come to your home and diagnose the problem, you can still make plenty of repairs to your AC by yourself. If you are confident enough to correct the problem on your own, it could end up saving you a pretty penny. Instead of paying for an HVAC appointment, you could take your family out for a nice dinner and spend some quality time together!

Making the necessary repairs requires knowledge of what caused the problem. In terms of a leaking AC, there are a few different potential causes:

Check for holes or cracks in the overflow drain pan.

Grab a flashlight and inspect the pan. Look at the corners, all edges, and examine the entire surface of the equipment. You’ll want to check the spot directly above where the water seems to be pooling the most, but it’s also a good idea to look for other weak spots on the pan, just in case there is more than one leak.

If you do find a crack or small hole, you have two different options. Either replace the whole overflow pan or fix the crack/hole with some appliance epoxy. Using the epoxy method is fine, but it might lead to more leaks in the near future. The best way to prevent the same issue from happening over and over again is just to buy a whole new pan and replace the old one.

Next, check the condensation line for stoppage.

The condensation line allows the water build-up in the condensation pan to flow outside or directly into a drainpipe. If the line gets clogged, the water will fill up the pan and cause leakage. Some AC units feature water overflow cutoff switches, which shut the entire unit down when it detects a clogged condensation line. This feature helps prevent water damage.

Cleaning out a clogged condensation line is fairly simple. You can either choose to suck out the debris using a wet/dry vacuum, or you can use a special pump to clear whatever is clogging the line. As long as you can effectively clean the inside of the hose without damaging it or leaving debris behind, any method you choose for cleaning out the line is probably okay.

Last (but definitely not least) is to check for a clogged air filter.

If you have seen our other blogs, you’ll know that we are strong advocates of checking air filters regularly, and replacing them as needed. The common filter will last you one to two months, so it’s a good idea to at least check on it once a month. If the air filter looks dirty, clean it and put it back it if it’s reusable. Otherwise, toss the dirty one and replace it with a new filter.

When you neglect to change or clean your air filter, it can cause ice to form on the evaporating coils. The ice will melt and cause leakage, or will just keep building up until your unit is completely frozen. Either way, it can be avoided just by changing the filter!

We know that you might not always have the time to troubleshoot your own HVAC malfunctions, however, we also know that fixes like the ones listed above are not too complicated. Simply clearing out a condensation line is free if you have a good vacuum – which is certainly much cheaper than hiring a professional to come out and do the work.

You may have tried some of these methods already, but still aren’t seeing an end to the leakage. If that’s the case, don’t worry, Arco Home Services will be more than happy to come out to your home and make any necessary repairs for you. We do quality work for a reasonable price, and we’d be glad to play a part in keeping you and your family comfortable.