When you think of leaks in your home, your mind probably goes to your water heater or your plumbing. However, your AC unit can cause leaks, as well. If you notice water pooling in or outside of your home around your AC, then you probably have an AC leak on your hand. There are a number of different things that can cause AC leaks.
Air Leaking
If air is leaking from your duct system, this can cause water to build up. This is due to the fact that warm air can infiltrate the ducts, where it then condenses when it interacts with the cold air and causes moisture that pools up where the leak is occurring. If this is the cause of water, then you need to have your ducts re-sealed to ensure that no warm air can get in and interact with the cold air.
Clogged Drain Line
When your air conditioner is working properly, it it pulls in warm air from your house and cools it over the evaporator coils. During this process, condensation forms on the coils. From there, the condensation falls into a drain pain where it is then routed through pipes outside of your home. If this drain is clogged or the pipe from the drain is clogged, it can cause water to pool and leak as it can't exit your home properly. This is a common cause of AC leaks inside of your home. Check your drain pan and pipes for clogs and then use a wet dry vac to remove the clogs if found.
Bad Installation
If you recently got a new AC unit and you never had any problems with leaks before, the cause of the leak might be improper installation of the unit. If your unit is not level with the ground or if there is too much pressure put on the system, this can cause leaks. In addition, if your drain pain wasn't installed properly this can cause the water to pool as it can't properly exit through the drain pan.
Dirty Air Filters
If your air filters are dirty and clogged, this causes a lack of proper air flow over your evaporator coil. When the air doesn't flow properly over the evaporator coil, it can end up freezing. When the frozen coil starts to melt, it drips excessive amounts of water that might not be all caught by the drain pan and causes water to pool up.
If you can't find and fix your AC leak yourself, contact a local HVAC contractor like Action Appliance Services. They will be able to better isolate the leak, and in turn, fix it so you no longer have to deal with pooling water.
Share