The Common Causes of Water Leaks in Air Conditioners

Is your air conditioner leaking water out of the blue? Due to their excessive use, many (HVAC) air conditioners discharge water from the interior and exterior of their units.

Identifying the source of condensation in your air conditioning system can be narrowed down to a handful of common issues.

These are some of the most common causes for water to begin leaking from your air conditioner.

1. A clogged condensate drain line.

A clogged condensate discharge line is the most common cause of an air conditioner releasing water. Frequently, the condensate line becomes clogged with passing debris and grit. Over time, it combines with the air conditioner’s condensation and adheres to the sides of the discharge line.

This causes it to clog up the passage, preventing condensation from draining to its intended location. This causes the discharge line to build up and cause the air conditioner to overflow.

2. Your air conditioner does not contain sufficient refrigerant.

Having little to no refrigerant in your air conditioner can reduce its pressure and lead to refrigerant leakage. When this begins to occur, the temperature of the discharged air will be the first indicator. It will not be as chilly as before.

The insufficient refrigerant also causes your evaporator coils to ice. As a result, the evaporator coils in your air conditioner turn liquid into vapour. This is the unit’s vapour, which cools the surrounding area.

If there is insufficient refrigerant, the coils cannot be powered to do their task. This eventually causes the filaments to begin to solidify. This won’t initially be a problem, but once the weather warms up again, the ice will dissolve and create a leak in the air conditioning unit.

3. The air filter had accumulated a great deal of dirt.

The air filter is another common reason your air conditioner seeps water. Accumulated grime can prevent the filter from performing its function and supplying power to the evaporator coils, another vital component of the air conditioning unit.

Like insufficient refrigerant, a filthy air filter can lead to the freezing of the coils. This time, however, it is because the coils are not receiving adequate ventilation. Without oxygen circulating through it, it becomes too frigid and refreezes.

In either case, it is best not to let the evaporator coils ice. Freezing can cause injury to the device itself as well as other components. Sometimes the damage it causes is irreparable, necessitating the purchase of a new air conditioner.

4. The drain pan was rusted or broken.

Damaged or corroded drain trays are a typical occurrence in older air conditioning units. However, if you encounter one that is broken, you are fortunate. It is simpler to repair than a rusted one because sealants can be used to address the problem.

However, a corroded drain basin poses a greater challenge. It indicates that corrosion has eaten through the metal, leaving little to work with. Drain basins with this issue typically have numerous openings for water to escape.