When you see a puddle of water outside under your air conditioning unit, your first response might be to Google a phone number for an HVAC contractor and schedule a service. Don’t worry.
A small amount of water leaking from your AC might be a normal occurrence. Unde certain conditions, however, a leaking air conditioning unit becomes a concern and requires a service call.
What Amount of Leaking Water from the AC Is Considered Normal?
Mainly there are two reasons for condensation to leak from the AC. The first one is the setting of the thermostat and the second one is the outdoor temperature. San Diego gets really hot in summer and if you live away from the ocean and a little inland, it is normal to see water pooling
by the condenser. Your air conditioner is working very hard to cool the house down. It is trying to keep up with the lower than usual setting of your thermostat on a very hot day.
How Do I Know When the AC Leakage Is Too Much?
If you are in doubt, follow this rule: your AC should only leak water while it is operating. Is there a puddle of condensation under your compressor? After a hot day it should dry up. It would be smart to contact an HVAC contractor and have your air conditioner inspected for problems if
you are unsure how much water is leaking. Another warning sign is if you notice that the air conditioner has been leaking for the entire day or even longer than that.
What Are the Problems that Cause AC Leakage?
There are many potential reasons why the AC is leaking water inside or outside the house.
Here are the most common ones:
The air filter is dirty. A completely clogged or even partially blocked air filter is the reason why the unit’s evaporator coils tend to freeze. Frozen evaporator coils will make the excess of water overflow from the drainage pan.
The condensate pan is broken. If the AC unit is old the condensate pan might be corroded. If it breaks down, your air conditioner will leak.
The drain pipe is blocked. When the AC unit is functioning normally, before going down the drain, the water funnels through a sequence of drainpipes. Clogged drainpipes will cause abnormal water leakage.
Problems with the installation. It should never happen with a brand new AC. If your new AC is leaking, talk with a professional, because it might have been installed incorrectly. It also might not be a proper size unit for your home.
Running AC in cool weather. It is not a good idea to run the air conditioner when the temperature outside is below sixty degrees Fahrenheit. The evaporator coils are very likely to freeze up and the AC will leak water.
Refrigerant level is too low. This will cause all sorts of problems. The AC unit will lose pressure, the coils will freeze and the drain pan will overflow.
If you are experiencing any of the issues above, schedule a repair with Atlas HVAC, Inc. Our team is highly qualified to handle the situation.
Let Atlas HVAC, Inc take care of the AC repair in San Diego, CA or the surrounding areas.
Give us a call at (877) 452-8527 today.
