If you notice water puddling under your outdoor air conditioning unit, your first instinct might be to pick up the phone and call a contractor for service. Luckily, water leakage from your AC unit can be perfectly normal. However, there are certain circumstances when a leaking AC could be cause for concern and warrant a service call. We’ll help you find out what’s normal and what isn’t for water leaking from your unit.
What's a Normal Amount of Water to Leak from My Air Conditioner?
There are two main reasons for water (specifically in this case, condensation) to leak from your air conditioner. One factor is your thermostat setting. The second involves the outdoor temperature. When you live in the hot and humid climate of Macon, Georgia, it’s normal to see condensation pooling by the condenser unit because it’s working extremely hard to cool your house down—especially if you keep your thermostat set lower than normal or if it’s an extremely hot day.
When Is AC Water Leakage Too Much?
As a rule of thumb, your air conditioner should leak condensation only while it’s running. If a puddle of condensation pools under your compressor, it should dry up after a hot day. If you notice the unit has been leaking for a full day or longer or you notice the puddle of water is consistently getting bigger, it’s probably wise to call Conditioned Air to inspect your AC unit for problems.
Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking Water?
Many factors could play a role in why your air conditioner is leaking water either inside the home or out. These include:
- A Dirty Air Filter: If your air conditioner filter becomes clogged or even partially blocked, it can cause the unit’s evaporator coils to freeze, which causes extra water to overflow from the drainage pan.
- Faulty Condensate Pan: Your air conditioner will leak if the pan that’s designed to hold water breaks down due to age or corrosion.
- Blocked Drain pipe: Normal air conditioner function involves water funneling through a series of drainpipes before disappearing down the drain. If any of these drainpipes are blocked, it could cause water leakage.
- Faulty Installation: If your air conditioner is brand new and is experiencing a leaking problem, chances are it is improperly sized for your home or was installed incorrectly.
- Cool Outdoor Temperatures: If you try to cool your home when the outside temperature is below 60 degrees, the coils may freeze up and cause water leakage.
- Low Refrigerant Level: When the refrigerant level for your AC is too low, it causes the unit to lose pressure. This can cause freezing coils, which may overflow the drain pan when it melts.
Hopefully, you gained some valuable knowledge from this post. If you have any further questions or would like to have one of our technicians come out and give you a free quote, please feel free to contact us at (305) 967-4684 or visit our website https://AirNewSolutions.com
