Possible Reasons For AC Leaking Water Outside

Let’s clear the air on water leaking from ACs in your Bay Area home or business. No, those tiny drops of water on the outer surface of your AC equipment do not indicate that it is faulty. Moreover, you should not delay in calling an AC repair professional if the slight condensation escalates into a constant leakage.

What are the possible reasons for AC leaking water outside? Let’s have a look.

What Causes the AC Condensation?

The AC equipment has a cooling evaporator coil (refrigerant) inside it. An internal air-pull system within the AC causes the hot air inside the room to flow on the evaporator coil. This flow results in cool air, and a slight amount of condensation. This condensation shows up as tiny droplets on the surface of the AC.

The AC has a strong outward flow mechanism that distributes this cool air inside the room. The condensation drips down the drain line and outside the home. The level of condensation depends on the degree of cooling specified by the thermostat temperature. Based on this, a faulty AC drips water and at the same time generates insufficient cooling.

Drain Line Issues

Clogging in the condensate drain line is the usual reason for heavy water leakage. The blockage generally occurs due to the accumulation of dust, or debris in the lines. Sometimes, the blockage may also be due to the result of algae build-up. A professional service utilizes advanced vacuuming equipment to clear the line and restore normalcy to the AC.

Once in a while, the clogging may be associated with the disconnection of the drain line. The disconnection can also be a one-off incident without clogging. Re-connecting it solves the problem immediately.

Drain Pan Issues

Some of the advanced AC equipment have a condensate pump to force out the water outside. The pump can damage over continuous usage causing an accumulation of excess water in the drain pan. This water may overflow, which looks like a leakage.

Drain pan issues are fairly common in older machines. These pans are located beneath the evaporation lines, collecting the water that drips out naturally. In relation to this, prolonged use of the AC causes the pans to develop rust and break down. Professional inspection reveals the reason and you can easily replace the pan.

Refrigerant Issues

The refrigerant in the evaporation lines gets depleted over years of using it. Lower levels of refrigerant mean the evaporation lines have to work overtime to cause the same amount of cooling. Such overtimes eventually lead to the refrigerant gel freezing over. If you hear a hissing or bubbling noise coming from the AC, this is possibly the reason.

Frozen refrigerant levels cause a higher amount of condensation resulting in water leak issues. Also, the frozen refrigerant may start to melt rapidly causing a leak-like situation. Refrigerant issues can also occur if you are running the AC even when the outside temperature is below 60 degrees.

Air Filter Issues

Dirty air filters obstruct the airflow over condensation coils. Irregular air flow affects the refrigerant function. As a result, sometimes you may notice a higher-than-usual condensation level.

The bottom line is, you should not neglect the water leakage problem in your AC. Timely repair can save you hundreds of dollars, and possibly protect you from the costs of replacing the entire equipment earlier than you should. Besides, a dripping AC won’t cool as efficiently, causing you discomfort during summer months when you need it the most.