If you’ve noticed water or moisture in your home, you may be wondering if it has something to do with the air conditioning unit. If so, there are a number of things that could be going wrong with the unit. Here are 5 reasons why you might have an aircon water leak!
1. Clogged Drain Tubes
One of the most common causes of AC leaks is clogged drain tubes. The unit may not be able to get rid of excess water, which can then accumulate and leak into your home or office. Two things that commonly cause clogs are insects and debris that gets caught in the drain holes, preventing water from getting out. This is especially true if you have a swamp cooler (also known as an evaporative air conditioner).
Insects like mosquitos tend to breed near standing water, so it’s important to keep your air conditioner clean throughout the year by checking at least once a month for any blockage in the drains. Debris like dirt and hair get drawn into your unit through a typical filter, which can then clog the drains. You’ll need to check your owner’s manual to find out how often you should clean your drain tubes and filters.
2. Missing Drain Pan Gasket
Another common cause of aircon water leak is a missing pan gasket. If there isn’t already a seal between your unit and its base, which means it will be leaking into the floor or ground under the unit as well as inside your home/office! This tends to happen when someone removes screws from the bottom of the air conditioner (at least one on each side) in order to tilt it back for easier access; they forget or don’t bother re-attaching the bottom after completing their work.
3. Condensate Drain Line is clogged
If your condensate drain line becomes clogged, the water will back up into the unit and cause it to leak. This happens when the line gets blocked by dirt, algae, or other debris; it can also happen if the tubing isn’t properly installed in the first place. You can check to see if the drain line is clogged by pouring a bucket of water over it; if it doesn’t drain out quickly, you know there’s a problem that will need to be fixed.
4. Frozen Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil is responsible for cooling the air as it passes over it, and if it freezes, it will crack and cause leaks. This can happen if your AC unit isn’t used often, but the problem is also exacerbated by low-quality cooling systems that don’t have enough insulation to keep them working at optimal levels even in temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Failed Drain Valve
If your drain valve fails, you’ll find water leaking out of the bottom of your air conditioning unit; this happens when the valve itself fails or when it’s CRP (clean removal port) gets clogged. The CRP should allow water to flow freely through it when open; however, sometimes algae or dirt can get in there and block it up over time. If you clean out the CRP (check your owner’s manual for instructions) and the problem continues, you’ll need to replace the drain valve.
Check https://www.airconservicing.org/ for more information on aircon water leaks.