Water leaking from your air conditioner is more than an annoyance. It can cause serious problems, from water staining to entire sections of ceiling falling onto the floor below. If you notice water leaking from your air conditioner, it’s important to contact a professional, like the technicians at MTB Mechanical, who can access the problem and get it corrected before a major incident occurs.
Most A/C leaks come from the condensate drain pan located in your evaporator coil. Water that condenses on the coils falls into this pan and is drained by the condensate line to eliminate overflow. Problems occur when the drain line becomes clogged, preventing water from leaving the pan. When this happens, water overflows into the air handler and onto the emergency drain pan.
It is bad enough when this water flows onto a floor, but if that floor is located on the second story of your home you then have to worry about staining on your ceiling or worse — chunks of soaked sheetrock falling.
Another common cause of an overflowing drain pan is when the evaporator coil freezes over and then defrosts quickly, sending large amounts of water into the drain pan at a rate that is too overwhelming for the drain line to accommodate.
Refrigerant goes through several stages during the cooling process. Your compressor, which is located in your outdoor unit, accepts refrigerant from the evaporator coil and then heats it up to a high pressure and high-temperature gas. This gas moves through the condenser coils and dissipates its heat into the outside air. The now condensed and cool refrigerant travels to the evaporator where it cools the air. This cool air is then circulated through your home. It is during this stage that water in the air condenses on the coils and then drips into the pan.
While calling an MTB technician is necessary to repair an active leak, both of the main causes of these air conditioner moisture leaks can be prevented with regular maintenance. By making sure your system receives one heating and one cooling inspection each year, you’ll stop problems before they start and have a more efficient system.
For additional protection against a leaky A/C, your technician can install an EZ Trap. This helpful product acts as a safety switch, turning the air conditioner off if water begins to build up. Save now with a special discount on EZ Trap.
Whether you have an immediate problem that needs to be addressed by a technician or it’s time for routine maintenance, request an appointment online with MTB Mechanical or give us a call at (704) 459-4066 .
