When your air conditioner is running properly, your house will be cool and dry. A leaking air conditioner is annoying but isn’t necessarily harmful. It depends on whether it’s leaking water or refrigerant.
Water leaking from your air conditioner isn’t bad but can cause a lot of damage to your house. On the other hand, a coolant leak is dangerous for you and the environment. In either case, fixing a leak will require professional air conditioning repair.
In most instances, you can stop your air conditioner from leaking by requesting yearly air conditioning maintenance. During your appointment, an HVAC tech will closely check your system for issues and clean it. This service helps ensure worry-free performance and may even improve energy efficiency.
Find out why your air conditioner is leaking and how you can stop it from happening in the future.
Why Does My AC Unit Leak Water?
Water is a natural result of air conditioning. Your air conditioner has two systems, one outside and one inside. The indoor unit has an evaporator coil that cools warm air as it moves over it. Condensation occurs as the air cools, drips into a drain pan and goes out of your home through a condensate drain line.
Due to the condensation process, having water leak is a common problem. We often get calls about an air conditioner leaking water inside or an air conditioner leaking water outside. Here’s why it occurs:
Drain Line Is Plugged
As time passes, mold can clog the condensate drain line. This can lead to water leaking inside your house. Our Tri City Fuel & Heating pros can break up clogs and get water draining again smoothly. Give us a call at 803-265-4208 for help.
Air Filter Is Dirty
We recommend replace flat filters once a month and pleated filters every three months.
Replacing your air filter is crucial for:
- Indoor air quality
- Energy efficiency
- Decreasing breakdowns
- Extending your air conditioner’s lifetime
A dirty air filter can restrict airflow, make the coil very cold and cause it to freeze. As the coil melts, it can overwhelm the drain pan. We suggest inspecting your air filter if you haven’t replaced it lately and your air conditioner is leaking water indoors.
If this doesn’t fix the problem, your drain pan may be rusty or have a malfunctioning condensate pump. Getting a new pan or pump requires a professional, so call us at 803-265-4208 for assistance.
Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking Freon?
Your air conditioner uses coolant to transfer heat. If your air conditioner was put in before 2011, it probably has R-22 Freon. As time passes, chemicals in Freon can eat through metal and create leaks.
It’s good to know about air conditioner Freon leak symptoms in case your system develops one. They include:
- Air that feels warmer or more humid than usual
- Bubbling or hissing noises near the air conditioner
- Sweet odor near the air conditioner
- Frozen evaporator coil
Freon is bad for your health if handled improperly, so you’ll need an HVAC pro like Tri City Fuel & Heating to repair an air conditioner coolant leak. In many instances, it might just be better to schedule air conditioning installation since Freon is expensive. Production of this coolant was stopped in 2020 due to its damaging effects on the ozone layer. As a result, just reduced recycled quantities are available.
Rely on Tri City Fuel & Heating for Fixing Your Leaky Air Conditioner
When it comes to air conditioning repair in West Columbia, go with the company your neighbors and friends trust. We’ve been known for our fast, friendly and reasonable services since year. Contact us at 803-265-4208 to request your appointment now!