Us: Well, you know, your air conditioner doesn’t actually use water when it cools your home. There is no supply line that brings it to the AC, either, nor is there a tank that holds—
Worried customer: You callin’ me a liar!?
Us: No, not at all. It’s very possible that there is water coming from your AC, it’s just that—
Worried customer: But you just said it doesn’t use water. Are you a liar!?
But the HVAC professionals on the Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. team are not liars, nor are they accusing this worried homeowner of lying. They just wanted to help—and they still do. So read on, and learn more about why you may notice water leaking from your air conditioning in Aztec, NM.
Where the Heck Is This Water Coming From, Then?
If your air conditioner doesn’t use water, and it doesn’t store water, then how can it leak water? Well, it can, but it may not really be a leak in the way that you’re thinking of. First of all, you need to remember that your air conditioner, while not a dehumidifier, does dehumidify the air somewhat as it operates. This leads to the condensation of moisture on the evaporator coil, where refrigerant evaporates in order to remove heat from the air. That moisture has to wind up somewhere, and in some cases that may mean all over your floor!
But Why Would That Happen?
Your air conditioner is designed to deal with this water. It is not an unexpected side effect by any means. That is why your AC has a condensate drain pan and drain line. This is where the problem often lies.
If your drain pan is rusted out or if it is not aligned properly in your AC system, then you can expect to see a puddle of water around the indoor unit. Realigning or replacing the pan may be all that is necessary to fix this problem. You may also need to clean out the condensate drain line if it is clogged up, or replace it if this is the source of the leak. Unfortunately, there is a chance for more serious problems.
Melting Ice
No, your air conditioner is no more a freezer than it is a dehumidifier. It can freeze condensation on the evaporator coil in some instances, though. Take, for instance, a very dirty air filter.
If the filter is so dirty that it is really restricting airflow, then you can expect condensation to freeze on the coil as it gets too cold due to that decreased airflow. That’s not a huge deal, as you can just change the filter to resolve the problem.
A refrigerant leak can have the same effect, though, with ice developing and then melting off and overwhelming the drain. If your filter is not obviously dirty and your pan/line seem fine, or if you are not really comfortable in checking these components on your own, contact us right away. You seriously don’t want to risk running a system that is low on refrigerant.
Don’t waste your time with the run-around. Give us a call and let us do it right the first time! Contact Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. today.