There is nothing more irritating than noticing water on your floors and wondering why your AC is leaking water.
It can be difficult to find out why your air conditioner is leaking water at times because there are many different reasons why it might happen, but no need to fear as we will go through some of the most common ones below.
12 reasons why my AC is leaking water
The Drain Line is blocked
If the AC’s drain line is clogged, your unit will not be able to discharge water and it can cause overflow.
What you want to do is inspect your drain line and make sure there are no blockages. If there are, clear them and see how it goes.
The Thermostat is Faulty
If the thermostat has gone bad, your AC system will continue to condensate water and it can often cause an overflow.
One of the first things that you want to do is check your thermostat and see if anything looks unusual or out of place.
The Refrigerant levels are Too High
If there is a large amount of refrigerant in your air conditioner, it can cause water to condensate and drip from the AC unit.
One of the first things that you want to do is have your AC inspected by a professional.
The Drain Valve has Leaked
If any part of your AC drain valve leaks, it could cause water to build up around your AC unit, which would then lead to an overflow.
Not sure if your drain valve is leaking? You can check by filling up a container with water and putting it underneath whatever the unit drains into.
If there is a leak, you should be able to see if there is water on your flooring near your air conditioner.
The Drain Pipe has a Leak
If the AC drain pipe is leaking, that can cause water to build up around your AC unit, which then leads to an overflow.
You might notice this when you look at the floor near where your unit drains because there could be puddles of water building up. One of the first things that you want to do is check for leaks in the drain line and make sure everything looks okay.
Poor or Missing Condensate Containment Tray
A condensate containment tray is meant to hold all excess condensation from your AC unit so it doesn’t drip onto your flooring below.
If it’s missing, broken, or poor, then the excess water will just drip on to your flooring. You will be able to know if you have one installed because it should be visible on your AC unit itself.
Wet Coil Frozen or Seems Wet
If the coil on your AC unit is wet, frozen, or seems very damp then that can cause water to build up around your air conditioner which will lead to an overflow.
One of the first things that you want to do is inspect the coils of your air conditioner and make sure they are dry and clean as a whistle.
The Air Filter has become Dried Out from Overuse
An air filter is meant to soak up excess moisture from the inside of your home so it doesn’t get too humid, but if it is never changed or used, it will lose its ability to soak up excess water and you will end up with an overflow.
A thing to do is inspect your air filter and change it out if necessary.
The Refrigerant Leak has caused Water Contamination
If there is a refrigerant leak on your AC, then that can cause water contamination which then leads to an overflow into your home.
What you want to do if this happens is have your air conditioner repaired so the refrigerant leak stops affecting other parts of your home.
No Evaporator Drain Tube is Installed
No evaporator drain tube installed can lead to overflow just as easily. You might not even notice this unless you look closely on the outside of your air conditioner.
A Frozen Evaporator Coil
An evaporator coil freezing over can cause water buildup around your air conditioner. You might notice this if there are icicles/frost on or near your AC unit or if ice builds up when you turn on the outside faucet in cold weather, for example.
One of the first things that you will want to do is drain any excess water out of the evaporator coil so it doesn’t freeze. If this problem continues after draining, then you might have a refrigerant leak.
There is unfortunately no way around the blockage and the only solution would be to replace your AC unit, or find an alternative.
The Outdoor Faucet has Leaked
An outdoor faucet leaking can also cause water build up around your air conditioner.
You might not even notice this until you see puddles of water surrounding your AC unit, or freezing over if it’s winter time.
One of the first things that you need to do with this type of problem is inspect your faucet and turn it off if you think that might be the problem.
Can I still use my AC if it’s leaking water?
Yes, you still can use your air conditioner even if it is leaking water. But the consequences will just be worse for your home or building.
Not only can your floors get ruined, but it can cause excess water damage (very expensive!) on the inside of your home, especially in your wall’s interiors.
Therefore it’s very important to get your leaking AC fixed right away!
In Conclusion
Fixing why your AC unit that’s leaking water may not be easy, but at least now I have given you some excellent tips that you might not have known before.
I hope that this article has answered the question of why your AC is dripping water, and I would like to thank you for reading my blog post!
