My AC is Leaking Water

Troubleshooting Steps When Your Air Conditioner Leaks

Over our Corpus Christi summers, your air conditioner is working day and night to keep your whole house cool. A well-maintained system that is not too old should be able to keep up with the demand to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. But problems still can happen.

Often people find out their air conditioner is broken or has problems by their home getting hot. But sometimes the sign of a problem comes in the form of a water leak.

Finding your AC leaking water can be a problem in a few different ways. Not only that, the leaking water may be causing damage to your home.  Whatever is causing the leak is often a problem that, if left unhandled, will cause whatever problem you have to become worse.

How do you know if you are dealing with a leak caused by your HVAC system? Usually the place where you notice the water pooling or dripping from is a good indicator.

Do you have a water puddle on your floor near the A/C closet?
If the water leak is leaving a puddle on your floor, it is likely coming from your HVAC system. That water is probably coming from the indoor unit of your home’s cooling system.

Is water dripping from a ceiling below your attic?
Are you seeing drips come down from your ceiling? If this is occurring right below your attic where your HVAC system is located, then it could be coming from your AC.

Do you Need to Call an Air Conditioner Repair Company Right Away?

Not necessarily. While many problems that may cause an AC to leak do need to be handled by a professional, the problem may be something relatively simple to fix on your own.

If you feel capable of handling some level of basic HVAC repair, you can troubleshoot some of the possible problems causing your leak.

If you are not able to fix the problem yourself, you will need to call a professional air conditioner technician. Here at Tiger Heating and Air, we have experienced air conditioning technicians who can handle repairs on any type or model of cooling system. Call us anytime for quick service at (361) 852-4450. We are even available for 24/7 emergency air conditioner service.  

Understanding Why Water is Leaking from Your Air Conditioner

You need to first realize that your air conditioner naturally is creating water. How? As it works hard to cool and dehumidify your entire house, moisture is pulled from the air and collects inside the air conditioner system. All that water gathers into a drain pan then goes down a drain line.

Water Dripping from A/C: 5 Likely Reasons

Before anyone can fix the cause of this leak, we need to determine what exactly is causing it. Water dripping from your air conditioner could happen due to a few different reasons. Many of them do require a professional air conditioner repair company to fix. Some can be attempted by homeowners who feel confident in doing some more complicated home repair tasks.

If you try some of the basic troubleshooting steps and they don’t solve the leak, schedule a service call with Tiger and we will come out to determine the cause of the problem and get it fixed.

1. Dirty Air Filter (DIY Troubleshooting)
   This is a step you can (and should) attempt to handle yourself. You just need to replace your air filter. You may be finding that you are not replacing your air filter as often as you need to. You should be checking your filter every month and examining it. Change it out when it appears dirty, even if it is ahead of your typical filter change schedule.
2. A Broken Condensate Pump (Possible DIY Troubleshooting)
   An air conditioning system sometimes has a condensate pump. It works to direct water created by the air conditioner to a floor drain or sink. A condensate pump can break and therefore prevent water from getting pumped out of your house.

   This is a problem some homeowners may want to try to troubleshoot themselves. To do so, disconnect the drain line and empty out all the water. Remove the check valve. Plug the pump back in to see if it is working. If it is still not working, you can try purchasing a replacement condensate pump. If replacing it also doesn’t solve the problem, then the issue may be a dirty check valve. You can try to clean it or replace it.

3. Clogged Condensate Drain Line (Call a Pro)
   A problem with your air conditioner’s condensate drain line is probably not something for you to fix this yourself. There are ways to try to tackle this clog with a wet/dry vac, but professional air conditioner technicians have specific tools designed to fully clear out whatever is blocking an air conditioner’s condensate drain line.
   
   
4. Damaged Drain Pan (Call a Pro)
   One reason for a leaking air conditioner is because the drain pan has become rusted or damaged. Some AC units allow for the drain pain to be replaced. Whatever the case, this is a repair that is best left to a professional because a drain pan is typically too hard to access.
   
   
5. Refrigerant is Low (Call a Pro)
   An air conditioner that is running low on refrigerant can cause several problems. Low refrigerant can cause the evaporator coil to freeze. This can lead to eventual melting, overflowing the drain pan and creating a puddle.

    

Professional Corpus Christi Air Conditioner Repair 

Call Tiger Heating & Air in Corpus Christi at (361) 852-4450 and we will come out and check your system. If we see that your system is low on refrigerant, we will replace all that is needed.

How to Prevent an A/C Leak

The good news is that an air conditioning leak can be prevented. Regular maintenance work done on your cooling system should reveal signs of problems early on. Catching issues early can prevent your system from breaking down or causing problems like water leaks to your home.

Call on Tiger Heating & Air for the maintenance you need on your air conditioning system.