When your air conditioner is working properly, your home 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 dangerous but can cause a lot of damage to your house. In contrast, a coolant leak is harmful to you and the environment. In either case, repairing a leak will require skilled air conditioning repair.
In most cases, you can stop your air conditioner from leaking by scheduling yearly air conditioning maintenance. During your appointment, an HVAC tech will closely check your system for problems and clean it. This service helps ensure worry-free performance and might even improve energy efficiency.
Learn more about why your air conditioner is leaking and how you can stop it from happening in the future.
Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking Water?
Water is a natural byproduct of air conditioning. Your air conditioner has two units, one outside and one inside. The indoor unit has an evaporator coil that cools warm air as it moves over it. Condensation forms as the air cools, drips into a drain pan and goes out of your home through a condensate drain line.
Because of the condensation process, having water leak is a common problem. We regularly receive calls about an air conditioner leaking water inside or an air conditioner leaking water outside. Here’s why it happens:
Drain Line Is Plugged
As time passes, mold can clog the condensate drain line. This can result in water backing up inside your house. Our Dave's Diversified Services pros can break up clogs and get water draining again smoothly. Reach us at 540-636-3396 for help.
Air Filter Needs to Be Changed
We recommend changing flat filters once a month and pleated filters every three months.
Replacing your air filter is crucial for:
- Indoor air quality
- Energy efficiency
- Reducing breakdowns
- Lengthening your air conditioner’s life span
A dirty air filter can restrict airflow, make the coil very cold and freeze it. As the coil melts, it can overwhelm the drain pan. We suggest checking your air filter if you haven’t changed it lately and your air conditioner is leaking water indoors.
If this doesn’t fix the problem, your drain pan might be rusty or have a broken condensate pump. Getting a new pan or pump requires a professional, so contact us at 540-636-3396 for help.
Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking Freon?
Your air conditioner uses coolant to move heat. If your air conditioner was put in before 2011, it probably uses R-22 Freon. Over time, chemicals in Freon can eat away at metal and cause leaks.
It’s important to know about air conditioner Freon leak symptoms in the event your system develops one. They include:
- Air that seems hotter or more humid than normal
- Bubbling or hissing sounds by the air conditioner
- Sweet smell near the air conditioner
- Frozen evaporator coil
Freon is hazardous to your health if handled improperly, so you’ll want an HVAC pro like Dave's Diversified Services to fix an air conditioner coolant leak. In most situations, it might just be better to schedule air conditioning installation since Freon is costly. Production of this coolant was halted in 2020 because of its damaging effects on the ozone layer. As a result, just limited recycled quantities are available.
Rely on Dave's Diversified Services for Fixing Your Air Conditioner Leaks
When it comes to air conditioning repair in Front Royal, turn to the company your neighbors and friends trust. We’ve been known for our fast, friendly and reasonable services since 1999. Call us at 540-636-3396 to request your appointment today!