Unless you find yourself lost in a desert on a hot summer’s day, dripping water is never a sign of anything good, especially in your home. Whether it’s fixing leaky faucets or keeping up with air conditioning maintenance, avoiding ‘the drips’ or taking care of them immediately upon notice is important to a healthy home environment.
That said, here are three possible reasons your air conditioner could drip water.
The AC’s Condensate Drain Line is Clogged
If you look around close to your air conditioner’s exterior unit, you’ll notice a small drainage line on the outside wall of your home. This is the condensate drain. The condensate drain removes the condensation that your air conditioner’s evaporator coil produces as the HVAC system cools your home. Without proper cleaning, mold and algae can grow inside the drain line and clog it. As a result, your home’s humidity levels will increase as will the risk of water damage.
Unfortunately, many homeowners overlook this drain line and problems arise because of it. A homeowner should check to make sure the line is dripping consistently when the AC is on. If it isn’t, an AC service technician will help determine if there’s an issue and remedy it before you’re drowning in major repairs.
The AC’s Evaporator Coil is Frozen
As previously stated, your air conditioner’s evaporator coil produces condensation as the HVAC system cools your home. In some instances, though, the evaporator coil might freeze before condensation even becomes possible. If this is the case, you’ll find water dripping from your air conditioner and the copper coils encased in ice.
Before contacting a professional for an AC service call , turn off your HVAC system immediately if you see the warning signs and suspect a frozen evaporator coil. Operating your air conditioner any longer may damage the compressor – a more expensive repair.
An Issue With the AC’s Installation
One problem that air conditioning maintenance can’t help avoid is a faulty AC installation. When purchasing a new air conditioner, research a few HVAC companies in Lorton, Virginia, to ensure you not only receive courteous customer service but also high quality work from certified technicians.
As much as you might want to investigate and fix that dripping issue yourself, it’s usually best to leave it to the HVAC professionals. For more information about how one can help you keep ‘the drips’ in check, call Commonwealth Cooling & Heating at (703) 436-8028.
