What To Do When Water Leaks from your A/C
Over a hot Kansas summer, your ac system is working day and night to keep your whole house cool. A well-maintained system that isn’t 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 out your air conditioning system is 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’re 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 in your basement?
If the water leak is leaving a puddle in your basement, it is likely coming from your HVAC system. But it isn’t your furnace that has a problem. 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 A/C.
Do you Need to Call A Plumber 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 an professional technician. Here at Standard Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning, we both experienced plumbers and HVAC technicians. We are licensed contractors and hold licenses for both master plumber and master mechanical for Manhattan, Wamego and Junction City. While there are many great Manhattan plumbing companies and also great local HVAC companies, being a business that specializes in both plumbing and heating & cooling systems mean we are absolutely your experts to get your problem fixed.
Understanding Why Water is Leaking from your AC
You need to first realize that your air conditioning system 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 AC system. 
All that water gathers into a drain pan then goes down a drain line.
Water Dripping from AC: 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 A/C could happen due to a few different reasons. Many of them do require a professional HVAC company to fix. Some can be attempted by homeowners who feel confident in their home repair skills.
If you try some of the basic troubleshooting steps and they don’t solve the leak, contact us at Standard and we will come out to determine the cause of the problem and get it fixed.
- 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’s ahead of your typical filter change schedule.
- A Broken Condensate Pump (Possible DIY Troubleshooting)
An air conditioning system with a unit in the basement often has a condensate pump. It works to direct water created by the AC 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’s 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.
- Clogged Condensate Drain Line (Call a Pro)
A problem with your 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 HVAC technicians have specific tools designed to fully clear out whatever is blocking an air conditioner’s condensate drain line.
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- Damaged Drain Pan (Call a Pro)
One reason for a leaking AC 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.
- 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. Call us at (785) 776-5012 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.
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How to Prevent an AC 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.
Request service from our team at Standard Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning for the maintenance you need on your air conditioning and furnace tune-ups. We provide a VIP preventative maintenance program for customers to have us handle all their HVAC maintenance and tune-ups throughout the year. It’s a membership program that allows Standard to take the worry and the work off your hands of making sure your home’s comfort system is working properly and efficiently.
