Is Your Air Conditioner Leaky? 5 Possible Reasons Why

Believe it or not, you’ll soon be relying on your air conditioner to keep you comfortable inside your New Jersey home – and as anyone who has owned an air conditioner can attest, A/Cs can encounter their share of problems over the course of a cooling season. One of those problems is leaking water, which can be caused by several factors.

Why does water form in my air conditioner?

Water forms inside your air conditioner near the evaporator coil, which cools the warm air blown over it. When it does, condensation (moisture) forms on the coil, just like how water droplets form on a cold glass of water on a hot day. That moisture then drips into a drain pan and down a condensate drain line – usually a PVC pipe that leads out your home.

Keeping that in mind, here are five possible causes for excess water leakage from your A/C, which can enter your home and potentially cause damage.

5 causes of a leaky A/C unit:

1. A clogged condensate drain line – A clogged condensate drain line is the most common cause of water leaking from your AC into your home. If the drain line gets clogged with debris, that water will back up into your home. To clear it, you can try using a wet/dry vac – or call an air conditioning repair specialist to clear the blocked material out.
2. A damaged drain pain – If your air conditioner is getting on in years, the drain pan may be damaged or corroded, causing water to fall through it. In that case, you’ll need to replace the pan.
3. A broken condensate pump – If your A/C installed in a basement, it has a condensate pump to pump water outside. If that pump is broken, water will build up; you will need to repair or replace the pump.
4. A dirty air filter – A dirty air filter blocks airflow over the evaporator coil. When that happens, the evaporator coil gets too cold and freezes. When it melts, it drips excess water. Check your air filter once a month during the cooling months, changing it when needed.
5. Low refrigerant – Low refrigerant will also cause the evaporator coil to freeze over, causing a similar problem as a dirty air filter. Look for the telltale signs of low refrigerant, which include warm air coming from the vents, frozen pipes, and a hissing or bubbling noise coming from the A/C. Depending on the severity of the refrigerant leak you’ll either repair the leak or replace the whole AC unit.

If you need an air conditioner maintenance in northeastern NJ this spring or early summer, trust the pros at JW Pierson. Contact us today to learn more.

Please note: Once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, we expect a surge in cooling system service and installation calls that could back up technicians for weeks. Lock in an appointment time now so you’ll be early on the list. And remember: at JW Pierson, your safety and comfort are always our priority. Please see our COVID-19 Service Update Page to learn more about how we are working to keep your family and our crews safe and your heating oil deliveries coming as we navigate this challenging time.