When your air conditioner is working properly, your home will be cool and dry. A leaking air conditioner is annoying but isn’t necessarily dangerous. It depends on whether it’s leaking water or coolant.
Water leaking from your air conditioner isn’t dangerous but can cause a lot of damage to your house. On the other hand, a coolant leak is harmful to you and the environment. In either case, repairing a leak will require professional air conditioning repair.
In most instances, you can prevent your air conditioner from leaking by scheduling annual 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 may even boost energy efficiency.
Learn more about why your air conditioner is leaking and how you can prevent it from happening in the future.
Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking Water?
Water is a natural result of the cooling process. Your air conditioner has two systems, one outside and one inside. The indoor unit includes an evaporator coil that cools warm air as it moves over it. Condensation occurs as the air cools, flows into a drain pan and goes out of your house through a condensate drain line.
Due to the condensation process, having water back up is a common problem. We often receive calls about an air conditioner leaking water inside or an air conditioner leaking water outside. Here’s why it occurs:
Drain Line Is Plugged
Over time, mold can block the condensate drain line. This can result in water backing up inside your house. Our Street Heating and Cooling professionals can break up clogs and get water draining again smoothly. Give us a call at 605-206-3915 for assistance.
Air Filter Needs to Be Changed
We recommend replace flat filters once a month and pleated filters every three months.
Replacing your air filter is crucial for:
- Indoor air quality
- Energy efficiency
- Decreasing breakdowns
- Extending your air conditioner’s life span
A dirty air filter can restrict airflow, make the coil extremely cold and freeze it. As the coil melts, it can overwhelm the drain pan. We recommend inspecting your air filter if you haven’t changed it lately and your air conditioner is leaking water indoors.
If this doesn’t fix the issue, 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 605-206-3915 for assistance.
Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking Freon?
Your air conditioner uses coolant to transfer heat. If your air conditioner was put in before 2011, it likely uses R-22 Freon. Over time, chemicals in Freon can eat through metal and create leaks.
It’s good to know about air conditioner Freon leak symptoms in the event your system has one. They include:
- Air that feels hotter or more humid than normal
- Bubbling or hissing noises near the air conditioner
- Sweet odor near the air conditioner
- Frozen evaporator coil
Freon is hazardous to your health if handled improperly, so you’ll need an HVAC professional like Street Heating and Cooling to fix an air conditioner coolant leak. In most situations, it might just be better to request air conditioning installation since Freon is expensive. Production of this coolant was halted in 2020 because of its harmful effects on the ozone layer. As a result, only reduced recycled quantities are available.
Rely on Street Heating and Cooling for Repairing Your Air Conditioner Leaks
When it comes to air conditioning repair in Rapid City, go with the company your neighbors and friends trust. We’ve been known for our quick, friendly and reasonable services since 1954. Contact us at 605-206-3915 to schedule your appointment now!