When your air conditioner is working properly, your house 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. In contrast, a coolant leak is harmful to you and the environment. In either situation, repairing a leak will require professional air conditioning repair.
In most cases, you can prevent your air conditioner from leaking by requesting annual air conditioning maintenance. During your appointment, an HVAC tech will closely check your system for problems and clean it. This service helps provide worry-free performance and may even boost energy efficiency.
Find out 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 the cooling process. Your air conditioner has two units, one outside and one inside. The indoor unit includes an evaporator coil that cools warm air as it blows over it. Condensation forms as the air cools, flows into a drain pan and drains out of your home through a condensate drain line.
Because of the condensation process, having water leak is a common problem. We often get calls about an air conditioner leaking water inside or an air conditioner leaking water outside. Here’s why it occurs:
Drain Line Is Clogged
As time passes, mold can block the condensate drain line. This can result in water backing up inside your home. Our Street Heating and Cooling pros can eliminate clogs and get water draining again smoothly. Reach us at 605-206-3915 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 critical for:
- Indoor air quality
- Energy efficiency
- Reducing breakdowns
- Extending your air conditioner’s lifetime
A dirty air filter can reduce airflow, make the coil very cold and freeze it. As the coil defrosts, it can make the drain pan overflow. We suggest 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 problem, your drain pan may be rusty or have a malfunctioning condensate pump. Replacing your pan or pump requires a pro, so contact us at 605-206-3915 for help.
Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking Freon?
Your air conditioner uses coolant to move heat. If your air conditioner was installed before 2011, it likely uses R-22 Freon. As time passes, chemicals in Freon can eat away at metal and cause leaks.
It’s good to know about air conditioner Freon leak symptoms in case your system has one. They include:
- Air that seems hotter or more humid than usual
- Bubbling or hissing sounds near the air conditioner
- Sweet smell by the air conditioner
- Frozen evaporator coil
Freon is bad for your health if handled improperly, so you’ll want an HVAC pro like Street Heating and Cooling to fix an air conditioner coolant leak. In many instances, it might just be better to request air conditioning installation since Freon is expensive. Production of this coolant was halted in 2020 due to its harmful effects on the ozone layer. As a result, only reduced recycled quantities are available.
Trust Street Heating and Cooling for Fixing Your Air Conditioner Leaks
When it comes to air conditioning repair in Rapid City, turn to the company your neighbors and friends depend on. We’ve been known for our fast, friendly and reasonable services since {year}. Call us at 605-206-3915 to schedule your appointment now!