Air Conditioner Condensation: Should I Be Worried?

Air Conditioner Condensation: Should I Be Worried?Your air conditioner or heat pump works up quite a sweat in the form of condensation to keep your Yuma home cool. It’s supposed to, but it’s not supposed to leak water inside your home. Before you start worrying about high repair bill, turn off your A/C and read the following tips to see if you can troubleshoot the problem or if you need to call in an HVAC professional.

Constant Condensate

To better understand your HVAC condensation problem, it helps to know a little about the cooling process.

  • Warm return airflow is pulled across the cold evaporator coil at the indoor air handler (where you see the water leak).
  • Moisture in the warm return air condenses on the cold coil, much like condensate forms on a cool glass of water on a warm day.
  • The condensate drips from the coil into a pan and is supposed to flow outside your home or to a drain.
  • When your A/C or heat pump is cooling, you can expect condensation to continuously form on the coil.

Troubleshooting Condensation Problems

After you’ve turned off your HVAC system, open up the panel to the indoor air handler to access the evaporator coil and drip pan. There may be a secondary drip pan full of water, too.

  • Use a cup to scoop out water from the pan.
  • Look to see if the entry to the drain tube is blocked.
  • If the obstruction is farther down the drain line, call your HVAC technician.

Another problem that needs to be addressed by your HVAC technician is a broken float switch or fractured drip pan. The float switch is supposed to turn off the A/C in the event of a clog that causes condensate to overflow the pan. Your technician should install a float switch in the pan or the drain line, and thoroughly clean the system.

If the drip pan is cracked or rusted through, that explains the water on your floor, too. Your technician will need to replace the part.

If you need assistance with HVAC condensation problems, please contact Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 928-723-3183.

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