Did your AC just cut off? Is the system not working at all? Have you looked at the air conditioner’s drain pan?
Is it full of water?
This may be the root of your problem. Here in the upstate of South Carolina we have high humidity levels, and this summer has been a hot one. This is when we tend to see problems like this arise. There are several issues that might cause the water to fill in your pan. Regardless which one, it should be addressed as quickly as possible. So, if you see water building up in your air conditioner, you should give us a call as soon as possible for a quick and efficient AC repair that will get you back up and running with AC and keep you from having a potential disaster with water leakage. The following are some of the main culprits to causing these issues.
The Evaporator Coil Is Frozen – A frozen evaporator coil can lead to dripping water that will leave signs of moisture in your drain pan. The evaporator coil is most likely to freeze if your refrigerant levels are low or you have very dirty filters. If you’re dealing with low refrigerant levels, this often indicates a refrigerant leak somewhere in the system. We can help you get to the bottom of this issue by identifying leaks and repairing your system by doing a leak and pressure test. Once it is no longer leaking, we’ll recharging your refrigerant.
Your Condensate Line/Pipe is Clogged – A clogged condensate line/pipe is the most common cause of standing water in the drain pan. As air passes over the evaporator coils in your air conditioner, it cools down and loses some of its humidity. What is left behind is now in the form of condensation on the coils. This condensation drips off into the condensate drain pain and exits the system through the drain line. As you can imagine, over time this water causes mold, fungus and bacteria growth. Over time this build up stops the water from draining properly and the float switch on your system immediately cuts off your system to prevent overflow and water damage to the home.
Your system is not level and was installed improperly. If your air conditioner wasn’t installed by a licensed and experience technician, the drain pan may be angled in the wrong direction. Inexperienced technicians or “do it yourselfers” attempting a installation might miss this simple yet essential alignment. We see this all the time with mini-splits and the “DIY” and the money saved initially costs them significantly more to repair then if they would have hired the right company the first time. As a reminder, the outlet for the drain is typically on the lower side of the pan so that water flows toward it. If its installed improperly, the outlet is on the opposite side of the pan, water will build up before drains and can cause water damage, mold and many other issues on our underneath the home.
Regardless of the issue, the message is never leave water standing around your air conditioner. If you see water building up or have a problem with water in your air conditioner’s drain pan, call Crandall Heating & Air Inc. at 864-289-0805 or email us at crandallhvacoffice@gmail.com or visit our website today at www.crandallheatingandair.com.
