Why Is My AC Vent Leaking Water?
Let’s begin with the essentials: An a/c unit works by soaking up the warm air and wetness from your home and changing it to cool air. When the air is pulled in, condensation drips from the Air Conditioning coils to what’s called a drip pan. From there, the water is eliminated from your house through a drain pipe/line.
Routine HVAC upkeep will keep all of the parts of your air conditioning unit working effectively. While you can perform some of the maintenance yourself, more intricate problems need expert support.
Below are the most common reasons an air conditioner leakages water and what you can do about it.
8 Common Causes of Water Dripping From A/C Vent
While numerous things can cause water to drip from your Air Conditioner vent, this isn’t a typical occurrence and should be taken a look at quicker instead of later on. Keep reading to find out the common causes of water dripping from an A/C vent and what you must do about it.
1. Air Leaking Around the Vent
The problem: If air can escape around the Air Conditioning vents, instead of circulation through the grates as it should, it can cause condensation to develop and drip from the A/C vents.
The service: The easiest thing you can do to fix water dripping from your Air Conditioner vent is to reach up and feel for any air leaving from around the sides of the air vent. Try to find air escaping from anywhere besides the grates.
If air is leaving from anywhere besides the grates, you’re in luck … well, sort of. You can head over to the nearby home improvement store and purchase caulk to seal the leak.
Если вы не можете найти утечку, позвоните в профессиональную компанию по кондиционированию воздуха.
2. Obstructed Condensate Drain Line
The issue: If condensation builds up within the air vent, it can trigger water to leak from the AC vents. This is typically caused if you have a stopped-up condensate drain line on your hands.
A blocked condensate drain line can occur for a couple of reasons, however especially if your a/c system is installed in the attic or on an upper level in your home. Often when systems are installed in these areas, issues with the condensate drain can trigger water to overflow from the drip pan and into the duct or air vents.
The solution: Take an appearance at the condenser unit (the outside elements of your AC) and see if the drip pan is overruling or extremely full. If so, you are likely dealing with a clogged condensate drain line.
Another indication (and a possibly harmful one) of a blocked condensate drain is rust on the heating system. Corrosion on your heater puts it at risk of a major failure and can be unsafe.
There are a few different techniques for clearing a clogged up line, however, luckily this is another fix you can perform yourself.
3. Dirty Air Filter
The issue: A dirty air filter can indirectly cause water to leak from the AC vent in the ceiling by triggering the AC to freeze up. As the frost melts– normally after you shut off your A/C– the condensation can drain using your AC vents.
The service: If the frost is very little, transforming the air filter and allowing the system to go back to its typical feature can be enough to solve the issue.
4. Condensation From Uninsulated Ducts
The trouble: If your air ducts mainly go through the attic room, keep in mind that several attic room areas are not protected. Poor insulation can cause condensation to accumulate within your system and also drain through the A/C vents. If you did not place insulation in on your own, don’t think it’s there.
The option: Luckily, you can treat this issue if you have attic access. All you need to do is cover special duct insulation around the ductwork.
Beginning by taking the grate off of your air vents, and analyze the issue air vent– is there insulation packed around the vent part in the joist or ceiling area? If there is none, most likely to the house enhancement store as well as acquisition R-11 or R-13 fiberglass batts and load them around the trouble air duct boot.
Take the grate off the issue air vent and also check out the duct. Is there insulation loaded around the air vent part in the joist or ceiling room? If there is no insulation, most likely to a home enhancement shop and also get R-11 or R-13 fiberglass batts and load them around the problem duct boot.
5. Broken Sump Pump
The problem: If you’ve currently cleansed your condensate drainpipe line and there’s still excess water in the drip frying pan, then the issue could be your sump pump or condensate pump. Many pumps have a float activate them that is in charge of transforming the pump on when the water gets to a particular degree.
The remedy: If you see something that looks like a float switch, attempt adjusting it to evaluate if the pump turns on. Often the float switch can end up being stuck as a result of residue or limescale development. If the button is functioning, however not regularly, you can try cleaning up the pail with bleach and also eliminating any kind of build-up to see if this enhances the performance of your pump.
If you don’t see a very easy to identify float switch, look around to see if there is a wire or something attached to draw it up. When you get it out of the water, you can try to turn it on as well as see if it’s functioning– however, don’t allow it run dry for a substantial period. If it’s still not switching on, you’ll probably need a new pump.
You can attempt to purchase a match and also exchange the pump yourself, or you can experts repair it for you.
6. Refrigerant Leak
The issue: If you’ve attempted troubleshooting the above offenders, your trouble can be a cooling agent leakage. A refrigerant leakage triggers A/C vents to leakage water in nearly the same way an unclean air filter does. When refrigerant degrees are reduced, your A/C system can not eliminate the moisture from the air inside correctly.
The remedy: If you have water dripping from your Air Conditioner vent incorporated with a reduced airflow or air that is not as amazing as it ought to be, there’s a good chance that a refrigerant leak is a problem. Reduced refrigerant levels are never regular as well as direct exposure to the refrigerant can be hazardous, so it is best to call an accredited specialist to identify and also repair the leakage.
7. Icy Evaporator Coil
The issue: Again, when the evaporator coils ice up, the ice can thaw when the system is shut off. The resulting condensation can end up leaking out of the vents and onto your favorite furniture
The solution: Throughout this article, we’ve covered a few of the common reasons evaporator coils ice up, yet if the fixes below did not fix water dripping from the AC vent in the ceiling, then the issue causing your evaporator coils to ice up will need to be taken care of by an expert. Obtain your air filter, and look inside and also (generally) down at the evaporator coils to identify any kind of frost.
8. Roofing or Plumbing Leak
The problem: A roof covering leakage or a leak concealing somewhere in your pipes located over your ductwork can cause the water to travel through your system and out via the Air Conditioning vents.
The option: If possible, attempt to adhere to the leak to pinpoint its resource. If it is a roof or plumbing-related leakage, call suitable specialists for repair services.