When you think of the potential damage that water can do to your home, you probably immediately think of your plumbing system, water heater, flooding, etc. What you may not think of, though, is your air conditioner. There is good reason for this, as we’ll discuss a bit below.
First let us tell you that any sign of water surrounding your air conditioner should be taken as an indicator that something is wrong. It may not be a “leak” in the traditional sense, but it is problematic nonetheless. When you need great air conditioner services in Bolingbrook, IL, ours is the number to dial.
If It’s Not a “Leak,” What Is It?
When we say that your air conditioner isn’t really “leaking” water in the traditional sense, we don’t mean to say that you are not seeing water around the unit. Instead, we simply mean that it is not indicative of a leak in the system, as your air conditioner does not actually use any water in the cooling process. So where is the water coming from?
While the water may not be leaking out of a pipe in the system, it may well be leaking out of the drain pan or drain line. When your air conditioner cools the air, it draws condensation out. That condensation must be caught and drained away from your home, which is where the condensate drain pan and drain line come into play. If the drain is corroded and cracked, or just not properly aligned with the line — or if the line is blocked, for that matter — water can back up and into your home.
A more serious problem is ice developing on your air conditioning system. If there is ice on the evaporator coil, and that ice is leaking, it can give the appearance of a water leak. The more serious issue, though, is why there is ice on the evaporator coil. It could be the result of a dirty air filter cutting off airflow. It could also mean that you have a low refrigerant level, meaning a leak is likely, though.
Count on DuAll Heating & Cooling to get to the bottom of the problem.
