Why Is There Water Surrounding My AC?
One thing is for certain — it is hot out there! We have been busier than usual this summer, and unfortunately a lot of this has been due to the fact that we are out there fixing broken down air conditioners. With such incredible heat as we’ve been experiencing, this should really come as no surprise. Neither should the fact that it is always better to prevent repair needs to begin with, than to wait around and let problems develop to that point.
Of course, there is no such thing as a perfect air conditioning system, and even the best air conditioner that is the most well maintained is going to run into trouble from time to time. When that happens, we strongly recommend that you contact us at the very first sign of trouble. There are usually warning signs that something is amiss with any given system. One alarming sight that you may see is water surrounding your air conditioner.
It Might Not Be That Serious
We are not giving you all of this advice and examples of ways in which your air conditioner may suffer in order to alarm you. We are doing it to help you understand just how vital it is to act quickly and to keep your system in great working condition. With that in mind, we want to start out with a couple of the best case scenarios regarding the water surrounding your air conditioning system.
As you may be aware, there is not water line in your air conditioner, nor does your AC use water in its cooling process (with the exception of swamp/evaporative coolers). So this is not really a “leak” the way that you may think in terms of that word. It can, however, be the result of ice melting.
When your air filter is too dirty, it can restrict airflow through your system so much that the evaporator coil cannot absorb a sufficient amount of heat from it. That leads to the coil getting too cold, which in turn can cause condensation to freeze on it. The same thing can happen if the evaporator coil itself is too dirty. That ice can then melt rapidly, and can overwhelm the condensate drainage system.
You could also have an issue with these components themselves. If the condensate drain line is damaged, or if your drain pan is rusted through or misaligned, then water can wind up all over the floor. Keeping the filter, coil, and drain line clean with regular maintenance and minimal effort on your own can go a long way in preventing this problem.
But It Could Be
For every best case scenario there is a worse one, right? Well, problems with your air conditioning system are not the exception to the rule. If your air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, then it is not going to be able to draw enough heat out of the air. That can lead to the icing of the coil as described above. Because a refrigerant leak can also lead to incredible wear and tear on the system, and eventually compressor failure, it is definitely in your best interest to contact us immediately to have the situation resolved. Goettl Air Conditioning does the job right.
G-O-E-T-T-L it’ll keep you cool but it’s hard to spell.
