It is entirely possible that you will discover that there is water pooling around your air conditioner at some point. While this is certainly an alarming scenario, and one that may result in water damage to your property, it’s not exactly a “leak” the way you may be thinking of one. This is because, simply, water is at no point used in the cooling process, and your system does not include water the way that it does refrigerant. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you are imagining the problem.
2 Likely Sources of the Water Around Your AC
One of the most likely situations in which you may notice water pooling around your air conditioner is a condensate drain problem. As your air conditioner cools your home, it draws moisture out of the air that it is cooling. That moisture forms condensation on the coil, which must be drained out of the system. A condensate line and drain pan are used to do so. If the line is damaged, it can leak — so in this regard, your air conditioner may be leaking water. If the pan is corroded it too may leak, or algae growth/misalignment could simply cause the condensation to back up. Regardless, the problem must be resolved before damage is done to your home.
Another potential cause of the water surrounding the system, and one that can be quite a bit more serious, is melting ice. If you think that the ice forming on your AC merely indicates that it is operating very effectively, think again. The fact is that ice on your air conditioner is never a good sign. A very dirty air filter can restrict airflow enough that condensation will freeze on the coil, but it could also indicate a refrigerant leak. When the ice melts, you’ll see water around the indoor cabinet. Never delay in reporting this problem to a professional AC technician.
Let Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning handle any necessary air conditioning repairs in Clovis, CA.