When your air conditioner is running properly, your home will be cool and dry. A leaking air conditioner is frustrating but isn’t necessarily dangerous. It depends on whether it’s leaking water or refrigerant.

Water leaking from your air conditioner isn’t bad but can cause a lot of damage to your house. In contrast, a coolant leak is harmful to you and the environment. In either case, fixing a leak will require professional air conditioning repair.

In most cases, you can prevent your air conditioner from leaking by scheduling yearly air conditioning maintenance. During your appointment, an HVAC tech will closely check your system for problems and clean it. This service helps ensure worry-free performance and might even improve energy efficiency.

Learn more about why your air conditioner is leaking and how you can prevent it from happening in the future.

Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking Water?

Water is a natural byproduct of the cooling process. Your air conditioner has two units, one outside and one inside. The indoor unit has an evaporator coil that cools warm air as it blows over it. Condensation occurs as the air cools, drips into a drain pan and goes out of your house through a condensate drain line.

Due to the condensation process, having water back up is a common problem. We often receive calls about an air conditioner leaking water inside or an air conditioner leaking water outside. Here’s why it happens:

Drain Line Is Plugged

As time passes, mold can block the condensate drain line. This can result in water leaking inside your house. Our Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating professionals can break up clogs and get water draining again smoothly. Give us a call at 641-628-3621 for help.

Air Filter Needs to Be Changed

We recommend changing flat filters once a month and pleated filters every three months.

Replacing your air filter is critical for:

  • Indoor air quality
  • Energy efficiency
  • Decreasing breakdowns
  • Lengthening your air conditioner’s life span

A dirty air filter can reduce airflow, make the coil very cold and freeze it. As the coil defrosts, it can make the drain pan overflow. We suggest checking your air filter if you haven’t replaced it lately and your air conditioner is leaking water indoors.

If this doesn’t fix the problem, your drain pan might be rusty or have a broken condensate pump. Replacing your pan or pump requires a pro, so call us at 641-628-3621 for help.

Why Is the Air Conditioning Leaking Freon?

Your air conditioner relies on coolant to move heat. If your air conditioner was put in before 2011, it probably has R-22 Freon. As time passes, chemicals in Freon can eat through metal and create leaks.

It’s important to know about air conditioner Freon leak symptoms in the event your system has one. They include:

  • Air that feels warmer or more humid than usual
  • Bubbling or hissing sounds by the air conditioner
  • Sweet odor near the air conditioner
  • Frozen evaporator coil

Freon is hazardous to your health if handled improperly, so you’ll need an HVAC pro like Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating to fix an air conditioner coolant leak. In many instances, it might just be better to request air conditioning installation since Freon is expensive. Manufacturing of this coolant was stopped in 2020 because of its damaging effects on the ozone layer. As a result, just reduced recycled quantities are available.

Rely on Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating for Repairing Your Leaky Air Conditioner

When it comes to air conditioning repair in Pella, turn to the company your neighbors and friends trust. We’ve been known for our quick, friendly and affordable services since year. Contact us at 641-628-3621 to schedule your appointment today!