The Common Causes Of Air Conditioner Leaks
Air conditioners do more than just regulate the temperature of a home. They also function as humidity regulators, something that usually goes a long way towards not only improving air quality, but also preventing moisture-related problems such as mold growth.
Air conditioners and humidity control
In the evaporator coil, the refrigerant usually changes states – from a liquid state into a gaseous state. This is a process that is usually accompanied by a drop in temperature. As air passes over the coils it is cooled, a process that causes the moisture in the air to condense. By doing so, the air conditioner ends up reducing the amount of humidity in a home and hence making it more comfortable.
While this process is critical to the air conditioning process, it is also what is to blame for most air conditioner leaks. The following are some of the things that may cause this moisture to find its way out of the unit and onto your valuables.
A clogged drain line
Normally, the condensate is collected in a condensate pan. It is then drained out of the unit through a condensate drain line. Clogging of this line is therefore bound to cause the pan to overflow, something that may then cause an air conditioner leak.
Common causes of this clogging usually include mold growth, dirt accumulation, and in some cases, insects. Removing these obstructions is therefore an easy way to get rid of your air conditioner leak problem.
To do so, simply suck the obstructions out of the condensate drainpipe using a wet-dry vacuum. And since the dirt that accumulates in the coils, which then finds itself into the drain pipe, is usually to blame for most of the drain line clogging, it is advisable that you clean your unit's coils if you want to reduce the risks of clogging-caused air conditioner leaks.
Evaporator coil frosting
When dirty air filters restrict air flow over the evaporator coils, the resulting temperature drop in the coil area is usually enough to cause freezing of any moisture in the air. Freezing of air moisture may also occur in cases where the air conditioning system is low on refrigerant – this usually causes an abnormal drop in pressure in the freezing coil area, which then causes extreme temperature drops.
Environmental temperature changes may thereafter cause this ice to melt up. This melting process may then cause water to flow into the drain pan to such an extent that it causes the drain pan to overflow and creates a leak. Simply topping up an undercharged air conditioner and regularly cleaning an air conditioner's air filters are easy ways to avoid these leaking problems. Contact a company like Arc Electric & Air Conditioning & Heating Inc for more information.
