Here’s a common question we get during Florida summers, “Why is my AC leaking water inside my home?There are multiple causes of this problem. Here’s a common question we get during Florida summers, “Why is my AC leaking water inside my home? But first, turn your AC’s thermostat to “Off” to prevent further damage to your home.To understand why this is happening, you need to know how water forms on your AC in the first place. Your AC’s inside unit contains the evaporator coil (pictured on the right) that cools the warm air blown over it. This causes condensation (moisture) to form on the coil, just like how water droplets form on a cold glass of water on a hot day.The moisture on the coil drips into a drain pan and down a condensate drain line (a white PVC pipe) that leads out your home.So, with all that in mind, here are a few things that cause that water to leak into your home. A clogged condensate drain line is the most common cause of water leaking from your AC into your home.

If the drain line gets clogged with dust, dirt, sludge or mold, that water backs up into your home. In that case, you’ll need to unclog it. There are multiple unclogging methods, like using a wet/dry vac on the condensate line.But the surefire way is to have a professional use a special vacuum to suck the blockage material out. Got an old air conditioner (12-15 years)? The drain pan may be damaged or rusted through, so water just falls right through. You’ll need to replace the pan. Is your furnace and indoor AC unit installed in the basement? If so then there is a condensate pump that pumps the water outside. But if the pump breaks, the water isn’t being pumped outside anymore. You will need to repair or replace the pump. A dirty air filter blocks airflow over the evaporator coil. When that happens, the evaporator coil gets too cold and freezes over. When it melts, it drips an excess amount of water that the pan may not be able to handle.Check your air filter to see if it’s dirty and change it if needed.

You should be changing it every 1-3 months (depending on the season). Similar to a dirty air filter, low refrigerant will lower pressure in the AC system, causing the evaporator coil to freeze over. hepa filters for air handling unitsWhen the coil melts, water overflows the drain pan.air conditioning units enfieldYou’ll notice you’re low on refrigerant when:Depending on the severity of the refrigerant leak you’ll either repair the leak or replace the whole AC unit.mini split air conditioner atticIf you need a new one, read our article, “My Air Conditioner is Dying, and I Need a New One…If changing the air filter did not help, contact Cool Today to repair your air conditioner.Also, ask us about installing a float switch on your air conditioner if it does not have one already.

This switch will shut down the air conditioner in case it overflows with water again.Cool Today provides award-winning air conditioning service to Sarasota, Florida and the surrounding areas like Bradenton, Tampa and Port Charlotte. If you have any questions, talk to one of our experts for help.Celebrate Air Conditioning Appreciation Week with this gallery  from Magnum Photos. Ever wonder about the water that drips down from air conditioners as an unwelcome sidewalk surprise when you’re walking to work? In 2011, Forrest Wickman looked into the reason why ACs are so leaky, and if there’s anything unsanitary about the water that’s dripping down on you. The original article is reprinted below. Walk down any city sidewalk on a hot summer day, and you're bound to get wet—and not just when it's raining. Water drips from window AC units, especially on muggy days, and this unpleasant drizzle can fall into your hair or even onto the lip of your morning coffee cup. Is all that dripping water sanitary?

Yes, as a general rule. Most of the dripping from air conditioners is just condensed water vapor that comes from the air inside the building. Window air conditioners are designed to drain this water from the back, raining it down on any unsuspecting pedestrians below. In most ways this water is exactly like rain (which also forms from condensed water vapor) or the moisture that collects on a cool can of soda, and it's typically no more harmful. However, in rare cases small amounts of water can be left to stagnate inside the air conditioner, making it a breeding ground for bacteria. On a hot and humid day, a window unit can drip up to 2 gallons of water, which accumulates on its evaporator coil as it cools and dehumidifies the air. (Very little condensation gathers on the exterior side of an AC, which tends to be warmer than the air around it.) This coil, like many plumbing pipes used for drinking water, is made of copper (which is also what makes air conditioners so heavy), and it's much cleaner than you might expect from looking at a dusty AC filter.

While copper can be unhealthy in high doses, the condensate from air conditioners seems to be low in minerals and dissolved solids. In a properly functioning air conditioner, the water drips down from the coil into a condensate pan and then exits the unit through a drain or tube. However, a clog in this drain or tube can leave a puddle to accumulate inside, which is an ideal environment for many types of harmful bacteria. In particular, a 1976 outbreak of Legionnaires' disease was caused by bacteria that spread out of the air conditioning system at Philadelphia's Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. (That's how the disease got its name: Many of the victims were attending an American Legion convention.) While Legionella is known to thrive in the cooling towers of large air conditioning systems like the one at that Philadelphia hotel, it does not seem to grow in smaller units. Furthermore, dripping water isn't really stagnant, so it's extremely unlikely that the water raining down on pedestrians would be infected.