You don’t want to be sweating all summer long, but you might have a leaky air conditioner that is causing too much water to escape. There are many reasons why your air conditioner could be leaking, but we will discuss 6 of the most popular ones in this article.

Drain Line Clog

The most common cause of an air conditioner leak is a clogged drain line. When your condensate water can’t flow through the drains, it will start to leak into other parts of the system and create damage that’s difficult to repair. The easiest way to avoid this issue is by checking on your filters regularly so they don’t clog.

This is also the most common reason for a leak in an air conditioner, so it’s important to keep your condensate drains free of debris and ensure that there are no leaks.

Solution: Have a professional come into your home to check for leaks and clean the drains if needed.

Rusty Dust Pan

A rusty dust pan is a problem that may not seem like it would cause an air conditioner leak, but if the rust travels up to your condenser coils and starts to build up between them, you could end up with leaks. The next time you empty your dryer lint trap or sweep in front of your AC unit, make sure you use a dust pan that hasn’t been wet.

If you don’t have one, consider using a plastic bag so it’s easy to throw away when you’re done or running them through the dishwasher every few weeks for additional protection and make sure they’re dry before storing them in your garage.

Solution: Keep all of your metal tools clean and dry.

The next time you empty your dryer lint trap or sweep in front of your AC unit, make sure you use a dust pan that hasn’t been wet. If you don’t have one, consider using a plastic bag so it’s easy to throw away when you’re done or running them through the dishwasher every few weeks for additional protection and make sure they’re dry before storing them in your garage.

Low Refrigerant

You may be able to save money on your next cooling bill if there is a leaky connection or inoperable condenser fan. If you’re not sure, give us a professional a call and they’ll send someone out to take care of it for you

If the rubber insulation between your outdoor unit and indoor coil has worn through, it will need to be replaced. This can save you money in the long run by reducing the load on your system and prolonging its life, so it’s worth a call.

If your air conditioner is leaking from one of three places – the drain pan at the bottom front, condenser fins, or line fittings – then there may be a problem with the refrigerant.

If your air conditioner is leaking from a drain pan or condenser fins, it may just be that something has frozen and cracked a portion of the coil on the inside or outside.

Solution: Contact a professional.

Frozen Evaporator Coil

In this case, the evaporator coil has frozen and cracked.

The fix for that is to replace your air conditioner’s refrigerant with a different type of fluid from the one it uses now. The new refrigerant won’t have any problems with freezing or leaking because it will be designed specifically for use in your region.

If you are still having problems with your air conditioner and it is leaking from the line fittings, then there may be a problem with your compressor. It could also mean that one or more of its seals has failed, which would cause refrigerant to leak out into the surrounding area.

Solution: Replace your compressor seal(s).

Dirty Air Filter

If you have a dirty air filter, then it can’t do its job very well. Filters are important because they keep dirt and other debris from going into your system, which would cause problems for the compressor. Dirty filters restrict airflow to some degree, so that makes the compressor work harder than needed in order to cool your home or office space. If you have a dirty filter, then it might be time to replace it.

There are a number of reasons why your air conditioner is leaking, but if you don’t change the filter on a regular basis and it becomes dirty or clogged, then there’s an increased chance that refrigerant will leak out. When this happens, you’ll know because the system won’t be able to keep up with its job —  and things will get too hot.

Solution: Replace your Air Filter

Condensate Pump is Broken

The condensate pump is a device that pumps the water from your air conditioner cooling coils back into the evaporator. It can be one of two types, either centrifugal or positive displacement. If it’s not operating properly and there isn’t enough water in the liquid line to do its job, then you’ll run into problems such as leaks

Solution: Call a professional to repair your condensate pump.