July 15, 2019
If you’re at your home or office and noticed that your AC vent is leaking water, you may be thinking to yourself, “Why is my AC vent leaking water? Has that always been like that?” The simple answer, most likely not.
The other question you may have is, “that can’t be good, right?” And the simple answer, not really—it’s not good at all. There may be a graver concern and issue related to this anomaly.
There are a few issues that may be occurring to explain why your AC vent is leaking water. Here’s why your AC vent is leaking water and how to solve it.
Clogged Condensate Drain Line
If condensation builds up around the air vent, it can cause water to drip. Often, this is caused by a clogged condensate drain line. This can occur for a number of reasons, often it’s because your unit was installed in the attic or on an upper floor, which means that problems with this drain can cause water to overflow and drip from the vent.
You can resolve this by taking a look at your condenser unit, which is the large unit outside your home. If the drip pan is overflowing, you are likely dealing with a clogged condensate drain line.
Frozen Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coils enable compressed chemicals such as freon to evaporate, turning from a liquid to gas. During this process, it is able to absorb heat.
When the evaporator coils freeze, the ice can melt when the AC unit is off. This can cause the air vent to leak as the condensation builds up. For this issue, it’s best to call a professional. You can check to see if this is a problem by taking out your air filter and looking to see if you could spot the frozen coils.
Refrigerant Leak
With a refrigerant, you will have less water than the other common factors of why your vent is leaking. If your refrigerant is leaking, your AC unit cannot remove humidity from the air inside correctly. Water that is pulled into the system for too long can remain on the coils and freeze, causing condensation, which when melted will drip out of your unit.
If you have low air flow and water dripping from your vent, this could be from a refrigerant leak. Refrigerant leaks are a concern and should be handled with the care of a professional.
Dirty Air Filter
You’d be surprised how much trouble a dirty air filter can get you into. From a higher electricity bill to a lot of sneezing because of allergen build up; you want to make sure that you always change your air filter.
A dirty air filter can also indirectly lead to water dripping from your AC vent. It can cause your AC to “freeze up.” Usually, after your AC vent is off, the frost melts and this condensation can escape via the AC vent. But if the filter is clogged, it can’t escape; it can build up and leak. You can resolve this by changing the vent.
Poorly Insulated Ducts
If you have old air ducts, especially ones that run throughout your attic, many of these old ducts are not properly insulated. This can lead to condensation build up in your unit and lead to leaky air vents.
This can be resolved by wrapping special air duct installation around your air ducts. Of course, this is a dangerous task potentially fraught with hazards and concerns. It’s best to call a professional to inspect and ensure this is done correctly.
Call a Professional
To answer your question, “why is my ac vent leaking water?” there are a number of reasons as to why this could be the case. If you are concerned that your AC unit is acting up, it’s best to call a professional who can help you resolve these concerns.
A professional, like one from TemperaturePro Orlando, who will inspect the situation, come up with a proper resolution and address it.
If you have questions or concerns about leaking vents, contact Temperature Pro. We’re here to help Central Florida with indoor air comfort.
