My AC Is Leaking: Why and What to Do

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A concerned woman inspecting her air conditioner

As the weather heats up, you are likely cranking up the air conditioning to keep cool and comfortable. An AC unit that is well cared for will last you a long time. However, even with a lot of attention and maintenance, sometimes an air conditioning unit starts to leak water. Before you say, “My AC is leaking, I need a new one”, know that most leaks can be fixed fairly easily. Here’s what you need to know.

Why Do AC Units Leak?

Air conditioners work by removing warm air from your home. They do this by exposing the air to an evaporator coil. AC works as hot air passes over the coil and condensation forms.  Water is taken from the air and drips into a pan that has a drain line attached to it. This condensate drain line then leads the water out of your home while the newly cooled air is passed into it. Just like magic! Things don’t seem so shiny and bright, however, if water is now dripping down your wall.

AC units can leak inside your home for a number of reasons. These include:

  • A clogged drain line
  • Low refrigerant
  • A dirty air filter
  • A rusted drain pan
  • A broken condensate pump

Many problems with your AC can be fixed with a minor tweak. If you are mechanically inclined, have the right tools, and also a bit of time on your hands, you might try to conduct air conditioner maintenance and fix the leak yourself. Here’s how.

What to Do if Your AC Unit Is Leaking

There are many ways you can attempt to fix a leaking AC unit. A true fix can take some trial and error. You might:

  • Vacuum Out the Drain Line

    • If your drain line leading out of your AC unit has become clogged with dirt and debris, this could be causing the leak. When water can’t pass through the line and it’s blocked, the water can then seep back into your home.

      If things look dirty, try vacuuming the line out with a wet/dry vac to see if this helps. If it doesn’t, you could try the other tips listed here or contact a professional. AC maintenance technicians have access to vacuums with more power that can succeed in loosening stubborn grime that doesn’t want to come out.

  • Change the Air Filter

    • A dirty air filter forces your unit to work harder, and it can block warm air from moving over the evaporation coil. Blocked air can then cause the coil to become cold and freeze. Once the frozen coil does come in contact with warm air, however, it melts, causing your drain pan to overflow.Your AC filter should be replaced every thirty days. Try to replace your filter with a new one and see if the leaking stops.
  • Replace the Drain Pan

    • Leaking can also be caused by a damaged drain pan. Take a good look at your own. Is it rusty? An AC unit that has been running for over a decade can have a drain pan that’s seen better days. Buy a new pan and swap it in to see if this helps.
  • Replace Your Condensate Pump

    • Finally, it could be that your condensate pump has broken down. This means that water generated by your AC can’t be pumped outside. When this happens, the water accumulates and causes trouble. Such a scenario can cause a lot of damage to your home and it’s important to replace a broken pump as soon as possible.

Not Sure? Leave the AC Maintenance to the Professionals

If you are wondering why “my ac is leaking” and you can’t find the solution on your own, contact the professionals at Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning. We have extensive experience servicing residential AC throughout Central Florida, including the Orlando, Sanford, Longwood, Lake Mary, and many other areas.  With highly qualified technicians who get the job done right, we are always happy to help.

  
 

Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning is a full-service heating and air conditioning company and a Bryant® Factory Authorized Dealer in Central Florida. Whether you need repair, maintenance, or installation of a new heating or cooling system, we provide efficient, cost-effective, and professional service. When it’s hot, call Scott!

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AC Service Testimonials

Wonderful team of professionals. Everything was first rate, the installers were excellent .
Scott's Heating & Air Conditioning is one of the very best companies that I have ever dealt with. Each and every employee is very knowledgeable, polite, effecient, and responds quickly to each task. The products and prices are reasonable, and quality is excellent. I highly recommend Scott's Heating & Air Conditioning!
Caca B
Caca B
1694554459
Great crew; on time, knowledgeable and professional. Excellent installation of new system.
Linda Baker
Linda Baker
1694146382
Very happy with their work
Eric Garms
Eric Garms
1693329572
Oh my god what an amazing company! I literally called one hour ago and said that my thermostat wasn’t working and there was a knock on my door within the hour! They told us what to do to fix it therefore saving us a $600 bill. They came right away, none of that we can see you in 48 hour junk. Amazing.
V Js
V Js
1693328507
They were able to provide me with same day service, friendly and very responsive. Also, I got 2 other quotes and the pricing was the most competitive.
So thankful and impressed! My dad returned home after having open heart surgery to a completely dead HVAC system in the middle of summer. Definitely not ideal. The repair was going to be pricey so he opted for a new unit. A crew came out on a Saturday and did a very clean and efficient install. Highly recommend this company!!!
Brooke Riley
Brooke Riley
1692362381
Very professional, work very neat and cleaned up and removed stuff. Very impressed with all of the staff and the company.
Our AC decided to quit during one of the hottest heatwaves in years. We called Scott's and someone was at the house to give us a quote in 30 min. From the moment they answered our first phone call through the install everyone was amazing, professional and provided a quality product and excellent service. Craig, Jose, Dexter were awesome! One of the new guys brought us a portable unit at 9:30 PM on a Friday so we could sleep. We missed his name, but shout out to him as well (he likes to give high fives). Thanks Scott and team for everything. We highly recommend!!!
K Harper
K Harper
1692132893
For the past week I've worked with Craig on getting estimates for a new A/C unit, and he has been great at answering my questions and addressing any concerns. Very responsive and knowledgeable, straight shooter and direct! I didn't have to deal with any up-selling like working with a used car salesman (I experienced that with other bigger local A/C companies providing quotes). For these qualities alone I would recommend Scott's A/C, even though I will disclose that we ultimately went with another quote from a family referral of an A/C company. Had that family referral not been apart of our consideration, we would definitely choose and recommend Scott's for new A/C installs and service!
rwoodunder
rwoodunder
1691677447
Dan in sales, outstanding jobgoing over equipment and helping us make what was the best decisions for us on purchasing new a/cinstall, plus scheduling the next day!Boris and Justin were excellent with communications while install and after! very clean, professional taking old out and installing new!ty
T F
T F
1690829348
We can't thank Scott's enough. We came home to a air conditioner barely limping along. I called Scott's first thing in the morning and they had a technician out that day. Unfortunately our system could not be saved. The salesman Craig came out that day as well and quoted a new system. Since it was a Friday we could not get the system installed until Tuesday. Scott's provided us with a portable system which definitely helped during the grueling heat wave in Central Florida. Tuesday came, the installers showed up on time and did an awesome installation job. Cleaned everything up and went on their way. Everyone was pleasant, professional and great to work with! Thank You Scott's Heating & Cooling!
Rodger Marty
Rodger Marty
1689943584
Always happy with their response time. Issue started last night causing our A/C unit to shut down. Made a call to Scott's Heating and Air in the morning and a tech was here by 10:45am. Tyrie, the tech, is awesome. He quickly took care of the problem and had us up and running in no time at all. He is knowledgeable and professional and did a great job.
Perfect company to do business with. Professional and courteous in all phases of project.
Ron Brenton
Ron Brenton
1689684296
Excellent response and service. After 25 years of being serviced by a competitor I decided to change companies. AC was out and in need of replacement. Within 24 hours we had the sales rep here and new unit going in for a reasonable expense. No upselling, phony money savings, or timeshare presentations- just a new system without being targeted and pressured into pricey newer technology that will also become obsolete and non reparable every system cycle. I’m recommending to everyone looking for a new provider
Bill Sumner
Bill Sumner
1688123609
Excellent job getting my new system installed. Friendly and professional staff. Would recommend this company to anyone who needs ac work done.
Michael Imlay
Michael Imlay
1686157131
My a/c went out on a Sunday during a holiday weekend. I called and they had someone out there within a couple of hours to repair it! Great service
Susan
Susan
1685582464
All are very responsive and professional! Great job!
Diane Layton
Diane Layton
1682546738
Scott’s saved the day for us this evening. Our A/C stopped working and it got hot inside quickly, which was more complicated because I’m 36 weeks pregnant. Scott’s was responsive to our call and within two hours someone had come and fixed our unit!
Kaley Gilford
Kaley Gilford
1681601593
20 out of 10 this place is amazing. The techs are always awesome. Super knowledgeable, friendly, polite and quick. They are prompt about appointments and always show up within the time frame. They always keep me cool and I cannot appreciate you guys enough!
Emily Koller
Emily Koller
1680904342
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