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If you’re not familiar with how a cooling cycle works inside of your air conditioner, you may feel alarmed when you notice water leaking out of your AC. Don’t get us wrong, leaks are always concerning. But, water flow inside of your air conditioner is actually completely normal.
You still need to call and schedule an appointment for air conditioning repair in Salt Lake City when you notice a leak. You can keep reading to learn more about why there is water flow inside of your air conditioner and why you may have a leak. We even have tips for preventing leaks from happening again in the future.
Condensate Drain Line
Your air conditioner has a condensate drain line. The purpose of this drain line is to collect moisture that gets removed from the air during a cooling cycle and channel that water outside of your home. By reducing humidity levels, the condensate drain line helps to make your home feel a little cooler. High humidity levels can make the air in your home feel warmer than it really is.
Unfortunately, when your condensate drain line has a leak water damage is not the only potential problem. That water is also re-evaproating into your air and increasing the humidity levels in your home. You may find yourself turning the thermostat settings down in an attempt to get your home cooler, when really a condensate drain line leak is the problem.
Reasons for Leaks
Leaks happen because the condensate drain line is a fairly small pipe. Clogs can happen very easily, because unfortunately water is not the only thing entering this drain line. Particles of dust and dirt can also get trapped in droplets and contribute to clogs in the drain line.
But the biggest culprit is mold growth. The dark and damp condensate drain line is the perfect place for mold to spread. As the mold grows, it can block water flow until it backs up in the line and overflows into the condensate drain pan.
Preventing Leaks
The good news is, there are a couple of simple steps you can take to prevent leaks from ever happening. Once a month when you change out the air filter on your air conditioner, open the cabinet where the indoor portion of your AC unit is located. You should see a small pipe sticking up with a cap on top. This is the condensate drain line.
You can remove this cap and poor half a cup of vinegar down the drain line. This can help to eliminate particles of dust, dirt and mold stuck in the line. When you rinse these particles away, you help to prevent clogs from happening in the first place. And changing your air filter is equally important for preventing dust and dirt from getting into the system to begin with.