When your air conditioner is working properly, your home will be cool and dry. A leaking air conditioner is frustrating but isn’t necessarily harmful. It depends on whether it’s leaking water or refrigerant.

Water leaking from your air conditioner isn’t bad but can cause a lot of damage to your home. In contrast, a coolant leak is harmful to you and the environment. In either situation, fixing a leak will require professional air conditioning repair.

In most cases, you can prevent your air conditioner from leaking by requesting annual air conditioning maintenance. During your appointment, an HVAC technician will closely examine your system for issues and clean it. This service helps ensure worry-free performance and may even improve energy efficiency.

Learn more about why your air conditioner is leaking and how you can prevent it from happening in the future.

Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking Water?

Water is a natural result of the cooling process. Your air conditioner has two units, one outside and one inside. The indoor unit has an evaporator coil that cools warm air as it blows over it. Condensation occurs as the air cools, drips into a drain pan and drains out of your house through a condensate drain line.

Because of the condensation process, having water back up is a common problem. We often receive calls about an air conditioner leaking water inside or an air conditioner leaking water outside. Here’s why it happens:

Drain Line Is Clogged

Over time, mold can block the condensate drain line. This can lead to water backing up inside your home. Our Air-Right Energy Design professionals can break up clogs and get water draining again smoothly. Reach us at 703-260-1148 for help.

Air Filter Needs to Be Changed

We recommend replace flat filters monthly and pleated filters every three months.

Replacing your air filter is critical for:

  • Indoor air quality
  • Energy efficiency
  • Reducing breakdowns
  • Lengthening your air conditioner’s life span

A dirty air filter can reduce airflow, make the coil extremely cold and freeze it. As the coil defrosts, it can overwhelm the drain pan. We suggest inspecting your air filter if you haven’t replaced it lately and your air conditioner is leaking water indoors.

If this doesn’t resolve the issue, your drain pan may be rusty or have a broken condensate pump. Getting a new pan or pump requires a professional, so contact us at 703-260-1148 for help.

Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking Freon?

Your air conditioner needs coolant to move heat. If your air conditioner was installed before 2011, it likely has R-22 Freon. As time passes, chemicals in Freon can eat through metal and cause leaks.

It’s important to know about air conditioner Freon leak symptoms in the event your system develops one. They include:

  • Air that seems hotter or more humid than usual
  • Bubbling or hissing noises by the air conditioner
  • Sweet odor by the air conditioner
  • Frozen evaporator coil

Freon is bad for your health if handled improperly, so you’ll want an HVAC professional like Air-Right Energy Design to fix an air conditioner coolant leak. In many instances, it might just be better to schedule air conditioning installation since Freon is costly. Production of this coolant was stopped in 2020 due to its damaging effects on the ozone layer. As a result, just reduced recycled quantities are available.

Trust Air-Right Energy Design for Fixing Your Air Conditioner Leaks

When it comes to air conditioning repair in Manassas, turn to the company your neighbors and friends depend on. We’ve been known for our quick, friendly and reasonable services since {year}. Contact us at 703-260-1148 to request your appointment now!