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

Water leaking from your air conditioner isn’t dangerous but can cause a lot of damage to your home. On the other hand, a coolant leak is harmful to you and the environment. In either case, repairing a leak will require skilled air conditioning repair.

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

Find out why your air conditioner is leaking and how you can stop 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 includes an evaporator coil that cools warm air as it moves over it. Condensation occurs as the air cools, flows into a drain pan and drains out of your house through a condensate drain line.

Due to 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 occurs:

Drain Line Is Clogged

Over time, mold can block the condensate drain line. This can lead to water backing up inside your home. Our Contra Costa Heating & AC professionals can break up clogs and get water draining again smoothly. Give us a call at 510-343-9841 for assistance.

Air Filter Is Dirty

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

Replacing your air filter is crucial for:

  • Indoor air quality
  • Energy efficiency
  • Decreasing breakdowns
  • Lengthening your air conditioner’s lifetime

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

If this doesn’t resolve the problem, your drain pan might be rusty or have a malfunctioning condensate pump. Getting a new pan or pump requires a professional, so contact us at 510-343-9841 for assistance.

Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking Freon?

Your air conditioner needs coolant to move heat. If your air conditioner was put in before 2011, it probably uses R-22 Freon. As time passes, chemicals in Freon can eat through metal and create leaks.

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

  • Air that feels 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 hazardous to your health if handled improperly, so you’ll need an HVAC professional like Contra Costa Heating & AC to repair 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, only limited recycled quantities are available.

Contact Contra Costa Heating & AC to Fix Your Leaky Air Conditioner

When it comes to air conditioning repair in The Bay Area, turn to the company your neighbors and friends trust. We’ve been known for our quick, friendly and reasonable services since {year}. Call us at 510-343-9841 to schedule your appointment now!