HVAC Leaking

[jwhart]

HELP!!! My unit in the closet is leaking condensation. I have taken off the drain tube and made sure it was not clogged. There is water leaking from 3 different areas, but I don't know how to take it apard to be sure it's not clogged. Anyone have any ideas - I can supply pics if needed.

[imeduc]

Did you try and blow in to the drain to the coil?Is any water comeing out there? Is the air filter clean?Have you put new filters in every 30 to 90 days? Any ice on the lines there at the coil? You dont say what you have There should be a cover like that you can just unscrew there and it will come off. To see if the coil is clean or not.

ED[8D]

My mistakes dont define me they inform me.

[LazyPup]

In most residential AC units the evaporator coils are mounted on a slant of approximately 45 degs with a drain pan at the base of the coil. During operation water condensates on the coil and clings to the coil by surface tension as it runs down to the drain pan. The area immediately beneith the coil is open to permit air flow up through the coil.

if the coil is dirty it will cause two problems that will result in a leak. First, a dirty coil will obstruct the air flow, thus reducing the coil temperature and increasing condensate formation (The reduced air flow drops the operating temperature of the coil and in a worst case scenario the coil will actually ice up, totally blocking the air flow.) Second, instead of running down the coil to the drip pan the water droplets will accumulate on the dirt and debris, then drip straigt down through the duct opening.

Step one is to turn off the AC but keep the fan on manual to cycle warm return air over the coil to deice it. If the problem is icing you will note an increase in airflow after about 30 minutes.

A quick diagnostic check is to take an air temperature reading with a probe thermometer at the closest point of return air, then take a reading at the closest discharge register. If the system is operating correctly the discharge air should be 12 deg +/- 2 cooler than the return air. If the discharge air temp is 15 degrees cooler or more you have a restricted air flow.

While cleaning the evaporator coil is not really a difficult job, it is a job that is best left to a trained technician. Once the coil has been cleaned you should then check the refrigerant pressure in the system. A low refrigerant charge can and will result in icing on the coil, causing the icing condition you describe, however, it is nearly impossible to correctly charge the refrigerant pressure if the coils are dirty, so in either case, the first step is to clean the coil.

The best preventative maintenance is to change your filters often. I recommend to my customers that they change the filter at least monthly throughtout the operating season, both heating an cooling. When you pull a filter if you can see a layer of dust on the surface you may want to consider changing more often. Keep in mind that the AC evaporator coil is constantly wet during operation and even microscopic dust will eventually stick to the wet coil and build up.

It may seem like overkill to change the filters so often but consider that the filters are typically one or two dollars each. If they cost $2 and if you change them once a month,in the course of a year it is still far less than the cost of having a technician clean your system.