Water Leaking from Split AC? How to Fix it

If you are seeing water leaking out from your split AC and wondering if it is normal and what to do next then this article is for you.

The first thing you should do is switch OFF the AC and identify the underlying cause.

Page Contents

How water forms inside the AC

An air conditioner’s fan continuously circulates the room air making it cool which further makes your room cooler.

Your room air contains humidity to some degree and the evaporator coil is chilled as ice.

When the room air gets in contact with the evaporator coils, the water in it gets converted into water droplets due to condensation.

Gradually this water gets collected in the condensate tray which eventually needs to be removed out via the drain nozzle.

Can we use AC when water is leaking

If water is leaking from your AC, the most common reason would be a choked drain pipe which will make the water to leak out.

There is no serious danger in using such AC. It will work and cool your room properly.

But it can lead to

Stained and Dirty walls
Mold & Mildew formation
Foul Smell
Faster degradation of the AC

If the indoor unit is directly above some electrical equipment or gadget then the water coming out from it can damage the device.

Reasons water is leaking from the indoor unit

Usually, the water should come out from the drain pipe.

But if it’s not then your AC unit will drip water.

Below are a few of the possible reasons.

1. Drain nozzle is choked with dirt

This is the “most common” reason for water leaking.

The water which gets collected in the water tray needs to be removed from the drain pipe or drain nozzle.

If there is dirt accumulation in the drain pipe or the nozzle then the water tray will gradually collect more and more water ultimately making the water to get overflowed.

And so the water will drip down from the AC.

Solution: Use vacuum to suck out the dirt from the nozzle and pipe or get your AC serviced by professionals.

2. Damaged Condensate Tray

If the tray which collects water is having holes or is rusted, water will seep out leading to leakage.

Solution: Get the condensate tray repaired or replaced. If there are cracks in the body of the indoor unit you will need to get it repaired or replaced.

3. Drain Pipe Disoriented

If the drain pipe is not properly aligned it can make the flow of water difficult.

The pipe must be straight and vertically aligned.

Or if the pipe is pinched from some point it will restrict the flow.

Another reason which makes the flow of water difficult is when the drain pipe is submerged in water.

This could be possible when the water bucket used for collecting the AC water gets full and the pipe gets submerged in it.

Solution: if the pipe is damaged or pinched then get a new pipe. The pipe must be vertically aligned allowing water to flow easily.

4. Ice formation on evaporator coils

The formation of water inside the indoor unit is a natural phenomenon.

However, for some reason ice forms on the evaporator coils, more water will form when this ice melts.

More water can get easily overflown from the water tray leading to water leakage.

There can be many underlying causes of ice formation few of which are dirty air filters, low refrigerant gas, faulty fan capacitor, etc

Solution: Depending on the underlying cause of ice formation, the solution will vary.

The most probable cause of ice formation is low gas for which the solution is gas refilling.

Another cause can be dirty air filters(high probability), this can restrict the airflow making the evaporator coil get too chilled leading to ice formation.

You must clean the air filters regularly at least once in a month.

5. Faulty Installation

You got a brand new AC or it was serviced recently, then you need to check if the installation or servicing was properly done.

Incorrect installation may lead to water leakage.

The water tray can be incorrectly placed or the drain pipe is exposed.

Solution: Call for professional help and get your AC and water tray examined to see if it is properly placed.

Final Thoughts

Whether your AC is working properly or not.

You must get it properly serviced once or twice a year.

By doing so the probability of any malfunction that can happen in the future is reduced and the technician can identify the issue early.

Regular servicing makes the AC work at its optimum efficiency. This also prolongs its life and saves money.

Further Reading