Why your AC unit is leaking water inside
A clog in the condensate drain line is the most likely cause. Water drips off the evaporator coil into a drain pan, and when the line is blocked, that pan overflows onto your floor or ceiling. A frozen coil or a cracked pan can produce the same result.
Why is my AC leaking water inside?
Your air conditioner pulls humidity out of the air as it cools your home.
That moisture drips off the evaporator coil and collects in a drain pan beneath the indoor unit, then flows out through a condensate drain line. Water on your floor or ceiling means that system has broken down somewhere. The drain line is the most common failure point. Algae and debris build up inside it until the line clogs and the pan overflows. You can often clear a partial clog yourself with a wet-vac attached to the drain line's access point. A cracked or full pan is a separate problem you can see by looking directly at the unit. A dirty air filter causes a different chain of events: restricted airflow chills the coil until ice forms on it, and when that ice melts, the pan can overflow faster than the line drains.
Water still leaking after clearing the drain line?
A frozen evaporator coil is one cause that looks, from the outside, exactly like a drain clog.
But a coil can freeze because refrigerant is low, and no amount of drain clearing fixes that. Telling a refrigerant issue apart from a dirty filter requires gauges and training the average homeowner does not have. A condensate pump can fail completely and leave no outward sign that separates it from a blocked line. Mold and bacteria inside the drain line or air handler can be present well behind the access panel, invisible until the smell arrives or damage shows in the wall. Repeat flooding from any of these causes works into walls, ceilings, and subfloor over time. Once you have cleared the drain and water returns, the remaining causes sit behind readings and access points you have no way to reach on your own.
Get matched with a local contractor
Fill out the form and a licensed contractor in your area will reach out to assess the leak and give you a quote.
Tell us about the job
Takes about a minute. No obligation.