If you’re like most homeowners, you seldom or never peer into the cabinet that houses the working parts of your air conditioner. But if you were to do so and you encountered excessive condensation, overflowing water or water damage, what should you do?
How Much Is Too Much Condensation?
As your air conditioner cools, it’s taking in warm air from the home and distributing it over the evaporator coils where it is cooled, all the while removing humidity from the air. As this moisture condenses, it ends up in the condensate pan, and is exhausted with the home’s wastewater.
Sometimes, malfunctions occur, resulting in excessive moisture or an overflowing condensate pan. Among the main causes of this situation:
Dirty air filter. As a heavy accumulation of dirt on the air filter blocks airflow, the A/C can’t remove humidity effectively. Sometimes this can result in excessive moisture in the A/C cabinet, or even inability to cool the home effectively.
Clogged condensate pan. Over time, a condensate pan may become clogged with bacteria and sludge, resulting in the pan overflowing.
Dislodged condensate line. This can also occur when there is blockage in the pan. When the line is dislodged, the moisture may end up overflowing onto the floor.
Hole in the condensate pan. Condensate pans may rust, develop holes and cracks and then leak.
Signs of Too Much Moisture in the A/C
There are signs that will let you know when too much moisture is being generated around or near your air conditioner. Among them:
- Musty smell from the cabinet or the air conditioner itself
- Pooling water on the floor
- Water damage to the floor or drywall
- Visible signs of mould or mildew
- Uneven cooling (a sign the air filter needs changing)
- High humidity in the home
If you suspect the reason for excessive condensation is related to the condensate line, pan or pump, it’s best to schedule an HVAC consultation.
To learn more about condensation issues, contact Arpi’s Industries of Calgary. We’ve provided homeowners with comfort solutions for more than a half a century.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “geralt/Pixabay”
