Here's what you should do when your air-con is leaking

The most common issue that you will encounter with your air-con (AC), is the leaking of water. When this happens, aside from the inconvenience caused, the AC might fail due to the added stress when the root of the issue is not addressed immediately.

Although you should hire the AC servicing and repair professionals to fix the problem, knowing what you should do when the AC leaks water, can help you to buy some precious time, while waiting for them to arrive. This is especially important when you are unable to get hold of the servicing and repair professionals in time.

Do you know?

The AC removes the heat and moisture from the indoors and cools the air to the preset temperature and dispenses the unwanted heat and humidity outside. The cooling system does this through a chemical called refrigerant.

Before you begin, you should have following ready:
1. Cloth;
2. Ladder;
3. Screwdriver;
4. Plastic Sheets;
5. AC instructional manual and;
6. Wet and dry vacuum cleaner…

and understand the anatomy of an indoor AC…

Here are 5 simple steps you can do when the AC leaks water

Safety note: Power off the AC before you begin. Never use a dry vacuum cleaner for liquids.

1. Wash the AC dust filter

Remove and wash the AC filter. Check the filter periodically to ensure that it is clean.

Do you know?

The purpose of the air filter is to remove the dust and dirt from the atmosphere, prior cooling the filtered air. Hence, once the filter is dirty or obstructed, the airflow to the evaporator coils will be either restricted or completely blocked.

When this happens, it will cause a significant drop in temperature and cause the evaporator coils to freeze. Once the AC unit is switched off, the frost will melt and excess water might overflow the drip tray, resulting in leaks.

2. Vacuum the AC evaporator fins

Use the wet and dry vacuum cleaner to clean the AC evaporator fins. Over time, dust and bio-slime, which is the byproduct waste of the bacteria and mold colonies, will jam up these fins. Therefore, check them periodically to ensure that they are not blocked.

Do you know?

The AC fins facilitate the heat exchanging process. Once they are clogged, it will cause a significant drop in airflow, and this will cause water leakage when the evaporator coils freeze.

3. Empty the drip tray

Remove the drip tray, sometimes known as the condensation tray which rests at the bottom of the AC, and wipe it clean. After the drip tray is clean, check for any holes and cracks and fix them with epoxy. Replace the drip tray when necessary.

ALSO READ: 5 air conditioner hacks to save money while working from home

Do you know?

The drip tray collects the water. which has been condensed during the cooling process, before it is drained through the drainage pipe. Over time, dust and bio-slime will build up over time and clog the drip tray, and cause the water to overflow.

4. Clear the blocked drainage pipe

Use the wet and dry vacuum cleaner to remove the blockage from the drainage pipe.

Do you know?

The drainage pipe discharges the water out of the AC. When the dust, debris and bio-slime accumulate, they will congest the drainage pipes the excess water will overflow and leak from the AC. 

5. Wipe the louver panels

Use a damp cloth to give the louver panels a thorough wipe to remove the dust and dirt.

Do you know?

The air louver panels are oscillating blades that direct the air flow. Keeping it clean will help to improve the AC cooling efficiency.

Other causes of the AC water leakage

The 5 steps listed above are simple actions you can take when the AC leaks water. However, when the AC is still leaking even after you have done the above, the root of the problem could be due to the low level of refrigerant or other more complicated factors.

When this happens, you should look for the professional AC technicians to fix the leaking AC as soon as possible.

ALSO READ: 6 habits to keep you cool while lowering electricity usage

Do you know?

When there is insufficient refrigerant, this will cause the pressure in the AC to be low. This makes the evaporator coils to freeze over and frosting to take place.

This article was first published in Renonation.sg.