Schedule soon
Most indoor AC leaks start in the condensate system, usually with a clogged drain line or a rusted or cracked drain pan. Sometimes the float switch has shut the system off and the water is simply sitting in the pan. In South Florida humidity an air handler removes a lot of water every day, so a blocked drain backs up fast. A frozen coil that thaws can also overflow the pan.
Pick one to see how likely it is, who can deal with it, and what it means.
Common
You can check thisBacterial slime, algae and debris build up inside the drain line in warm, humid conditions. When the line clogs, water backs up into the pan and either spills or trips a float switch that shuts the system off.
Occasional
Technician fixOlder metal pans rust through; plastic pans crack. Water then drips straight past the pan into the closet, garage or ceiling below.
Occasional
Technician fixLow airflow (a dirty filter, a blocked return) or low refrigerant can freeze the coil. When it thaws, more water arrives than the pan can handle. Ice is a symptom, and the cause behind it still needs to be found.
Occasional
Technician fixA drain line that has separated at a fitting, or that doesn't fall steadily toward its outlet, leaks or holds water.
Occasional
Technician fixCold supply ducts and plenums that aren't well insulated or sealed collect condensation in humid air and can drip onto ceilings. It looks like an AC leak, but the drain isn't involved.
An air handler in a humid house removes water all day. Every leak is this path failing somewhere.
Turn the system off and call a technician if:
Tick them off as you go. None of them need tools or opening a panel.
Done all of these and it’s still not right?
That points to a part that needs a technician’s meter, not another reset.
Air conditioners cool by pulling heat out of the air, and in South Florida a lot of what comes out with the heat is water. On a humid summer day the indoor coil can wring several gallons out of the air, and all of it has to leave through a drain line not much wider than a finger.
That line is warm, dark and always wet, which is exactly where slime grows. A lot of the gel technicians pull out of drain lines here is a bacterial film, and Zoogloea is one of the usual contributors. These bacteria clump together into a jelly-like mat wherever water stands or trickles, and a system that runs most of the day keeps the line wet enough for them to thrive. Algae, dust and debris from the coil add to the same buildup, so Zoogloea is one part of the story, not the whole of it. Our guide on how drain lines clog goes further.
A line that drained fine in spring can narrow enough by mid-summer to back up, which is why so many leaks show up in July and August. Keeping the line clear is part of routine maintenance, and a leak that keeps coming back usually means the drain itself needs attention.
A technician traces the water back to its source, whether that's the drain line, the pan, a fitting, a frozen coil or sweating ductwork. The problem is cleared or repaired, and the system is checked for proper drainage before we leave. If a frozen coil caused it, the airflow or refrigerant problem behind the ice is diagnosed too. Free service call with repair.
Yes, if water is spreading, near wiring or reaching a ceiling. Turn it off at the thermostat. That stops more condensate from forming. A small amount of water in a secondary pan isn't an emergency, but it means the main drain needs attention soon.
Your system pulls more water out of the air when it's hot and humid, so the condensate drain carries more water, and slime and algae grow faster in the line. A partially clogged drain that coped in spring can overflow in July.
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