Almost 90% of all household in Singapore have an aircon system. Aircon in Singapore has become a necessity rather than a luxury because it is a hot and humid country throughout the year. When you walk to any restaurant or shopping mall, you will encounter or feel the presence of air conditioner. However, many Singaporeans do complain that their air conditioner leak water often and they have no idea on how to fix the problem. This article focuses on the main causes on air conditioner leakages and how to fit the problem.
The main function of an air conditioner is to remove any moisture present in your house thus providing a feeling of coolness. But through this process, water is normally produced. The aircon normally produce water depending on the moisture present in your room, the size of the air conditioner, the working efficiency of your air conditioner and lastly how your air conditioner was installed.
If you air conditioner was not properly installed, there are very high chances that it will leak. When the air conditioner sacks moisture from your room, the moisture goes into the cooling compartment where it condenses into the air conditioner base. The fan connected to the aircon will lift the condensed water and channel it to the pipe that connects the aircon to the outside where is discharged to the ground through the pipe.
Table of Contents
What are the main causes of aircon leaking?
1. Broken pump.
When the condenser pump of your air conditioner is broken, it will definitely start leaking water. You can test this by first poring water into the condenser pan and see if can properly pump out the excess water. If it cannot then the condenser pump is broken or it not functioning to its full capacity.
2. Improperly installed.
When the aircon unit improperly installed, it can easily leak water. If there is too much pressure on the unit or if the unit is not level, water may begin to pool.
3. When the drain hole is blocked.
Every air conditioner has a drain hole that removes water form the unit. Sometimes the drain hole can be blocked with debris or dirt thus blocking the passage of water.
4. When the outside temperature is too cold
When the outside temperature starts to change, you can actually end up with extra water buildup due to temperature imbalance. For instance, when the outside temperature is too cold, it will cause water to star building around the unit making a pool simply because the water is unable to evaporate.
5. Air leakage.
If the seals of the air conditioner are not tight enough, excess warm air can find its way inside the unit. This causes the moisture from the air to condense when it comes into contact with the cold air that is inside the air conditioner. The excess moisture will star forming pools below the unit. Pooling water is the worst thing that can happen to any air conditioner. If water is pooling on your air conditioner, then the unit is not functioning properly and that means that will not get the temperature that you want in your house.
How can you fix aircon leaking problem?
When it comes to fixing a leaking air conditioner, there are few crucial aspects you need to consider. Normally, there are 4 common reasons for this specific problem ant they include: dirty filters, blocked drains, shortage of refrigerant and improper installation.
1. Dirty filters
When the filter of the heat exchanging coils is unclean, then it can actually lead to restricted air flow. The restricted flow of air can cause the temperature of the coil to decrease thus making the moisture present in the air to freeze up thus creating small ice flakes which eventually causes water leakage when the water melts. To fix this problem, you first need to check the filter. If the filter is grimy, use a horse pipe to properly clean all the dirt. On the other hand, if the filter is filled with a lot of dirt and grim, use a backyard spray bottle or a sturdy kitchen cleaner to remove the dirt. The air flow of your air conditioner will greatly improve if the grim or the dirt that has accumulated is removed and it will prevent the aircon from leaking if that was the cause of the problem.
2. Blocked drain
As mentioned earlier, blocked drained is another big problem that could cause the aircon to leak. If the drain is clogged, water may leak from the back of the unit or through the aircon outlet. To fix this problem, thoroughly check the air conditioner by standing on a small ladder. Thoroughly inspect the little tray under the heat exchanger that is normally used to collect the condensed water generated through the cooling mode of the aircon. Make sure that the tray is not overflowing or full. Also clean the end of the pipe outside to clear any sort of blockages. If you can’t clear the blockage by yourself seek assistance from professionals to help you right away.
3. Refrigerant loss
When the heat exchanger and air filter are working to full capacity, your air conditioner must be able to provide plenty of cool air. If the unit is not able to provide enough cooling air into the house and then the aircon begins to leak, there must be something wrong with the refrigerant. To fix that problem, you need to first change the setting of the heat pump to the lowest level and allow it to run that way for some time. Then check the heat exchanging coils located under the filter. If the coil is covered with ice, then your aircon has a water leakage and need to be repaired. If you cannot fix the problem buy yourself, contact the local air condition company to fix the problem for you.
4. Correct installation
The air conditioner can start leaking if it not properly installed. To fix this problem, check to see if the unit is in level. If it is in level, go ahead and look for any closed vents in the house. This is because the closed vent can sometime add pressure causing the valve to leak. If you are not able to fix the problem by yourself, call a professional to fix the problem for you.