Air conditioning in Miami is no causal luxury. Our summers are as hot as they come, with humidity levels to boot. A good air conditioning system will keep your home cool and comfortable during even the most scorching heat wave. That’s why it pays to notice anything that may be amiss, such as a leak in the lines or elsewhere in your system. “What is my air conditioning leaking?” can sound quite ominous, especially considering the chemical components involved in the system
The good news is that the leak is most likely water condensate. While refrigerant gas can leak from the system, it doesn’t stay in liquid form, and whatever you see on the floor probably isn’t harmful to your or your family. The bad news is that it still indicates a problem with the system, requiring professional maintenance to address.
Water does show up when refrigerant leaks, though the two are only indirectly connected. When the refrigerant levels aren’t sufficient, frost will form on the AC’s evaporator coils, a sign of wasted cooling power. When the AC gets turned off, the frost will melt, creating a water leak. Most AC units have a condensate pan to catch water as it leaks, then safely move it out of the system via a drain line. The frost build-up could overflow the pan, however, and the pan could also overflow from unconnected issues such as a clogged drain line or an improper setting.
Regardless of the cause, the leak is actually an excellent warning sign of trouble brewing. If you spot it, shut your AC off and call in a qualified technician as soon as possible. He can unclog the drain line, reset the condensate pan, or find and seal the refrigerant leak before recharging the refrigerant to specified levels. The experts at Air On Demand handle these kinds of issues, as well as other issues relating to air conditioning in Miami. If your unit is leaking water or showing other signs of distress, give us a call. We’ll give you a straight assessment of the situation before making recommendations for repairs!