How To Stop Water From Leaking From Your Air Conditioner

Scenario:

My air conditioner is only a year old and it's leaking water badly. It's a window mounted air conditioner and I'm afraid the leaking water is going to cause damage to my exterior walls. Do you guys have any ideas or tips?

Solution:

It sounds like your drain line is clogged. That's what allows your AC to drain off the water. This is a repair that you should be able to do yourself. A drain line should be cleaned out annually. Most drain lines flow with the help of gravity, releasing the condensation that collects in the pan. It overflows as a result of becoming blocked and soon you have a leaking air conditioner. Like I said, regular maintenance is necessary to keep it free flowing.

Because you have a window air conditioner it is probably piped from the outside and this case you should locate the drain line and flush it thoroughly. You could use a garden hose if you're careful or you could also flush it with air.

If your air conditioning unit uses a condensation pump rather than gravity feed than it may need to be replaced. In this case the water is piped from the unit to the pump where it fills until the float reaches the appropriate level. After you turn it on check to see if it may be not running while it's full. If the pump is not operating you might be able to replace it yourself or you may want to call and air conditioning technician. Remember, before you attempt any repair work be sure to unplug the air conditioner.

After you get it fixed remember to clean it annually to keep algae and dirt build up to a minimum.