In our experience providing air conditioning services all throughout Brisbane, we see a wide range of problems that result in a customers air conditioner failing to cool properly. Of course, these breakdowns always happen on the first hot day of summer, that’s Murphy’s law! An issue that can be even worse than a normal breakdown is the dreaded aircon leaking water. So why does this happen? A leaking air conditioner is a warning sign that something is wrong with your aircon. Your system is likely costing more money to run and potentially spreading mould spores throughout your home.
But don’t worry! The good news is that if you call an air conditioning service technician when you first notice the aircon leaking water it can usually be repaired quickly & cheaply.
What are Some Causes of your Aircon Leaking Water?
Dirty Air Filters
Regardless of whether you have a ducted air conditioner or a split system air conditioner, they both have filters that require regular cleaning.
If you don’t clean them frequently enough they will get clogged with dirt, which reduces airflow to the air conditioner, resulting in the cooling coils inside getting too cold. Colder coils means the aircon will remove more moisture from the air and potentially spit water out of the front of the aircon.
In extreme cases, dirt may have pulled through the filter and start blocking up the cooling coils. This will require a professional cleaning of your system.
We recommend cleaning your air conditioner filters at least every two months.
Blocked drains
All air conditioners have a water drain, which will overflow if it gets blocked. In the case of a split system, water will begin to run down your wall, most likely on the right-hand side of your aircon. If you have a ducted system with a blocked drain, water will begin to overflow into a safety tray located underneath in your roof space. If the safety tray drain is also blocked, water will overflow onto the ceiling, potentially causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.
Excessive Humidity Inside your Home
As you know, living in Brisbane can get quite humid. Running your air conditioner as soon as you get home after you have had all the windows & doors open can make your aircon temporarily leak water.
There are a couple of things you can do to prevent this.
1. Ensure all windows & doors are shut prior to starting the aircon. Even if your split air conditioner is in the living area (or you have a ducted system), it is still important that you have the windows in your master bedroom shut, as your air conditioner will draw air in from outside through the gap underneath your door, sneaky right?
2. Don’t set your temperature too low! Setting the temperature too low will result in your air conditioner working harder, potential water leaks and higher power bills than normal. We recommend setting your thermostat to 24 degrees in summer as an energy-efficient set point. It is important to keep in mind that every degree lower will increase your running costs by about 10%.
Low Gas Levels
If your system also isn’t cooling as well as it once did, it may have a gas leak! Similar to dirty filters, gas leaks lead to colder cooling coils, resulting in the aircon removing more moisture from the air and potentially spitting water out of the front of the aircon or inside the ductwork.
In more extreme cases, your systems cooling coils could freeze over. When this ice melts it may be too much water for your drains to handle, resulting in your aircon leaking water. Air conditioners with low gas will cause a range of problems, not to mention higher than normal power bills!
The best way to remedy this is to contact an air conditioning service professional who will come out, assess your system, repair the gas leak properly, then recharge your system. Always ensure you only use fully qualified unrestricted refrigeration & air conditioning technicians to repair your system, as electricians are not licensed to carry out repair work on air conditioners in Queensland.
At Smarter Air we employ fully qualified unrestricted refrigeration & air conditioning technicians to repair your system.
Smarter Air & Electrical are your local air conditioning specialists
Looking for a reliable local air conditioning installer or repairer for your Brisbane or Gold Coast home?
Smarter Air is a firm run by two friends who are passionate about making people more comfortable. We have over 22 years of expertise installing air conditioning in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Greater Brisbane, Ipswich, and the Gold Coast are among our service areas. We’re Brisbane’s leading provider of cutting-edge, high-quality ducted air conditioning systems.
Call Smarter Air at 07 3067 2396 or fill out the form below to learn more about air conditioning installation and service that will exceed your expectations.
