Your air conditioner leaking
A useful piece of equipment for regulating the temperature in a room, air conditioners are increasingly being used in domestic premises. Unfortunately, however, they can be subject to faults and malfunctions that can have a negative impact on your comfort. One such problem is that of water regularly dripping onto your furniture or floor… quite an annoying issue, wouldn't you say? This article will help you understand and identify the parts causing this drainage problem.
THE POTENTIAL CAUSES FOR THIS FAULT:
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The condensate drain pipe is blocked
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The condensate drain pipe is worn or damaged
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The drainage system is incorrectly installed
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The evaporator is frosting up
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The refrigerant circuit is defective
WARNING
Before carrying out any work on your appliance,
make absolutely sure you first completely disconnect it from the mains electricity supply.
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.
Wear protective gloves if you need to disassemble the appliance
RISK OF CUTS AND ABRASIONS.
How an air conditioner works An air conditioner actually works on the same principle as a refrigerator, i.e. it has two "compartments". The first of these, the evaporator, is installed inside the room to be air conditioned, whilst the second, the condenser, is located on the outside of the building and serves to evacuate the heat. These two chambers are linked together by a watertight closed circuit in which the refrigerant circulates. There are also portable all-in-one systems on wheels in which the mechanism that collects the water has to be emptied regularly to prevent the system breaking down or leaking.
The condensate drain pipe is blocked
It's important to be aware that when an air conditioner cools the air, it also dries the air in the room by extracting the moisture present. This moisture then condenses into drops of water filled with impurities inside the appliance: this is what's referred to as condensate. This condensate then collects in a tank and is drained into the household drainage system via a small pipe. Over time, this drainage pipe can sometimes become clogged due to the impurities in the water, which will prevent the drops of water in the drainage tank from escaping. This can lead to the water overflowing, thus causing a leak. To check if this is the case, you'll need to locate thedrainage tank. You'll have to remove the covers located on the air conditioner to do this (there will be some screws to unscrew). Check the condition of the tank at the bottom of the appliance. Is it full to the top? If yes, empty and clean it.
Purchase a spare part or accessory for your air conditioner
The condensate in the drainage tank will have a gelatinous appearance. This is perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned about. To unblock the drainage pipe, use a semi-rigid wire that will fit into the drainage pipe, and push it through until the pipe is completely clear. You can also try squirting hot water through the pipe using a syringe.
The condensate drain pipe is worn or damaged
Injected water into the drainage pipe pipe and discovered that the leak is coming from the pipe itself? Your drainage pipe is therefore probably damaged. This means you'll need to replace it to get your air conditioner working at optimum efficiency again.
The drainage system is incorrectly installed
It's possible that the condensate drainage pipe is badly positioned: the downward angle might not be steep enough, which will prevent the condensate in the drainage tank from draining away properly. If the pipe rises up at an angle in your system, you'll need to install an additional drainage pump.
Purchase a drainage pipe for your air conditioner
The evaporator is frosting up
As explained previously, the evaporator is located inside the room to be air conditioned. It acts on the ambiant air by cooling it down. It's possible that in cooling the air, the evaporator is producing frost, which, when you turn the appliance off, then melts into small droplets. If this is the case, you'll probably need to check and adjust the thermostat setting: avoid setting it at too low a temperature!
Purchase a spare part or accessory for your air conditioner
The refrigerant circuit is defective
Frost forming across a wider area than just the evaporator? It's possible there's a fault with the refrigerant circuit in your air conditioner. The compressor, which enables the refrigerant fluid to circulate properly, might be defective, or the circuit itself may well be blocked up with oil. Whatever the case, you'll need to call in a refrigeration and air conditioning technician to deal with this type of problem…