One of the most frequent repair work calls that we get in Lahore are the water leaks from the indoor unit of the AC system — particularly during the summer of July and August when the humidity is high and the ACs are used continuously.
It looks alarming. Causes damage to walls and floors. If not corrected, it will cause a mould problem in your indoor unit, will impact on air quality and will contribute to the bad odor of your unit.
Fortunately, most of the causes are easy to solve and the wellbeing of all is understood.
Check out the top 5 water leakage issues that are found in ACs in Lahore.
1. Blocked drainage pipe – By far the most common cause.
As the air cools, it takes moisture out of the air from your indoor air conditioning system. This water is collected in a drain tray and drains out via a drainage pipe which is let out through the wall and outside. During the humid summer, the dust and algae get deposited in this pipe making it clogged.
If blocked, the water backs up in the unit drain tray and drains out (dripping from your indoor unit).
How to check this is the problem:
Check the drainage pipe on the outside wall. When it is running, if there is no water dripping from it, then the pipe is blocked.
Clean up:
Drainage pipe must be cleaned. A technician can clear the blockage by using a vacuum pump or pressurised air.
Use of algaecide tablets in the drain tray during the initial phase of treatment helps to prevent algae from growing and helps to prevent plugging.
This is included in our standard service.
2. Dirty Evaporator Coil – Ice build up on the evaporator coil.
If that indoor unit’s evaporator coil becomes dusty and covered with dirt, it will have less ventilation going over it.
The temperature of the coil cools to freezing and ice starts to cover the coil.
This ice quickly melts when the AC turns off, or comes out of the frost free mode, which leads to a large quantity of water produced in a short period of time, allowing the drain tray to overflow and leak.
Signs: Water leakages that occur in big drips or large sudden bursts instead of a continuous small drip. Ice formed on the inside unit and/or pipes while operating the unit.
Fix: Professional coil cleaning will get rid of the accumulated grime. Gas might also be causing ice to form and if so, gas refilling will also be required.
3. Faulty drain tray installation or damage to drain tray
Drain tray collects the condensation under the evaporator coil. If it is cracked, misaligned or was improperly installed at the time of the initial AC installation, water is not able to reach the tray at all and drips inside the unit housing or out of the unit.
Water leaks – even after an AC unit has been serviced recently, and the drainage pipe is clear.
Repair: Drain tray should be moved or replaced. In old AC units, sometimes, plastic drain trays get hairline cracks in them which are not visible at a glance therefore they should be replaced and not fixed.
4. Substandard pipe or defective concrete installation of pipe
Drain pipe must be sloped continuously down to the outside for flow to occur from the drain tray.
When the pipe was installed flat or with an upward section (Occurs in certain installations when the height of the outdoor unit is the same as the height of the indoor unit and/or the pipe was installed in an awkward manner), water does not drain.
Symptoms: Problem exists at installation and is not affected by the use of a drainage pipe cleaner.
Correct: Routing of the drainage pipe should be corrected. This will involve disassembling part of the installation to re-route the pipe, with a correct downward slope.
5. Low gas resulting in freezing of the coil
When the amount of refrigerant gas is low, it will lower the pressure, as described in our article about AC gas refilling, which will cause a drop in the temperature of the evaporator coil, and the coil will freeze.
Once the ice melts, it may cause the drain system to fail and water may enter the building.When the ice thaws, it can overload the drain system and cause water to seep in.
Signs: Poor cooling in conjunction with the water leakage. Copper pipes or ice on the indoor unit.
Fix: Gas leak detection, leak repair and gas refilling.
If you have a leaky air conditioner, here are some things you shouldn’t do.
Don’t simply place a pot under the drip and keep the air-conditioner on. With water accumulating in the indoor unit casing, the electrics and motor will be ruined over time. It will also lead to moulding in the unit resulting in a musty odor when the A/C is in operation and throughout the room.
If the water is running in abundance, turn the AC off. If waiting for a tech, use it in FAN ONLY mode.
What’s the price of a water repair?
We offer our regular services which include drainage pipe unblocking from Rs. 1,500. The cost of replacing the drain trays is usually around Rs. 1,200 to Rs. Depending on the brand, 2,500. The cost of re-routing drainage pipe is Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 3000 (depending on complexity).
If it is due to a low gas, add the gas refilling cost to this amount.
When to call us
Please contact us on call/whatsapp 0340-1424525 if your AC is leaking water inside the room.
We have all the necessary tools that are required for an on-site diagnosis and repair of drainage problems and can reach the majority of areas of Lahore within 1-2 hours.
Before doing any work we will determine the cause, and get the price from you in advance.