Water leak in the a/c unit

Help! I've got a water leak in the a/c unit. Part of your air conditioner's job is to pull humidity from the air. The inside unit's blower pulls in hot, humid air through the return grille and over the inside unit's cold evaporator coil to cool the air down. When that happens, condensation forms on the evaporator coil. The water on the evaporator coil falls into a sloped drain pan and down a condensate drain line where it exits somewhere outside your home.

If water is collecting and not draining, the problem could be one of these issues:

1. Clogged condensate drain line or rusted condensate drain pan – if the drain gets clogged by dirt, insects, mold, etc., the water has nowhere to go but back into the home. The root of the problem could be a dirty evaporator coil. Have a professional HVAC technician, like those here at LHT Cooling, Heating & Refrigeration, Inc., clean the coil at least once per year. 
2. Installation issues – if you have a newer a/c unit, the problem may very well be installation related. An improperly designed condensate trap will stop the condensate from draining. As that water builds up, the drain pan overflows and causes water damage. 
3. Frozen evaporator coil – open the blower door of your inside a/c unit. Is the evaporator coil covered in ice? When that coil melts, there may be so much water that it overflows the drain pan and damages the floor. If the unit is in your attic, then your ceiling will also be affected. The most common causes for a frozen evaporator coil are:

• Dirty air filters – a dirty air filter blocks airflow over the evaporator coil, causing the temperature to drop below freezing and ice up. Check the air filter monthly and change if dirty!
• Low refrigerant – low refrigerant causes the evaporator coil to become much colder than normal causing it to freeze up. To defrost the evaporator coil, turn off the system and turn on the blower (from "auto" to "on"). 

So if you have a water leak in the a/c unit, call us to make sure everything is working properly and there is no other permanent damages!