Why Is Water Pooling in My Basement When My Air Conditioner Is On?

If water is pooling in your basement when your air conditioner is on, you have reason to be concerned. If water is starting to pool around your central air conditioner's inside unit, you should turn it off right away. The water may be harming the delicate circuits and electronics inside and can cause further harm to your system. If you ever encounter this problem, you should consult with a professional right away. This is always a serious sign of trouble, and you should never delay in seeking help from a certified HVAC professional. While this issue may seem like it requires the expertise of a plumbing contractor, it most likely is an AC repair issue. 

In addition to cooling your home, your air conditioner is responsible for removing humidity from the air. Since chilled air does not hold humidity as well as hot air does, condensation will begin to form and collect on the evaporator coils if the humidity is not properly controlled.

The water from your condenser coils should fall into a drain pan, and then flow down into your condensate drain. This drain line will either exit your home or connect to your plumbing system to dispose of the water. The most common culprit of poorly draining water is usually dirt or other debris. When the drain line is clogged, the water has no where else to go except where the water is pooling up, which unfortunately, is inside of your home. 

A frozen evaporator coil can also cause water to pool in your basement. There are two main reasons your evaporator coil can freeze over: low freon levels or dirty air filters, both of which are always found and corrected during a regular AC tune-up.

If you have excess water coming from your AC, or any other AC-related issue or concern, contact the air conditioning professionals at Heaney Plumbing & Heating. We have the experience, equipment, and skill needed to quickly assess and repair your air conditioning system, so contact us today!