Property owners now appreciate the impact of water damage on various elements in their constructions. They will thus be on the lookout for any signs of water damage including peeling paint, discolored walls and ceilings and a moldy smell.
Unfortunately, most cases of water damage arise from slow leaks. These are harder to detect compared to water gushes and often need considerable repairs once picked. Some property owners will assume drain cleaning here in Utah using some of the cleaners in stores touted as the best.
And a few homemade mixtures will quickly and effectively avert leaks. While blocked water pipes and sewer drains are undoubtedly the leading cause of property water damage, there is another cause of indoor leaks that is mostly overlooked.
This is the leaking of your HVAC unit. Central air conditioning is the leading choice for properties nowadays and comprises indoor and outdoor units. While leaks around outdoor units are easy to pick, this is not so for indoor units since the leaks around them are commonly attributed to other causes.
Here are the common causes of leaking indoor air conditioning units.
Dirty Coils
The cold evaporator coil in an indoor AC unit is meant to collect the condensation that accumulates from your indoor cooling and drain it. Water flows down the coil into a pan connected to your property’s plumbing drain.
When this evaporator coil becomes dirty, water no longer binds tightly to its surface and hence drips to the floor. Moreover, the dirt carried from the coils by the little water that flows to the drain pan has considerable debris and clogs the pan.
In so doing, water will not flow into the plumbing drain but pool around it.
Clogged Drain Lines
Clogs along your drain line are all too common with the amount of dirt and sludge flowing through your indoors. Once clogged, water will back up into your interiors and pool around the indoor unit or consistently leak into your floors and walls depending on the unit’s installation.
Vacuuming is one of the leading methods used for clearing obstructions. A plumber might also recommend the installation of an overflow shut off device that automatically shuts the HVAC unit if the drain line clogs.
Icy Indoor Coils
The common causes of an icy indoor HVAC coil are dirty air filters and low refrigerant levels. These elements cause the dropping of the temperatures surrounding the coils to below freezing. The icing overwhelms your unit’s drain pan and causes water pooling.
Periodic replacement of the air filters and averting refrigerant leaks will avert icy indoor coils.
Air Leaks
When the seals on your indoor unit are not tight enough, warm air can mix with the cool air your unit churns. This mixing will cause the formation of condensate on the surface of the indoor unit and excess moisture. Resealing the unit can make it impervious to atmospheric air and avert condensate formation.
You cannot be too sure of the cause of your leak. It is thus prudent to have a heating, electrical and plumbing company to assess your property when faced with leaks. This way, the above leak causes and others can be swiftly handled.