All air conditioners drip water. It’s the nature of the beast. Condensation is a part of the refrigeration process of cooling down a room and dehumidifying it at the same time. An AC that is not producing condensation is not working properly.
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Window AC Leaking water Outside.
When an air conditioner is working right, it is creating condensation as it cools down the air.
The condensation has to have a place to go and on a window AC that is either through a small drain hole located on a back corner of the air conditioner or a drainage plug which drains outside.
The problem comes along when the water is not draining outside but inside the house.
Air conditioner leaking water inside
Window air conditioners are designed to drain out the rear of the unit, outside of the window.
If you your window AC
Is dripping water inside the house, then there can only be a handful of things that could possibly be.
Here is a few tips to help you diagnose your leaky AC situation.
1. Poor installation
The window air conditioner is meant to be installed, tilted slightly to the rear. That is simply so that the condensation will follow the path of the bottom of the air conditioner and drip out the back.
If the window AC is level or tilted towards the front of the unit, the moisture will follow the path of the bottom of the air conditioner to the front of the air conditioner.
Eventually it is going to find a place to leaked out into the inside of the house.
Easy fix- tilt the AC back. You can add a shim to the front if you need a way to keep it tilted.
2. Not properly sealed.
If the warm air that is supposed to be expelled out the back begins to get into the house around the window AC. Condensation can begin to gather around the casing inside of a house.
Then just like a glass of ice water, it will begin to build up and eventually drip.
Easy fix #2. Weather strip around the AC.
3. Drain is Completely clogged.
If your drain hole is completely clogged, condensation water can build up to a point that it has to escape somewhere.
Easy fix #3. Clean out the drain hole. Take it even further and hose down the rear of the unit. Be sure to get between the grills to wash out anything that could be stopping up your drain hole.
Window AC not dripping water
If you find yourself on the other end of the spectrum and your window AC is just not dripping any water, that is a definite red flag and you need to address it before it becomes an physical actual problem.
If you have a window AC that is not dripping water, then the drainage hole is clogged up. It’s important to get it unclogged because the water is going to have to find some place to go. And that could mean out the front into your home and onto your floor or carpet.
Refer to Fix #3
Is water leaking from the air conditioner dangerous?
The water leaking from the air conditioner is condensation which on its own would not be considered dangerous at all. But since it is following a path where there could be a build-up of mold and algae and other debris, drinking AC condensation water is probably not a good idea unless it is ran through a purifier.
But since it already is running out on the grass, it is probably safe to say that air conditioning condensation water is not dangerous for plants.
Is the water leaking from the window AC damaging?
Yes water leaking from your AC can cause damage to your walls and ceiling.
Not only can it damage your drywall it can become mold growing inside of your walls.
It’s safe to say that keeping an eye out for how your AC is draining is one of the easiest ways to avoid problems with your air conditioning.
