Water flows from the air conditioner into the room: causes and how to fix it

Most often you cannot do without a split system in the summer. However, in addition to benefits, it also brings unexpected troubles. If condensation flows out into the street, then this is quite normal. Another thing is when a leak appears indoors. Let's look at the reasons why the air conditioner leaks water into the room and how to deal with the situation.

When the air conditioner starts leaking Source diggytech.com

Why does water flow

Several breakdowns lead to the disastrous result of the air conditioner leaking. Let's look at each of them:

In those years when the daytime temperatures do not drop below +30, the cooling system wears out. As a result, the container where the condensate collects becomes overfilled and it flows out.
Don’t think that problems with a split system can only arise in the summer. Problems also occur during cold weather. During freezing, the heat exchanger becomes covered with ice, causing condensation to appear on the housing. Basically, freezing occurs when there is a significant difference between degrees at night and during the day.
The reason why water drips from the air conditioner into the room may also be a broken drainage. As a result, condensate flows in, although it should go out.
A leak may also occur due to the drain hose being positioned incorrectly. Accordingly, the liquid changes direction.
A depressurized circuit can also result in troubles and additional expenses. The result may be weakened pipes through which the liquid functions within the system. In this case, water will not flow in a stream, but condensation will be visible on the body.

The accumulated condensate is immediately visible Source antares-48.ru

And finally, the cause of the leak may be increased pressure inside the circuit. This reason is quite serious, and there is no point in trying to deal with it without the necessary tools and knowledge.

See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in engineering systems

Broken or broken connections

There is usually a pipe between the drain hole of the tray and the drainage tube. Sometimes it can crack, break off or fly off the tubes. This is a flexible hose that is held on with clamps or latches.

Open the air conditioner cover and look on the right and left sides (depending on the installation option) at the condition of the pipe. If the problem is in it and it is from it that water flows, it needs to be changed.

Solution

Don't look for an original pipe - you'll just waste your money . At any plumbing store or market, buy one of the same diameter and secure it with ordinary plastic zip ties.

If the old pipe was secured with clamps, wrap them or the pipe itself with fum tape. Then put on a new one.

Air conditioner drain pipe in the indoor unit.

Water flows from the air conditioner into the room - what to do

So, let's look at the causes of leaks from the air conditioner and solutions. Of course, it is best to call a specialist to your home, but you can perform some actions yourself:

If we are talking about the first reason, then a master may not even be needed here. It is enough to pour out the excess liquid from the drive, insert it into its original position, after which the equipment will work properly again. It is important to turn off the power first. In the future, also do not forget to monitor the slightest leak.
One of the reasons why the air conditioner leaks is the result of the appearance of ice - it makes sense to make thermal insulation. For example, to avoid temperature changes, you can use glass wool.
If the cause of the breakdown is the pump, it should be repaired, if possible, or replaced. It is difficult to do this without proper experience, so it is better to turn to the experts.
If the corrugated hose is positioned incorrectly, it is enough to place it at the correct angle.
The pipes can be strengthened if it is better to tighten them with nuts and finally use sealant for processing. It is important to act delicately here so as not to break the thread.

Even if the split system has been repaired, do not forget to monitor it so that there are no unnecessary accumulations in it, and in the future it will no longer leak. Prevention is always very important in the case of air conditioners.

Repair of air conditioners in case of leakage in the apartment Source www.stroiword.ru

Where to buy a replacement

While repair work is being carried out, a portable air conditioner can be a temporary replacement for a stationary product. It can also come in handy at the dacha, or, for example, when traveling somewhere to visit. The best option in terms of price-quality ratio is to purchase from the AliExpress online store. Mandatory long waits for parcels from China are a thing of the past, because now many goods are in intermediate warehouses in destination countries: for example, when ordering, you can select the “Delivery from the Russian Federation” option:

Tabletop mini air conditioner 1100 W for home, USB charging	Mini humidifier, air conditioner	Desk Fan, Humidifier, Purifier
Portable air conditioner, humidifier	Air Conditioner, Humidifier, Portable Purifier for Home	Air conditioner 1100W with timer, cooling/heating, remote control

The air conditioner leaked into the apartment - what experts advise

Experts say that the most common cause of a leak is a clogged drainage tank. Therefore, if you do not carry out periodic cleaning, then at some point one of the pipes will simply become clogged. Any debris can get into the tubes, especially in summer, from grass to insects. Some of them, attracted by water, even settle inside the split system. Some owners of this equipment even put a special fine mesh on the end of the outlet pipe, but we should not forget that this too can become clogged over time.

Cleaning the air conditioner if it leaks Source mamamoet.ru

How to deal with it

Calls for cleanliness are not enough here. There is still dust in the air, and it will definitely get inside the system. The manufacturer took care of this by installing mesh filters behind the grilles.

And these filters must be kept clean. At the end of the season, or best of all, once a month, the mesh should be removed from the housing, washed and dried. In addition, the radiator heat exchanger (fins) must be washed periodically. If the drainage is not clogged, dirty water will easily drain out.

Likewise, it is necessary to clean the fan turbine. The same dust gets on the blades, and it can lead to vibrations and damage.

The condensate collection tray itself is an excellent garbage pit. Heavy dust particles settle to the bottom and serve as an excellent preparation for the formation of a blockage at the entrance to the drainage. Again, the inside of the hull needs to be cleaned before the season begins.

Prevention of the drainage system

Without waiting for a flood from the indoor unit, it is necessary to regularly clean the tube connecting both air conditioner modules. To do this, you can use a tool to remove blockages in the sink, an enema (creating water pressure), or a pump for a beach mattress. To check the drainage patency, pour a glass of water into the condensate tray. The liquid should disappear within a few seconds.

Check the condition of the external parts of the drainage. If the flexible tube outside the wall is dangling in the wind, secure it.

Before the start of the season, be sure to check the tightness of the drainage connection with the outer tube. A couple of meters of sealed film costs a penny, unlike damaged wallpaper on the wall.

Air conditioner repair prices - why cheap installation is not profitable

Often, the cause of breakdowns due to which water flows inside is cheap and at the same time poor installation. Thanks to it, the causes of malfunctions can be the following:

The hole made for the tube is not made at an angle, as is customary, but straight, which is why condensation will soon begin to flow inside.
If low-quality materials were used during the installation process, the tube may break. Also, in a hurry, the master himself can break it.
Also, poor rolling can lead to a disastrous result, due to which freon leaks, and then, as a result, the heat exchanger freezes. As a result, when the split system is turned on, melted liquid flows and ice falls out.
The freon line was poorly insulated. This is not only a condensate leak, but also the need for an urgent replacement of freon.

Shall we clean the pipes?

Often the cause of condensation leaking from the air conditioner is a clogged drain pipe. This can be easily determined by eye.

Turn off the air conditioner and open the lid. If there is not a lot of dirt in the tray and the pipe is in good condition, the water should go down the drain. If there is water standing in the container, it means the drainage is clogged. You need to “break through” the resulting traffic jam.

Getting rid of the blockage

To clean the drain tube, disconnect it from the container. Just don’t forget to place a bucket or basin, otherwise all the water from the tray will be on the floor and walls... To clean the drainage, you need a regular electrical cable. It should be soft enough that it can be bent with little effort.

Insert the end of the cable into the drain tube and push into it until you feel it hit something. Congratulations, you've found the traffic jam! Now it needs to be broken through. To do this, “knock” on the plug until the cable goes further. But that is not all!

Most likely, you only made a small hole in the clog. Pull out the wire completely and wrap the end with cloth. It is advisable to secure it with tape or tape. Soak the cloth in detergent and clean the drain tube thoroughly.

Clearing blockages in drainage pipes

The most common and very unpleasant problem that can accompany the operation of climate control equipment is water constantly dripping from the housing and the formation of condensation on the indoor unit of the system. For many owners of split systems, this phenomenon simply causes bewilderment and many questions. However, this problem can be explained very simply - the drainage water supply is clogged. And it must be eliminated without fail, since the consequence of this malfunction is the formation of an ice plug when the external temperature decreases.

Since these are the most basic types of malfunctions, every owner of an air conditioner must know how they can be eliminated as correctly and safely as possible:

To prevent the formation of ice jams, certain preventive measures should be taken. These include heating the drainage pipeline to +6 degrees. And in order for heating to occur as efficiently as possible, a special cable should be used at the installation stage;
In the case of an existing ice jam, you will need to wait for warm weather. Under no circumstances should the split system be operated in cooling mode when there is an ice crust, as this will lead to the burning of the equipment, which can no longer be repaired.

For exclusive owners

Sometimes water is drained using a special pump. This is usually done when it is not possible to lay drainage to the street. For example, if the room in which the air conditioner is installed is located below ground level - in the basement.

In this case, a small pump is placed on the drainage system, which pumps water out of it from time to time. Typical pump problems may include:

The float chamber is clogged;
The power contacts have come loose or oxidized;
There is no contact between the sensor and the pump;
The air vent tube is pinched, flown off or clogged;
The pump itself burned out.

To find a solution to the problem, you need to check all the above points.

Recommendations

All of the above reasons are not the only ones, but are the most common in practice. To a large extent, everything depends on how well the drainage from the air conditioner was thought out and executed during its installation or laying of communications.

After completing the installation work, it is necessary to check how the drainage is proceeding. This is very simple to do, just fill a convenient container with water and carefully, without fanaticism, pour it directly onto the evaporator.

An equally important factor will be timely maintenance of the air conditioner, which should preferably be carried out at least once every 2-3 years.

If your air conditioner is leaking , just order air conditioner service!

“Equipment for Comfort” will qualitatively carry out all the necessary maintenance work on the air conditioner on-site in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region.

Fan

Some errors are indicated by indicators on the device's electronic display. Most often, during such breakdowns, the system turns on for a few seconds, and then immediately turns off.

The following are the main reasons for what is happening:

Faulty capacitor in the electric motor.
Breakdowns in the motor.
Broken fan blades.

In any situation, the problem can be easily solved by replacing the failed part.

The impeller changes in the following sequence:

Removing the front protective grille.
Unscrewing the nut that secures the fan.
The electric motor pulley is released from the impeller.
Using a new impeller on a pulley.
The reverse procedure is used when assembling parts.

When replacing a fan motor, it also requires a few simple steps:

De-energize the system, remove the front protective grille.
Unscrewing and removing the nut securing the entire fan.
Disconnect all electrical connections.
Unscrewing the motor itself, completely disconnecting it.
Putting on a new spare part.
Assembling and securing parts using reverse order.

A certain procedure remains the same when replacing the starting capacitor:

De-energizing the system.
Disassembly of the outdoor unit.
Unscrewing the fixing bracket.
Disconnect all wires.
Replace with a new starting capacitor.
In reverse order, the parts are assembled and secured.

The fan repair procedure will require about an hour of free time. The urgency and scope of repairs, the characteristics of the fan itself determine the total cost of the work.

Where does unnecessary liquid come from?

The air in the air conditioner is cooled by circulating refrigerant. The element of the flow pattern in which the temperature decreases is called the evaporator.

The device received this name because droplets of moisture, that is, “perspiration,” appear on its body during operation. The resulting liquid is the same condensate that requires removal from the split system unit.

Moisture is released from warm air at the moment of sudden cooling. One operating unit can accumulate up to 15-20 liters of liquid per day

Draining accumulated moisture is important for proper operation of the air conditioner. The climate control unit operates from the electrical network. As you know, water is a good electrical conductor. At high humidity there is a risk of a short circuit in the device circuit. Breakdown of expensive electrical equipment can be prevented by proper condensate drainage.

About the main faults

It is not recommended to fix any breakdowns yourself. If you do the repair yourself, and then problems arise, the manufacturer will most likely refuse the warranty.

If there is poor cooling in the room

This is usually due to the following reasons:

Weak power.
The appearance of internal damage.

Sometimes it happens that the power of the air conditioner is not enough to maintain the temperature in a particular room. An example is due to a sharp change in the climate in which the operation is carried out. The average temperature range is from -7 to +40 degrees. These are the main indicators that apply to all devices.

In other situations, the problem is related to internal failures of the device. It is recommended to immediately seek technical service; it is also difficult to solve something on your own.

Short cycle unit

At first the device is turned on, but it stops working literally after 15-20 minutes.

This problem has several reasons:

Dirty radiator.
Failed thermostat.
Broken control board.
Problem with settings.

External radiators are subject to various mechanical damage and stress, especially in the summer. When foreign objects get inside, the entire system begins to overheat. Because of this, all work stops. The problem is eliminated by flushing the radiator with water and strong pressure. This will help eliminate other air conditioner problems.

After refilling, a refrigerant imbalance may occur. It is enough to measure the operating pressure of the compressor to understand how severe the problem has become. If an overload occurs, the excess liquid is simply disposed of.

Condensate leakage from the indoor unit

This is also one of the signals of faulty equipment. This may happen due to a clogged condenser tube.

The repair involves performing several simple steps:

Turning off the air conditioner. You have to wait 10 minutes.
Disconnecting the plastic drain tube.
Cleaning and drying.
Returning the structure to its original position. This often helps if the air conditioner is broken.

Options for solving the problem

As soon as you notice that water has started to flow, immediately disconnect it from the power supply. You can clean the drainage tube yourself. To begin, take a medium-thick wire and make a small hook. Then carefully insert it into the drainage tube and push it forward with rotational movements.

From time to time, take it out and clean it. If you feel that the wire is resting against something, then the reason is a blockage. Thanks to the pre-formed hook, you can easily reach any midge. In addition, you should clean the condensate tank, bath, and filters from bacterial contamination using special products.

Professionally, I use steam cleaning, which will deal with bacteria and germs. Steam is supplied under pressure through a special pipe

If there is icing, you should wait until the ice melts on its own. Then contact the master. After such an express cleaning, you can also carry out a general cleaning.

To do this, you need to disassemble the indoor unit. Using a screwdriver, remove the drain pan, then attach a high-pressure washer (water hose) to the drain pipe and rinse for 5-10 minutes. If you find that the problem is due to unprofessional installation, then you should call specialists.

To prevent breakdowns, you should regularly carry out technical cleaning of the air conditioner, which consists of washing the filters and drain pipe. In warm weather, climate control equipment must be cleaned once every 2 weeks. From time to time you should check the condensation level of the split system.

An effective way to check the condition of the strainer is to spray it with a thin stream of clean water.

Now you know, if water flows into the apartment from the split system, you should immediately disconnect the device from the power supply. Then you need to check the condition of the air conditioner. And if, after all our recommendations, water is still dripping, then immediately call a specialist.

Do-it-yourself troubleshooting

Fortunately, you can deal with a number of malfunctions yourself, without resorting to the help of a repairman.

Incorrect settings

If the equipment does not cool the room well, this may be due to two reasons:

The equipment settings are set to high temperature. In order for the room to quickly fill with coolness, you should choose the lowest one and then set it to a comfortable one.
The fan option is selected in the parameters. This mode is responsible for the circulation of air masses and does not affect its temperature in any way. In this situation, you need to set the cooling mode.

Expert opinion Dmitry Konstantinovich Levin

When the split system heats the air, it is worth checking whether the heating option is turned on. If yes, you should switch it to cooling mode. This is only relevant for equipment that has a heating function.

Clogged indoor unit filters

Step-by-step steps for cleaning indoor unit filters.
Clogged indoor unit filters are characterized by a low degree of air mass cooling. You may also notice how the device begins to leak or freeze. This is due to the fact that dust, wool and hair tend to accumulate on the heat exchanger plates, as a result of which the radiator does not release the cold well enough.

Solution: clean the filters. To do this, you need to remove the unit cover, remove the filters and rinse them under running cold water. You can read the factory instructions on how to properly remove the cover.

It is important to note that filters should not be cleaned with hot water: this can lead to their deformation.

The radiator of the external unit is dirty

In addition to poor cooling, contamination of the radiator of the external unit is characterized by periodic stopping of the compressor. This malfunction is caused by external factors: dust and poplar fluff slow down the rotation of the fan. Due to this, the heat exchange between the condenser and the street air decreases, and along with it, the ability of the split system to reduce the air temperature at home or in the office decreases.

Solution: clean the external unit. A steam generator is suitable for this. However, if you don’t have such a technique, it’s okay, you can use a regular brush.

If the owner of the device lives in a multi-story building, and the external unit is located in a hard-to-reach place, there is no need to risk your life by standing on the indentations of windows and roofs. It is better to use the services of an industrial climber.

Low or unstable power supply voltage

If the external unit of the device constantly turns on and off at intervals of 2-3 minutes, this means that the voltage in the power supply is unstable or too low. As a result, overheating of the rotor winding occurs and subsequent shutdown of the motor by the thermal relay.

Solution: install a voltage control relay; in addition to it, you can install an electrical stabilizer.

Causes of leakage

If the cooling system operates at full capacity for a long time - and this, as a rule, happens in hot summers - the condensate collection tank simply overflows, and that’s it, the device leaks into the house and not outside.
In winter, the heat exchange part of the air conditioner may become covered with ice, and this in turn leads to the formation of condensation from the working fluid. It is he who begins to flow. Freezing occurs when the outside temperature differs significantly between day and night.
The air conditioner drainage system may fail, causing condensate not to flow into a special container, but to drip or flow.
The drainage hose may be in the wrong position, as a result of which the liquid simply does not rise in the right direction, and the split system begins to leak.
The circuit has depressurized due to the fact that the pipes leading the liquid into the system have weakened, and it flows drop by drop.
There may be excess fluid inside the circuit, which leads to increased pressure. This problem is quite serious, because in the end it may turn out that your air conditioner is not just leaking, but broken.

The flow of a split system looks like this:

Automatic diagnostics

Factory defects, poor installation and improper operation are the main reasons why the internal parts of the air conditioner fail prematurely. There is practically nothing that can be done about a manufacturing defect; in the other two cases there is a chance to improve.

Inscriptions on the display and blinking lights will help you find out in time that certain problems have arisen.

In an air conditioner, they usually talk about breakdowns of the following nature:

Broken thermistor, resulting in no additional temperature control.
Problems with the directional valve.
Problems inside the fan.
Voltage surges at the outdoor unit.
Exceeded parameters related to energy consumption.
Problems with the cable or circuitry due to communication.
Lack of overvoltage protection.
The work goes on both heat and cold at the same time.
Malfunction in the thermistor of the external part.
Faulty internal thermistor.

The instructions provide a precise definition for those who are interested in deciphering the appearing codes and designations. This allows you to quickly determine what exactly happened.

But not every code has a decryption for users. Most of the information is handled by technicians belonging to a particular service center.

Compressor and clutch problems

If the radiator on the external unit is clogged with dirt, this part of the structure may overheat. Heat removal becomes more difficult and the load on the device increases. The pressure level in the lines requires a separate check. Excess refrigerant must be released if the reading is higher than normal.

Never rule out the possibility that the fan on the external unit has become faulty. Clogged capillary tubes are another common cause of later problems. Replacing one of the tubes often solves the problem.

There are other signs that indicate breakdowns in this part:

Compressor failure to start when .
Presence of oil leaks on the compressor.
Compressor drive belt creaking.
Extraneous noise.
Decreased performance.

Complete compressor replacement and repair are complex operations, so it is recommended to immediately contact specialists.

But noise can indicate both problems in the compressor and malfunctions in the drive. The pulley bearing is most likely the source if the noise is heard even when the device is turned off.

If the compressor refuses to start, they also look closely at several parts of the mechanism:

Clutch.
Relay.
Fuse.

A blown fuse is the easiest to deal with; in case of breakdowns, it is simply replaced with a new one. The electromagnetic clutch is studied next if the previous steps did not produce any result.

As for the compressor itself, there are several reasons for its breakdown:

Reduced refrigerant level.
System clogged.
Complete blockage.

Repairing and replacing a compressor is quite an expensive undertaking, so it is recommended to treat the part with as much care as possible during operation.

When the device turns on and turns off immediately, the reason most likely lies in the sensors - evaporation or temperature. Data from temperature sensors is associated with the operation of the control board. If the system is faulty, there is no information. And the device believes that the current operating mode does not need adjustment for this indicator.

Compressor overheating and shutdown often occur due to fan malfunctions. This usually happens if the rotation speed of the device is less than certain specified parameters.

Dirt and dust may appear in some other parts:

Dryer filter.
External radiator.
Capillary tubes.

In such situations, the compressor stops turning on and working normally.

Signs of malfunction

First, a little theory. An air conditioner is one of the types of climate control equipment. The equipment allows you to maintain a comfortable temperature level in the apartment in hot weather. However, its operation entails certain difficulties. It happens that liquid leaks directly into the room, and often this is not a couple of drops, but a rather impressive leak. Even more difficulties arise if the entire internal unit of the equipment leaks - then condensation flows onto the floor, as well as furniture and other items, including electrical appliances, which can result in complete failure of home appliances.

Let's try to figure out why water is dripping from the air conditioner. The fact is that the principle of operation of the equipment is not only to cool the air, but also to create a favorable microclimate in the room. For this purpose, the system is additionally equipped with the option of drying air flows. The mechanism of action is simple: liquid from the air, in contact with a cooled element, condenses and settles on the surface of the indoor unit, from where it is discharged to the external one. It is impossible to determine exactly how much water is produced per day. Much here depends on the initial air temperature and the level of its humidity, as well as on how many degrees the room needs to be cooled - that is, the determining factors in this case are the power of the equipment and the climate parameters in the room. On average, a split system is capable of removing 13-15 liters of water per day; industrial air conditioners with high power are capable of converting up to 150 liters of liquid in 24 hours.

Most of the models on the market remove moisture to the street, but if liquid suddenly stops flowing from the external unit, this directly indicates a malfunction of the equipment.

The presence of a breakdown is also indicated by the appearance of ice on the block. Regardless of whether entire drops freeze or only slight frost appears, you should immediately call the experts, as this indicates that the temperature regulators are not working properly.

What is condensate?

The risk of harm to health from improper removal of evaporated moisture is much more dangerous than the threat of a split system breakdown. Although, in terms of its chemical composition, condensate is just ordinary water. But the fact is that pathogenic microbes accumulate in stagnant warm moisture.

The consequences of not draining condensate can be:

unpleasant musty smell from the air conditioner;
reproduction of Legionella pathogens;
formation of various forms of mold.

It is a mistake to consider air conditioning to be the main cause of severe Legionnaires' disease. A dangerous microorganism lives in the soil, swimming pools, and decorative fountains. Wherever there is stagnant water, even in medical physiotherapy equipment, there is a risk of encountering Legionella.

Removing excess moisture from the split system is necessary for the health of your family. Constantly draining condensate will not give a chance for water stagnation to develop

The drainage system is designed to drain excess moisture. Correctly performed condensate drainage and timely maintenance make air conditioning equipment completely safe.

Arctic cold in the indoor unit

Sometimes the reason that water flows from the air conditioner may be ice on the evaporator. Open the outer panel of the indoor unit of the air conditioner and inspect the radiator. If there is ice on it, the cause has been found.

In this case, there is so much ice on the air conditioner evaporator that it even froze the filter.

Ice may appear for three reasons:

The air conditioner is set to operating temperature too low;
The room temperature is lower than the operating temperature than the air conditioner and the humidity is high;
There is not enough freon in the line.

Your actions

Turn off the air conditioner and wait until the evaporator thaws. To speed up the process, you can blow it with a regular hair dryer. After this, increase the temperature and use the device.

If the leak appears again over time, the problem is most likely low freon pressure. You won’t be able to fix this yourself, call a professional. At the same time make sure that the repairman has checked the freon line for leaks and topped up the air conditioner.

The fact is that the refrigerant circulation system is closed. If the pressure drops in it, then it could be broken. But sometimes freon comes out through microcracks in pipes or fittings very slowly and it doesn’t always make sense to seal them.

Not spring drops

It happens that water drips from the air conditioner indoors due to the large difference between the day and night readings of the thermometer. When it falls “overboard,” the condensate turns into ice, and in the morning it melts and flows down anywhere. If this is the reason, the sector where the heat exchanger is located needs to be insulated. Glass wool is quite suitable for these purposes. After such work, there will be no more leaks.