So, there is water dripping from your Air Conditioner...

Just the normal operation of your central air conditioning system can create some water. But, you could actually have a problem depending on what area the water is dripping. Water can cause a lot of damage in a home, when it is dripping in the wrong area and so you may want to schedule a repair right away.

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So, what is normal?

All air conditioning systems create condensation as they operate. This is normal. Your AC system is designed to remove condensation from the evaporator coils of the indoor air handling unit. Here in the Virginia Beach it is fairly common to have your indoor unit located in your attic. If you've ever visited your attic you can see that your system is sitting on (or above) a a metal drain pan. You should also see some white pvc pipe running from that drip pan which will lead outside of your home or through the floor leading to outside your home.

By far the most common setup is to have the main condensation drain exit your home usually very close to where your outdoor ac compressor unit is located. Some houses may have been designed to allow the water to utilize the laundry drain to get rid of the condensation. Water dripping these areas is normal and should be nothing of concern.​

Blockage in Condensation Drain

There is a secondary drain that is usually located above a window or at the attic level on the side of your house. This is an emergency drain which provides another level of protection to your home in case your main condensation drain becomes clogged. If your primary condensation drain becomes clogged then excess condensation start to pool in the pan below your inside air conditioner unit and then it will drain out through the secondary drain. If you are seeing water dripping from the secondary fail-safe drain then you know that something is wrong with your system.

In most cases the primary condensate drain has a blockage which needs to be determined and corrected. Usually it is just a build up of mold, mildew, etc. Cleaning this drain should stop the dripping from the secondary drain and allow condensation to exit through the main drain.  Usually, a little preventive maintenance can go a long way to keep this from ever becoming a problem.