You’re probably used to hearing dripping sounds and pinpointing the issue to a part of your home plumbing, right? Perhaps it’s a dripping faucet or a leaky pipe. But what if you’ve walked through your entire house and you’ve come to realize that the dripping sound is not coming from your plumbing system, but instead from your AC?
What do you do? What does this mean? And how can you be sure that nothing catastrophically bad is happening?
We understand the urgent concern. Stagnant water can often lead to mold growth, and we don’t want any of our customers getting comfortable with water dripping in their homes. However, the issue might be easily resolved with AC repair in Cedar Rapids.
What Is the Dripping Sound?
When you locate a dripping sound coming from your air conditioner, you can almost always be sure it’s a problem with condensing moisture from the atmosphere. When refrigerant leaks from the system, it doesn’t drip out (if that’s what you were wondering), it hisses out as a gas which is a different symptom.
Usually, when your air conditioner deals with excess humidity, it condenses the moisture and sends it down a condensate drain into a pan where it can be let out of the house. This is just water from the atmosphere, so you don’t need to worry about chemicals or anything.
But sometimes that drain can clog and the condensate can have trouble exiting your home. When this happens, mold can grow and foul odors can emanate from your air conditioner, and water might start dripping from other areas.
Fixing a Clogged Condensate Drain
This part is tricky. First, we’d recommend calling our team and letting us drain your condensate line. Depending on the kind of system you have, this might not be an easy task and you might risk damaging another component of your air conditioner.
Basically, what we do when you call us is we pour vinegar down your condensate line and scrub it. This removes any and all mold that might have built up and it will clear it out so moisture can safely and easily flow through it. This might sound like an easy task that a homeowner can do, which is true, but accessing the condensate line without damaging other components can be the trickiest part of all without proper training.
Routine Maintenance Can Alleviate This Problem
Avoid this problem entirely by scheduling AC maintenance on a yearly basis! During maintenance, we always clean the condensate line using vinegar, which can stop mold from building up and keep your system running smoothly. If you’re looking for a more long-term solution, this is your best bet.
Unique Ductless Issues and More
Ductless systems still require this precise assistance. In fact, ductless units have a condensate drain in each air handler which means they require more maintenance than usual. Leave this to us when you schedule ductless maintenance, or call our team to clear out your system today so water doesn’t start leaking down your wall.
At Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc., your comfort is our promise! To set up an appointment in the Cedar Rapids area, give us a call at the number above, email customerservice@daltonphc.com or schedule an appointment online.