Condensate Drain Troubles with Your Atlanta Air Conditioner
June 26, 2017

condenser-units-behind-fenceIf you’ve lived for any period of time in Atlanta, you know how humid it gets here—especially in the summers. This can cause some troubles for air conditioners, particularly with the condensate drain. This is a part of an AC that often runs into malfunctions over our humid summers, and our technicians are skilled at handling air conditioning repairs in Marietta, GA to fix drain troubles.

What Does the Condensate Drain Do?

If you stop to listen to the operation of your air conditioning system, you’ll occasionally hear the sound of water dripping inside the unit. This is water condensing inside the air conditioner as part of the cooling process—and the reason an air conditioning system must have a condensate drain.

The evaporator coil in an air conditioner is the place where water condensation first forms. As warm air is drawn over the coil, the cold refrigerant inside the coil evaporates, removing heat from the air. But it also removes moisture from the air, causing it to condense along the coil’s surface. The water droplets then fall from the coil and are caught in a condensate pan located below it. The condensate drain attached to the pan removes the collected water with the help of a pump, safely removing the water into the home’s drainage system.

What Can Go Wrong with the Condensate Drain?

A number of things which can lead to problems with water damage in the house, mold and mildew growth that lowers indoor air quality, and unpleasant smells from the air conditioner. Here are the most common issues with a condensate drain that will require professional AC repair service:

  • Dry drain trap: The “trap” in any drain is the curved piece of drain line that traps a plug of water even after water is finished running through the line. This water prevents sewer gas from coming back up the line. If you notice a sewer-like smell coming from your air conditioner, this may be the problem. A dried drain trap usually means the drain was poorly installed; technicians will need to replace it.
  • Dirt from the evaporator coil clogging the drain: For an air conditioner to work at highest effectiveness and efficiency, it must have a clean evaporator coil. During maintenance, our technicians always inspect the coil to see if it’s dirty and clean it if it is. A dirty coil not only harms system efficiency, it can also lead to a clogged condensate drain. Water dripping from the coil brings dirt with it, and it then enters the drain. A clogged drain will quickly cause the condensate pan to overflow, leading to a rise in humidity, water damage, and even the system shutting down.
  • Mold in the drain: This is a common problem for a place with high humidity. Not only will mold stop up the drain, it can lead to mold spreading elsewhere in the AC. At best, you’ll have a smelly air conditioner spreading rank air around the house. At worst, you’ll have toxic mold spores lowering your indoor air quality.

If you need help to fix your AC, we’re here to save the day! Call our customer service specialists at 770-213-COOL (2665) and let us know how we can help.

Comfort Zone Heating & Cooling serves Cummings, GA and throughout North Atlanta.

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