Refrigerant evaporator leaking

[Christopher Finke]

I have a Lennox central air system in my house (installed about 20 years ago), and just this season, puddles of water have started to appear underneath the refrigerant evaporator. The strange thing is that it appears that it only happens after the A/C shuts off, not while it is running. We'll run it for hours with no water appearing, but then we shut it off and overnight, a couple liters of water appear around the base of the furnace and evaporator.

I checked the hose that drains the pan that the water collects in, and it is clear. I tried pouring over a gallon of water straight into the bottom of the evaporator, and it all drained just fine.

Any ideas as to what the problem could be? We're wondering if it might be related to another problem we have - one of our outdoor faucets will spray water out of it about 10 seconds after you turn it off, kind of like the pressure is building up after the water stops running. Is it possible that something similar is happening with the water that is supplied to the A/C? What might cause it?

Chris

[Tekkie®]

It's old - it's incontinent - let it out...

[Noon-Air]

Sounds messy

yup

Several things can cause it, first is not having it services regularly.

[Christopher Finke]

I've just confirmed this. When I shut off the A/C after it ran for about 2 hours, a puddle of water immediately started coming out from under the unit. It was also accompanied by a faint hissing sound, kind of like tire slowly deflating. The hissing sound stopped at about the same time the puddle stopped growing.

Chris

[Bubba]

Its just a phase you system is going through. It usually takes about 3 months and then it stops happening. Just ignore it. It will go away. Bubba

[Noon-Air]

Maybe you should call for service

[Barry]

Get in there and clean that twenty year old sleazy, scummy, drain pan. That probably has bacteria growing for the last twenty years. Or, call a licence professional to clean your mess. And then complain how much it costs. Some times our job is real glamorous.

Barry

[Christopher Finke]

I probably will be calling a professional tomorrow to get some quotes on fixing it - I just wanted to make sure it wasn't something simple like a plugged drain somewhere that I could fix myself. I'm mostly interested in what's causing it and being able to understand the issue before the technician gets here so that I can talk about it intelligently, not just mumbling the "water everywhere air conditioner help me help me" babble I posted above.

BTW, we've lived in this house for a little over a year, and both the A/C and furnace were serviced in the month before we moved in.

Chris

[Noon-Air]

All you need to tell the tech is that its leaking water, then let him/her do their job. FWIW, I don't know of any company that does estimates for *repairs*, only for new systems.

FWIW, it needs to be serviced twice a year...once in the spring for cooling and again in the fall for heating.

[hvacrmedic]

The water in your condensate line and the water in your plumbing have nothing in common. Also there is no water "supplied" to the AC unless you have a humidifier attached to it. In that case, you could have a defective atomizing humidifier or humidifier control circuit. With the blower running the water will vaporize, once the blower stops all of that water spray will just run out the first hole it comes to. Without more information there are a number of possible causes for the overflow, such as a cracked drain pan, partial frosting of the coil, no trap installed on the condensate line, partially restricted drain line....just a few of the possibilities.

You might have to take some sandpaper and dull the fins on the coil to keep the water from dripping off of it, or at least that's what someone we know would have suggested. I don't particularly recommend it though.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the condensate tube is dirty?? Maybe you have a airflow problem, or you are undercharged... Water takes the patch of least resistance...

-Canadian Cool

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[<kjpro]

"DANgER" Water takes the patch of least resistance...

Water runs through your head?

[Anonymous]

CLAP CLAP CLAP!

Wow I am impressed KYpro has actually said something correct. There is water in the human head. Now you just need a brain to go with that H2O!!!

HAHAHA

2EZ2OWNU! ;)

-Canadian Cool

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[<kjpro]

"DANgER" CLAP CLAP CLAP!

water in the human head. Now you just need a brain

I see that went right through your head with no comprehension. LOL

[Bubba]

A quote on a repair? Yer killin me. Honestly, if you called me for a quote on a repair like that Id probably just tell you to keep on walking your fingers through the yellow pages. Maybe Id just laugh and hang up. Kinda nasty hot and busy here so Id probably just hang up. :-) Bubba

[Tony]

Subject: CLEANING

A young couple got married and left on their honeymoon. When they

got back, the bride immediately called her mother. "Well," said

her mother, "so how was the honeymoon?"

"Oh, Mama," she replied, "The honeymoon was wonderful!

So romantic..."

Suddenly she burst out crying. "But, Mama, as soon as we returned

Sam started using the most horrible language - things I&#39;d never

heard before! I mean, all these awful 4-letter words! You&#39;ve got to

come get me and take me home. PLEASE MAMA!"

"Sarah, Sarah," her mother said, "calm down! Tell me, what could be

so awful. WHAT 4-letter words?"

Please don&#39;t make me tell you, mama, "wept the daughter" I&#39;m so

embarrassed they&#39;re just too awful!

COME GET ME, PLEASE!!!"

"Darling, baby, you must tell me what has you so upset. Tell your

mother these horrible 4-letter words!"

Still sobbing, the bride said,

"Oh, Mama...words like: Dust, Wash, Iron, Cook......."

"I&#39;ll pick you up in ten minutes," said the mother.

have nice day

Tony