water condensing on AC compressor coils

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

I can't say it sound bad just wet out there without looking at it to see other things it could be wrong.

TURTLE

[bc]

Is this a problem? The pad the compressor sits on seems to collect quite a puddle, and there is some water standing in the bottom of the housing. This is an outside unit, that is, a Carrier AC system with outside compressor and coils, and lines running to an air handler inside. I thought the cold part of things was the set of coils inside the air handler. Thanks.

[Rick]

housing.

If there's even a short section of the suction line exposed (no insulation), it's probably just water condensing on the line and running down to where it enters the unit..

[SQLit]

Are you sure that the drain from the indoor unit does not come to the same area?

[Mikepier]

There are usually drain holes at the bottom of the unit which occasionally get clogged and need to get cleaned out, if you have access to it. I also have a Carrier and on my unit. If your unit is similiar, I shut the power first, then I remove the fan shield on top and can get access to the bottom and poke a long nail in the drain hole to clear them. If your condensate water gets pumped out of the house close to the compressor, like mine, it could be what the water on the pad is from. In that case you can just re-route it to drain further away.

[udarrell]

What is the air temperature rise off the condenser? Perhaps it could use more of a heatload on the indoor evaporator coil.

The cold suction vapor will cause the suction line near the compressor, and in many causes, it will cause the compressor to condense moisture too. This situation is rather normal. Check the condenser's temp rise anyway, and the indoor em drop between the supply air diffusers and the return air grilles. Do you have apparent good airflow from the diffusers in all rooms? These three things may or may not reveal any helpful information. - udarrell

[webmaster]

Its just sweat off the suction line...thats all, and its normal as can be this time of year.

[udarrell]

Yes, use a normal thermometer.

The indoor temp/split will vary according to the relative humidity level. (See chart) Figure A18-1

A lot of factors enter into the indoor temp/split, that is why the condenser split is helpful information as to the Btu/hr heatload that the evaporator is transferring to the condenser. Your outdoor split will not be as much as the condenser chart shows; note that the higher the relative humidity the higher the condenser temp rise. Figure A17-4 Sorry I wrote all over the charts, it's a bad habit of mine. Do the same simple checks on your upstairs system, and see how they compare. (Post the temps here.) - udarrell

[bc]

udarrell wrote in news:42da7de8 [e-mail]:

Thanks everyone for the answers...

This is the downstairs unit of a two story house, so it doesn't run as often, but when it is running it does blow cold air. When you check the temps, you just use a normal thermometer or something? What are you looking for in the inlet and outlet air temps?

I tend to suspect it's probably normal, although this unit (downstairs) seems to have a lot more water condensing around it. I thought it might be bad insulation around the tubing going back in to the house, but that seems to be ok. The drain from the air handler is coming out another wall, so I am pretty sure it's just condensation. I see a much smaller amount of condensation on the upstairs outside unit, but it definitely seems to run much more, given that heat rises etc. etc.

I'm getting the feeling from the answers so far that it is probably nothing to worry about, so I am probably going to let it ride for now.