AC leaking water: normal or a fault?
Air conditioning dripping outside is normal: as it cools, it pulls moisture out of the air and gets rid of it as water through a pipe. What isn't normal is water falling from the indoor unit. It's nearly always dirty filters, a blocked drain or ice from low refrigerant gas, and the first one takes ten minutes to check.
Step 1 of 4
Where is the water coming from?
Look indoors first: the unit on the wall and the wall just below it. Then look outside at the big unit on the balcony, terrace or façade, and find the thin pipe that usually comes out next to the copper pipes. If water is falling onto a socket, an extension lead or the unit's cable, don't touch anything wet. Pick that answer first.
Why an air conditioner drips
An air conditioner that cools also dries the air. The moisture in the room condenses on the cold part of the indoor unit, drops into a tray and runs out through a pipe to the street or to a drain. That's why dripping outside is normal, and in a humid summer like Valencia's the pipe can let out quite a lot of water. In heating mode the water appears on the outdoor unit, especially when it defrosts.
When water drips inside the flat
If water is coming out of the wall unit, something is stopping it from reaching its pipe. The most common causes, from cheapest to most expensive, are these:
- Dirty filters. Little air gets through, the cold part ices up and when it melts the water spills out of the tray. Cleaning them fixes it.
- A drain tray or pipe blocked with sludge and algae, or a pipe with no downhill slope.
- A unit fitted at a slant, especially if it was installed or moved recently.
- Low refrigerant gas, which causes ice even when the filters are clean.
- A faulty condensate pump, on units that have one.
What you can check yourself
With the unit off and the breaker down, the filters come out without tools. You can also check whether water comes out of the pipe outside and whether there's ice on the unit. What you shouldn't do is take the casing off, push wire down the drain from inside or touch the gas circuit: besides, that last one can only be done by someone with an F-gas certificate (carné de gases fluorados).
What we do
Tell us what you found in this test, with a photo of the indoor unit and another of the outdoor unit. We give you a fixed price in writing, usually in under two hours, and an independent professional who works with us comes to your home. If what you want is to replace the unit or install a new one, air conditioning in Valencia explains what the job includes.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for the air conditioning to drip outside?
Yes. When it cools, the unit pulls moisture out of the room and gets rid of it as water through a pipe that runs outside. In heating mode, water appears on the outdoor unit when it defrosts. The thing to watch is that this water doesn't fall on the façade, the neighbour's balcony or the pavement, and if it does, to run it to a drain.
Why is my split unit dripping indoors?
Because the condensation isn't reaching its pipe. The most common causes are dirty filters, which lead to ice; a blocked drain tray or pipe; a unit that isn't level; low gas, which also causes ice; and a faulty condensate pump if the unit has one. Always start with the filters, with the unit switched off.
Can I keep using the air con if it drips indoors?
Better not until you know why. The water damages the wall and the floor, and if it falls near a socket there's an electrical risk. If it's ice, switching it off for one or two hours lets it melt. If it keeps dripping after cleaning the filters, leave it off or use it briefly with a bucket underneath until it's repaired.
How do I know if my air con is low on gas?
The clues are ice or frost on the indoor unit or the copper pipes even with clean filters, and a unit that cools less every summer. Confirming it means measuring pressures, and only someone with an F-gas certificate can do that. The gas doesn't get used up: if it's low, there's a leak to find and repair.