AboutJim Barnhart Expertise Fifty + years in Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning, Sheet Metal Manufacturing.
Semi retired since 1995,
Experience Answer questions about , residential and commercial.
Answer questions about sheet metal fabrication.
Fifty years plus experience.
No answers for oil equipment, No answers for kitchen appliances, No answers for laundry appliances.
Question QUESTION: I just updated my air conditioner which was servicing the first floor and the basement from a 1.5 to 2.5 ton for about 2200 total combined sq foot. It was fine for about a week and then 3 days ago, it started leaking water. It's under warranty so I called the technician and he changed the old pump for free but it's still leaking. The water leak is slow so it takes about 2 days for it to fill the drip pan 1/2. I called the guy again and he is scratching his head and says he doesn't know what the problem is. I don't want to have to pay another tech to see what the problem is. Any clue? (BTW, I am not technical so I have no knowledge what anything is re: the AC. I am just relaying the best I can of what the situation is. Thanks for understanding.
ANSWER: Elizabeth,
When you install a refrigerated AC unit (I assume it's in your basement?)It doesn't come with a pump.
I'm assuming (again) that your basement doesn't have any place that water can drain to that is down hill from the cooling coil drip pan so you either have a condensate pump or a sump pump in the basement that takes care of the water.
I have no Idea where the leaking water is leaking from.
The way it works is that there is no water associated with the cooling coil except it gets cold and the warmer air from the duct's passes through the coil and causes condensation, the condensation drips into a drip pan under the cooling coil, the cooling coil drip pan has a drain pipe that should run down hill gravity flow to a draining place, the drip pan should never fill or over flow unless it's sloped the wrong way or it's stopped up.
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QUESTION: Hi there,
Thanks for such a quick reply. If what you say is true (and yes, there is a pump and yes, it's in the basement), there shouldn't be that much water, should there? There should only be very little but the pan that the water is leaking into is 2'x2' and within the 2 days time, there is at least 1/2 inch of water. Anyways, I will ask the tech to see if there is a stopped up. Thanks for your help!
Answer Elizabeth,
I'm not sure what the problem is?
Is the "pump" a unit that is maybe sitting on the floor next to the AC unit in the basement?
Is there a pipe/hose about 3/4" in size that comes from the cooling coil down into the pumps reservoir pan?
Is there a line/tube from the pump that goes to a sink,drain, or outside someplace? Is there an electric wire from the pump to some receptacle?
If your not getting water on the basement floor then you should be ok.
