Forced air systems rely on the adjusting of the humidity and temperature of outdoor air before its circulation throughout your home. The process of heating and cooling in an HVAC unit generates a considerable quantity of condensate.
This condensate is directed into a drain which in turn leads to a condensate drain outside your home. There are different issues which might plague this drain line and affect the operation of your entire system.
The most common issue which calls for professional AC repair services for properties in Largo, FL, is the clogging of the condensate drain. This is unlike the clogging of other plumbing drains in your home, and no amount of plunging and store-bought chemicals will help.
The following are some of the signs that can point to a clogged AC drain as the cause of various issues in your HVAC system.
Standing Water
A clogged AC drain will cause the accumulation and backup of condensate around your furnace and evaporator coil. The only way you can recognize standing water before the situation gets out of hand to conduct monthly checks of your HVAC system.
Unfortunately, central HVAC systems are located near plumbing systems, and standing water around it might indicate a leak of the pipes. Either way, get a professional to check and determine the source of your standing water promptly.
Moldy Drip Pans
The AC drain also includes an overflow or drip pan into which excess moisture will flow into. When this drip pan is full, a float switch is triggered to turn off your AC until the water is drained. If your drip pan is always full, it will turn moldy more so in muggy and hot conditions.
The moldy drip pans will also generate a musty smell in your indoors. Left unaddressed this will result in the accumulation of mold and mildew in other parts of your property.
Loss of Your Unit’s Cooling Ability
Following the triggering of a float switch when your drain pan is full, your HVAC unit’s cooling function is suspended. If your pan is continuously full, then your AC’s cooling will be disrupted for an extended period.
Unfortunately, the disruption of your unit’s cooling for an extended period will also affect the operation of other parts of your unit if not promptly addressed.
Water Damage
At times, you will not see any visible leaks but will notice water damaged ceilings and walls in various areas of your home since AC unit pipes run around your property. Most people will assume their pipes are leaking, but your first instinct should be to call an HVAC technician.
This is because water pipe leaks might be slow and take time to damage your property completely, but leaks from a clogged condensate drain will cause considerable water damage in a short time.
Most people have no idea that their HVAC units have a drain line. As such, very few people will point to a clogged drain as the cause of an HVAC breakdown.
This underscores the need for regular professional HVAC maintenance to avert this mostly hidden issue. Moreover, the location of your AC drain means that repairing it with DIY efforts is largely impossible.
