Why Your Mini-Split May Be Leaking Water & How To Stop It
Mini splits are handy alternatives to HVAC systems, providing warmth or coolness to zones in your home. With regular maintenance and upkeep, your mini split can keep you comfortable for many years. Even so, they may occasionally have issues—leakage for one thing. Here’s why your mini split may be leaking water and how to stop it.
Condensation Complications
If your mini split begins leaking, most often it’s a case of condensation. As the machine works, it draws humidity out of the air. That humidity appears as condensation, collecting on the evaporation coils inside the unit. The warmer and more humid the environment, the more likely condensation will form. Most of the time, you’ll never notice the condensation since the machine draws it off and redirects it through a drain line, which drips outside. However, that’s not always the case. Some things can cause water to leak into your home. Here’s what might be happening:
Clogged Drain Line
This is the most common reason for a mini split leak. Over time, the drain line can become clogged with dirt, dust, debris, and other detritus. This forces the water back into the mini split, where it can collect and eventually drip out somewhere else. Luckily, this is a relatively easy fix. Disconnect the line and rinse it out. Then, check the drain pan inside the device since debris may be gathering there.
Improper Installation
Hopefully, improper installation of the unit isn’t the case, but it’s possible. If the mini split system was incorrectly installed at the wrong angle or isn’t level, the drain system can become blocked or rerouted, causing water to drip where it shouldn’t. Unfortunately, this may require a call to the installer. They can confirm whether it’s correctly installed and take steps to realign it.
Foiled Coils
Evaporator coils carry their own issues. When the refrigerant levels bottom out or the mini split has poor ventilation (because the vents are blocked, for example), the evaporator coils can freeze. When they eventually defrost, all that water finds a way out, overflowing the drain pan or overcoming the drainpipe’s function. Your mini spit should have a defrost function, but if that fails, call a professional AC unit repairer.
As a side note, if your mini split appears to be leaking and you smell vinegar, call in a repairperson. The unit may be leaking refrigerant.
Damaged Drain Pan
After many years, the drain pan can develop cracks or corrosion. When it breaks down, the condensation escapes. Look at the inner workings of your multi room split system every few months, keeping an eye on the drain pan and other parts. Maintain the quality of the drain pan by wiping it out with a cloth and vacuuming accumulated dust from the vents.
Those are just a few reasons why your mini split may be leaking water and how to stop it. Contact us for a discussion on how mini splits can improve your home!
