Why Is Water Coming Out Of My Portable Air Conditioner?

So you have a portable air conditioner that you’ve enjoyed using during periods of high temperature, and you just can’t afford to live with the discomfort that comes with not having your AC function perfectly. Trust me — you are not alone in this! But then your fear becomes a reality as your air conditioner begins to malfunction. You take a closer look at it and discover that your AC is actually leaking. The leaks have made everywhere messy, wet, and somehow smelly, and you wonder what could be the cause. 

If you’re asking yourself, “Why is water coming out of my portable air conditioner?” we’re here to answer this question. There are a number of issues that could lead to water coming out of your portable air conditioner.

Full Bucket

This is a major cause of leaks in air conditioners. Most portable air conditioners have an in-built bucket, which gets filled up with water occasionally. When this happens you’re expected to drain the water off, and failure to do so will lead to leaks, making your room damp and messy.

Every portable air conditioner should have a float gauge, which will temporarily stop the activities of the AC when the bucket gets filled up to avoid leaks. That means that another potential reason for water leakage could be a faulty float gauge. 

Unsealed Drain Cap

Another cause of leaks could be that the rubber cap is not properly sealed. This is usually the case when the air conditioner is leaking water from the top. If this is the case, remove the drain cap and seal it back properly.

Dirty Air Filter

You might want to ask yourself when last you cleaned up the air filter in your AC, because a dirty air filter could cause a lot of internal faults including your air conditioner leaking water. Take care of your portable air conditioner by cleaning the air filter regularly and changing it when required.

Mechanical Faults

If you’ve tried all the suggestions above and your AC still overflows, it could be because of an internal fault like rusted holes, cracks in the system, or a system malfunction. Whichever case it could be, you will need to get the services of a professional HVAC technician or report the issue to your supplier.

Lack of Regular Maintenance

Undeniably most electrical appliances especially air conditioners require regular maintenance for maximum function. If you have not serviced your air conditioner in a long period of time, you might want to consider contacting an expert to help you service your system. Doing this regularly will help preserve your air conditioner for a longer period of time, and will pretty much prevent emergency repairs or replacement of the entire system.

Water coming out of your air conditioner is obviously a malfunction somewhere, and it could lead to discomfort and stress. Use the information above to assess the water leakage problem with your portable air conditioner, and contact an HVAC expert if necessary.