AC Excessive Water Condensation Drain

5 years ago

Hi everyone. Before I call the repair man, I wanted to get some additional infor/knowledge specific to my situation.

I have HVAC system that is original so ~30 years old. I've been in the home for 14 years. Last year, our water heater went dead and at first, I thought it was the water heater itself as as there was water in the pan and was not draining so the heater shut off. Repair man said it was from the AC drain so we drained it and water heater has been fine since. So I cut the copper pipe and drained it into the a bucket and since it was end of season didn't think much of it over the winter but this summer, I'm having to empty the bucket every other day at least (2.5 gal bucket).

I don't believe that is normal for that much water to drain from the pipe but want to make sure if that has been the case and maybe the drain pan for my water heater has a drain hole that is clogged? I had the water heater replaced about 7 years ago so not sure if the pan has a drain or not. The drain pipe is a copper pipe 1/2" that runs from the vac pump to the water heater pan.

So my AC Compressor is on the roof with the fan/pump and water heater in the house on the second floor in a closet side by side.... first floor is ground level basement and ground level garage.

Any help with what may be the problem.

Thanks

Dave

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Comments (7)

sktn77a
5 years ago
1.25 gal a day isn't unusual in a humid climate (where do you live)?
vsop4me
Original Author
5 years ago
I live in Denver so it's very dry here. This only started last year which is why I am asking. So either the AC is sweating profusely or there is/was a drain in the water heater pan that is not working. The pan is relatively small and will not hold 1.5 gal in one day without overflow.
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Cima Locert
5 years ago
You need to separate the AC drain from the water heater to figure out which one is your problem.
vsop4me
Original Author
5 years ago
They are separated. I have the drain from the AC to a bucket and as stated earlier, on hot days when it runs a good amount, I'm looking at over a gallon of water in the bucket so trying to determine if that is normal or not. The water heater drain may be a different issue as I was not sure if the pan should have a drain outlet as code requires that so either the AC is excessive and the pan can drain fast enough or the drain pan outlet is clogged??? I'll can have someone come out and look at both.
Cima Locert
5 years ago
What make you think one G of water is not normal? If water dripping when the AC is running, and water stop dripping when AC stops, then you are OK. (IF water keep coming out when the AC is not running, then you have a problem)
vsop4me
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks for the replies. It seems like the consensus is the amount of water draining is within normal range. I will have someone look at the water hear drain pan as it may be blocked and not draining correctly thus causing the overflow.
Mini-Split Warehouse
5 years ago

What causes excessive condensation in your air conditioning?

https://www.heating-air-conditioning.org/

So what exactly is causing this excessive condensation in your air conditioning system in the first place? There are a number of factors that could help explain this phenomenon. For starters, this excess condensation could be due to bacteria found in your air conditioner that is creating a clog inside the drain. This clog causes the condensation pan to overfill, and leak water. Another contributor to this excess condensation could be the condensation pan itself, which perhaps is rusted or damaged and is causing water leaks in your homes.

Another cause of excessive condensation in your air conditioning system could be a dirty air filter. This is why regular AC maintenance and air duct cleaning is so important. Your AC's dirty air filters could be blocking the airflow over your system's evaporator coil. This causes the coil to freeze, and when it melts, it could be dripping water into the evaporation pan, leading to water leaks.