How To Deal With A Wet Air Filter
Do you know how to deal with a wet air filter? When you notice that the filter in your air conditioning unit is wet or has ice forming on it, that means there is a problem somewhere and you need to fix it immediately.
Why do you have a wet air filter?
Let us get one thing straight – your HVAC unit’s filter should not be wet. It has to be dry so it can effectively clean the air that passes through it. This is how it can efficiently clean the air that circulates in your home.
There is only one reason why the filter in your air conditioning unit is wet – there is a leak somewhere. The water may have already pooled inside your HVAC system or it is still leaking. Regardless of the status, it is important for you to investigate further. This means something is broken inside the AC unit. Before you call a professional, you can probably investigate things further. This will allow you to assess the situation so you can talk to a professional about it.
Dealing with a wet air filter
Once you notice that your air filter is wet, you need to turn off your air conditioner immediately. This will keep the water from causing more damage. You do not want to make it reach the electrical components in your AC unit. Not only that, you want to make sure the water will not spill over your home’s interior.
When you have turned the unit off, you can start looking into the different parts to see which one is causing the leak. It is most likely a sign that your HVAC system has a bigger problem. There are a couple of culprits that could be causing this.
Coil is in need of cleaning.
This refers to the cold evaporator coil. This is responsible for pulling the heat from the air so there is only cool air circulating in your home. The coil works to collect the condensation and drain it. If the coil is working properly, the water should run down into a pan where it will go to a drain to be deposited outside or into a plumbing drain. When there is water, it is possible that the coil is too dirty that the water cannot bond to it so it runs down without spilling elsewhere.
Drain line is clogged.
Another reason for the leak is a clogged drain. Even if the water bonds to the coil and goes down smoothly, if the drain is clogged, the water will overflow and spill. That could be causing your air filter to get wet. Make sure to clean the drain pipe and remove any debris that is blocking the water from passing through to the outside or plumbing. This should be cleaned every four to six months to make sure it will work properly.
Drain pan is damaged.
These pans are made of metal or plastic. Over time, this gets damaged. It can break or corrode over time. This will compromise its ability to get the water from the coil properly and deposit it to the drain pipe properly. If you see that there are cracks, you have to replace it before you turn on the AC unit.
Indoor coil is iced.
When there is water pooling around your indoor air conditioner, that means the indoor coil is iced. It is easy to overlook an icy coil. But when this melts, it will do so quickly and that will overwhelm the drain pan. This will cause water to spill over and possibly damage the inside of your home. To fix this, you have to turn your unit to fan mode and let the coil melt – while you are collecting the water yourself. This will allow you to control the water draining in the pan. If your indoor coil is iced, there are two causes of that. One if a dirty air filter. Another is a leaking refrigerant or having a low level of it. You need to take care of this so the iced indoor coil will not cause the inside of your house to flood.
As you can see, there are several reasons why your air filter is wet. You need to check all of these so you can stop the water from destroying both your HVAC unit and the interior of your home.
