Air Handler Leaks in North Augusta Attic

A Simple Solution

Thankfully for this homeowner, the solution was pretty simple. The problem wasn’t a mechanical one. No fuses were blown, and the evaporator coil wasn’t frozen. The air handler was just slanted too much to one side. This resulted in the condensation pooling up in the drain pan and spilling over instead of draining properly.

The solution was simply to level the air handler and pitch it slightly toward the drain in the condensate drain pan. That way, any condensation that formed inside the unit would be directed toward the drain instead of accumulating at the wrong end. The result was no more leakage.

Doing It Right the First Time

We weren’t done just yet, though. With our heat pump services, we like to make sure our customers are completely satisfied with our work. As such, we tested the drain pan with a couple of gallons of water. To everyone’s delight, it worked perfectly. No more leaks. No more risk of water damage!

If you’re having a similar problem, call us to schedule a visit with one of our AC technicians in North Augusta. We can help you pinpoint the cause of your air handler leak and fix it right away.

The Evaporator Coil

To understand what’s happening, it helps to know a little about what your air handler does. Its primary purpose is to circulate air throughout your home. But it also helps your AC or mini-split with climatization. As it pulls in air, the evaporator coils cool it down, and that causes condensation to form on the coils. It’s like how water will bead up on the surface of a cold soda can.

Given North Augusta’s high amount of humidity (as high as 90% midsummer), the coils can extract a lot of moisture from the air. On hot, muggy days, you can measure the condensation in gallons! All that water has to go somewhere, which is where your air handler’s drain pan comes in.

The Condensate Drain Pan

The drain pan is situated just beneath the air handler’s evaporator coil, and it has a hole for drainage at one end. Ideally, the condensation is all funneled toward the drain. However, if the unit isn’t level, it could pool at the wrong end and eventually overflow the pan, resulting in a leaking air handler. Given that it’s producing several gallons of water every day, that can be a major problem.

Water Damage and Mold

Overflowing condensation can pose a threat to both your home and your health. If your air handler is in your attic, that moisture can easily get into the ceilings and walls.

Eventually, the moisture will lead to mold growth and rot. Neither is good for you, and the results can be severe. The symptoms of toxic mold exposure, in particular, include:

• Increased asthma symptoms
• Allergic reactions
• Lung and respiratory infections
• Fever
• Shortness of breath

Rot and water damage are also problematic for your home, often resulting in expensive repairs. In North Augusta, the average cost for water damage cleanup can exceed $3,000! Naturally, if you can prevent that just by tilting your air handler a little, that would be ideal.