Your home climate control system—including heating, air conditioning, the ductwork, and the insulation of the building itself—is designed to keep the inside air as pure and clean as possible, all while regulating the temperature. Among other things, this means keeping moisture and humidity out.
If there is water dripping from the registers (air vents), there is likely a problem with your air conditioner or possibly the building envelope itself. Some common problems include:
Dirty filter
A Clogged or dirty filter can cause the evaporator coils on your system to freeze up since it will restrict the airflow necessary to transfer heat to the system’s refrigerant. Fortunately, this is very easily fixed. Just replace the filter and your problem should be resolved.
Clogged condensate drain
One of the most common causes of dripping registers is a clogged condensate drain. As your AC runs, moisture will condense in the system. That moisture needs a place to go, and the condensate drain allows it to flow away from the unit and out of the house. If the drain becomes clogged, water can back up, overflowing into the system and out the registers.
Faulty insulation
Poor insulation, whether in the ductwork, doors, windows, or ceiling, can allow humidity to seep in from outside. Since the inside of your home is likely going to be cooler than the outside, the water suspended in the air condenses into a liquid, much in the same way it does on a glass of ice water. That water then seeps out the registers.
A low amount of refrigerant in your air conditioning system can cause ice to form on the system’s evaporator coils. This ice will gradually melt, adding extra moisture into the air circulating throughout your home. Note that your AC keeps refrigerant in a closed loop, so if it’s running low, you probably have a leak somewhere that needs to be fixed ASAP.
Dripping vents signal there is some maintenance that needs to be done. If your air vents are leaking water into your home, contact Climate Tech Air Conditioning and Heating today.
