Living in Louisiana or Mississippi means developing a certain relationship with humidity.

Mostly, humidity wins.

Walk outside in August and within approximately fourteen seconds, the atmosphere has attached itself to the body. Eyeglasses fog up. Hair makes independent decisions. Opening the front door can feel like being greeted by a warm, damp towel.

Fortunately, air conditioning systems spend a great deal of time removing that moisture from indoor air.

Unfortunately, all that water has to go somewhere.

I’m Jennifer Lingo with LOUMIS Air, that services Louisiana and Mississippi, and water around an HVAC system is something that deserves attention. Air conditioners naturally create condensation, so moisture itself isn’t unusual. Finding that moisture on the floor, ceiling or surrounding equipment is a different story.

Understanding where the water comes from makes the situation considerably less mysterious.

Air Conditioners Are Basically Dehumidifying While They Cool

An air conditioner doesn’t simply make the house colder.

As warm, humid indoor air moves across the cold evaporator coil, moisture in that air condenses on the coil.

Think about a glass of iced tea sitting outside in July.

Within minutes, the outside of the glass is covered with water.

The glass isn’t leaking.

That’s condensation.

An air conditioner creates the same basic effect, except on a much larger scale.

That water normally falls into a drain pan and exits through a condensate drain line.

Everything is fine until the water decides it has other plans.

The Condensate Drain Can Get Clogged

Condensate drain lines aren’t particularly glamorous.

Nobody has ever walked into an HVAC equipment room and admired the breathtaking craftsmanship of the condensate drain.

But that little pipe has an important job.

It carries water away from the system.

Over time, algae, sediment, biological material and general gunk can accumulate inside the line.

Yes, gunk is a technical term.

Probably.

As the line becomes restricted, water drains more slowly. If enough material accumulates, water may stop moving altogether.

Meanwhile, the air conditioner keeps producing condensation.

Eventually the drain pan fills.

Then it overflows.

At that point, the condensate drain has essentially created a tiny indoor swimming pool that nobody requested.

Drain Pans Don’t Live Forever

The drain pan sits beneath the evaporator coil and catches condensation.

Under normal conditions, water lands in the pan, enters the drain and leaves the system.

Simple.

But drain pans can deteriorate.

Age, corrosion, damage or installation conditions can eventually create cracks or holes.

Now water doesn’t necessarily make it to the drain.

It finds another route.

That route may lead into a closet, onto flooring or, in the case of attic equipment, toward the ceiling below.

A mysterious brown spot appearing on a ceiling can sometimes be the first visible clue that something around the HVAC system isn’t draining properly.

The ceiling generally doesn’t appreciate being included in the HVAC system.

Frozen Coils Can Create a Lot of Water

Finding ice on an air conditioner in Louisiana sounds almost refreshing.

It isn’t.

An evaporator coil can freeze when operating conditions aren’t correct. Restricted airflow is one possible contributor. Certain refrigerant-related problems and other mechanical conditions can also cause freezing.

Ice begins forming around the coil.

Sometimes a lot of ice.

Eventually the system shuts off or the operating condition changes.

Then all that ice melts.

Suddenly, there’s considerably more water than the drainage system normally handles at one time.

The result can look like a drainage problem even though the original issue started somewhere else.

That’s why simply seeing water doesn’t automatically reveal the cause.

Sometimes the Equipment Is Sweating

People sweat in Louisiana.

Ductwork can too.

Cold HVAC components surrounded by warm, humid air can develop condensation when insulation isn’t doing its job.

Refrigerant lines are commonly insulated because those lines can become cold enough to collect moisture from surrounding air.

Ductwork also relies on insulation, particularly when installed in hot attics.

Damaged, missing or deteriorated insulation can expose cold surfaces.

Warm humid air meets cold surface.

Condensation forms.

Then gravity handles the rest.

A dripping refrigerant line can therefore create water around HVAC equipment even when the condensate drain is working perfectly.

Don’t Forget the Air Filter

Somehow, the air filter manages to work its way into an impressive number of HVAC conversations.

There’s a reason.

Airflow matters.

A heavily clogged filter can restrict airflow through the system. Other airflow restrictions can occur as well.

When insufficient air passes across the evaporator coil, coil temperatures can fall and contribute to freezing.

• Then comes the ice.
• Then comes the melting.
• Then comes the water.
• Then comes somebody standing in the hallway staring at a wet floor wondering what happened.

Sometimes a moisture problem starts with something that doesn’t look remotely related to water.

Attic Systems Can Be Particularly Sneaky

An HVAC system located in a closet tends to announce a water problem fairly quickly.

There’s water on the floor.

Hard to miss.

Attic equipment can be more subtle.

A small drainage problem might continue for a while before anyone notices.

Water can dampen insulation, framing or ceiling materials before finally producing a visible stain downstairs.

By the time the ceiling starts providing clues, the moisture may have been present longer than expected.

That’s why occasional visual inspection around attic equipment can be useful.

Water Doesn’t Automatically Mean the Air Conditioner Is Broken

This is an important distinction.

Water around HVAC equipment is a symptom.

It isn’t a diagnosis.

The problem might be a clogged condensate drain.

It could be a damaged drain pan.

Maybe the evaporator coil froze.

Perhaps insulation around a refrigerant line has deteriorated.

There may be an airflow issue.

Several different conditions can produce remarkably similar puddles.

Determining the source matters because treating the wrong problem accomplishes very little.

Clearing a drain won’t fix damaged insulation.

Replacing insulation won’t fix a frozen evaporator coil.

Putting a towel on the floor fixes absolutely nothing, although it does create a wet towel.

Moisture Is Part of Air Conditioning

Air conditioners in Louisiana and Mississippi deal with enormous amounts of humidity.

Removing moisture from indoor air is part of normal operation.

The important part is making sure that water goes where it was designed to go.

• Into the drain pan.
• Through the condensate line.
• Out of the house.
• Not through the ceiling.
• Not across the floor.

And preferably not anywhere that requires explaining to the family why there’s suddenly a bucket sitting underneath the air conditioner.

Around here, there’s already plenty of water in the air.

There’s no reason to start collecting it inside the house.