For the most part, window air conditioners are an excellent way to keep a room or even your entire home comfortable on a hot day if you do not have a central cooling system. While efficient at keeping you cool, window air units are a little different than a full-house cooling system, and they do drip water as they operate. As a homeowner, naturally when you see something dripping water, you will be inclined to believe something should be fixed. Here is a look at some of the questions you likely have about water dripping from your window air conditioner. 

Why does water drip from your window air conditioner?

It is easy to assume that water dripping from an appliance is a bad thing, but with a window air unit, this simply is not the case in all situations. The AC works by pulling warm air over a set of condenser lines that are extremely cold, which creates the cooled air to cool your home. As this process takes place, condensation does accumulate. This moisture should filter down into the base of the unit into a drainage collection pan where a line will safely carry it to the ground. If the line is missing or the AC does not have one, there will be a steady dripping of water. 

Is the water that is dripping from the air conditioner environmentally safe?

The water that is dripping from the air conditioner is not an environmental threat—or at least it should not be with a properly functioning unit. This water is just the result of condensation; it is not something that is actually leaking out of the window unit's motor or internal system. The only reason this water would be an environmental concern is if the air conditioner was leaking refrigerant from the condenser lines and the particles were getting trapped in the water. 

Is it normal for a lot of water to drip from the window air conditioner?

On a really hot day, it is perfectly normal for there to be a lot of condensation dripping from your window AC. Think about how fast condensation accumulates on a cold glass of water when the temperature outside is extremely hot. The same situation applies to the condenser of your air conditioner and how it functions. When hot air slips over the cold tubing, it creates a fair amount of condensation, so a lot of water can definitely drip from the unit. 

For more information, contact a company like Laroc Refrigeration-Metal Division.

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