3 Reasons Your Air Conditioner’s Drain Pan is Full of Water

  • The Drain Pipe Is Clogged. A clogged drain pipe is the most common cause of standing water in the drain pan. …
  • The Evaporator Coil Is Frozen. …
  • Your System Wasn’t Installed Properly.

What do you do when your AC drip pan is full?

Your best course of action includes the following:

  1. Turn the unit off.
  2. Cut the power to the unit.
  3. Check the drain line for leaves and other debris where it exits your home.
  4. Use a wet/dry vac to remove the standing water from the drain pan.
  5. Remove the cap from the condensate line.
  6. Inspect for visible blockage.

Is it normal for AC drip pan to have water?

Water in Drip Pan



Because it is its job to collect water droplets, it is normal to find water on the drip pan as long as the water can smoothly flow out of it through the line. However, it becomes a concern if the water stays there, builds up, or overflows. This means your drain line is plugged up.

How do you drain a window air conditioner drip pan?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: So what i'm gonna do is use this pork to force the towel down into the tray like like so if you can spread it out that's even better better water wicking. And pretty soon you should see there we go.

How much water is normal in AC drip pan?

between 5 and 20 gallons

When the summer season is in full swing and humidity is high, it’s normal for your air conditioner to drain anywhere between 5 and 20 gallons of water each day.

Why is my AC drip pan dry?

Drain pan clogged or rusted through. Condensate pump malfunctioning. Evaporator coil is frozen (due to a clogged filter or refrigerant leak) Coils dirty or damaged.

How do you tell if your AC drain is clogged?

A clogged AC drain line symptoms include:

  1. Musty, moldy smell near your indoor unit or in air from the registers/vents.
  2. Standing water near the indoor unit.
  3. Water damage in areas near the indoor unit.
  4. AC system is not cooling your home.
  5. AC system shuts down or doesn’t turn on.


How do I test my AC drip pan?

How to Inspect Drain Pan

  1. Turn the central air conditioning on at the thermostat and allow it to run for 20-30 minutes.
  2. Locate the indoor air handler and look for any evidence of water around the unit.
  3. It’s possible that your drain line is in perfect working order and it’s a cracked drain pan that’s causing the leak.

Where is the drip pan on a window air conditioner?

On constantly draining units (usually older or very large units) the hole is generally underneath the exterior portion of the unit and may be very small. Window air conditioners designed to retain water may have a hole on the side instead, so when the water reaches a given level it drains away.

Do all window air conditioners drip water?

All room air conditioners drip — or at least they should. But drips in the wrong place or the wrong volume of dripping water may be a sign of a problem with the air conditioner. As the name suggests, air conditioners do more than simply cool the air.

Why is my window AC not dripping water outside?

Clear a window air conditioner clogged condensate drain



Many (but not all) window air conditioners have a drain hole in the back to let condensate water drain outdoors. If the drain hole is clogged, clean the base of unit and clear the clog in the drain hole.