Should I replace my HVAC system if the evaporator coil leaks?
When an evaporator coil leaks or ices up on a 12-year-old system, cleaning the coils or replacing parts like the capacitor often fails to stop the issue. This leaves homeowners facing the choice of whether to invest in replacing the coils or scrap the entire aging system.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Setting up a temporary bucket drainage container for the water leakage.
- 2Turning off the AC and switching the fan on to thaw the coils, replacing the filter, and repeatedly calling maintenance.
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
r/hvacadvice2 people · September 2026
“Outside unit capacitor blew. Replaced it and now the inside coils are icing up. Cleaned the coils and the problem persists.”source ↗
External_Hunt4536 · r/hvacadvice · 2 upvotes
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Can you service an HVAC system with leak seal in it?
- 2How to reach a frozen evaporator coil blocked by refrigerant lines
- 5Refrigerator water line leaking and flooring damage
- 7How to temporarily fix a leaking car radiator
- 9AC unit leaking water from top rubber seal
- 5Can you just refill a leaking HVAC system with refrigerant to get by?