AC unit leaking water from top rubber seal
Condensation forming around the top pipe connections is leaking from the rubber seal and causing premature rust. Installers often dismiss this as normal, but the moisture is corrosive and risks eating through the equipment within a few years.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Taping up holes independently
- 2Adding plumbing putty or sealant around the fixtures
- 3Calling out a different technician than the original installer
- 4Ignoring the issue based on installer reassurance
- 5attaching a hose to the upper spout
- 6draining the hose into a mop bucket
- 7installing an attic fan
- 8Using a shop vac to clear out gunk from the condensate drain pipe
- 9Insulating the PVC drain line or sweating pipes
- 10Dumping vinegar down the open PVC pipe
- 11Installing a water sensor to shut the unit off
- 12Using a shop vac on the vertical pipe
- 13Adjusting the angle or pitch of the drain pipe
- 14Clean the coil yourself
- 15Buy spray made for cleaning the coil and use it from where you took the photo
- 16Replaced the air filter with a new filter from a different brand
- 17Vacuumed or cleared the condensate drain line
- 18Tried a less restricting filter
- 19Left the fan turned on continuously
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Excuse me for being VERY dumb when it comes to this. This is in the attic of my house. It was leaking onto the plywood. Am i putting the AC too cold? How can I prevent this from happening? PLEASE any advice is appreciated!!”source ↗
“It's coming out of where the rubber is sealing at the top of the pic (circled). It's obviously enough to have caused rust.”source ↗
“I was told by the team doing mine that this is how it is and "You don't get it leak proof" and got an attitude for asking them back to look at mine.”source ↗
“I have a 2 story house in a humid SE Texas region and my hvac units have been sweating for the last 2 years roughly.”source ↗
“The whole units are sweating on the return and exhaust plenums (sorry if I didn’t say it right. I’m not a AC tech and don’t have any knowledge of it I’m just a defeated homeowner looking for guidance) and condensation is forming on the outside of the ducts.”source ↗
“At this point I don’t know what to do with this anymore and how I can get this fixed.”source ↗
“I always call them back for this stuff and they think I'm such a bitch but rust holes in a 5-7 year old hvac are unacceptable.”source ↗
“The water thats leaking out is corrosive and will chew a hole in a couple years.”source ↗
“The unit is still leaking even though we have a drainage hose hooked up and the filters are cleaned.”source ↗
“How to access the underside of the coil?”source ↗
“One of my indoor units is leaking a lot of water directly onto the air filter, which is located below the evaporator coil.”source ↗
“The water seems to collect into larger droplets on the coil fins and then drops down onto the filter instead of making its way into the drain pan.”source ↗
“One thing I noticed is that there is a lot of water sitting/moving through the condensate drain line on the other system, while I don’t see much/no water in the drain line on the problem system even though the coil is producing a lot of condensation.”source ↗
“Unfortunately we have been fighting with our ac for months. The apartment keeps putting bandaids on the issue rather than fixing it. This leak comes and goes with almost no rhyme or reason. The float switch also fills up randomly, which of course means the unit stops blowing cool air.”source ↗
“I notice a good amount of water is pooling on the filter.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 22Water keeps getting in the house during heavy rain
- 10HVAC lineset leaking through the roof
- 2Why is my ductwork dripping condensation inside the walls?
- 2Why is there condensation and damp spots on walls only on laundry days?
- 4What is this extra pipe dripping into my sink drain?
- 56How to fix a leaking water pipe in a tight space