Water Leaking From Your AC? It Is Almost Always This.
You walked past your air handler closet and saw water on the floor. Or your ceiling has a stain right under where the unit is in the attic. Or the carpet near the indoor unit is wet. We get this call constantly in Panama City Beach. The cause is almost always the same.
It is not a refrigerant leak. It is condensate water that should be draining outside, and it is not.
| Issue | Time on site | Avg cost | DIY? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drain line clear with wet/dry vac + vinegar | 15 min | $0 to $30 | Yes |
| Professional drain clear + treatment | 30 to 60 min | $120 to $300 | Tech |
| Float safety switch installation | 30 min | $120 to $250 | Tech |
| Drain line repair / re-pipe section | 1 to 2 hours | $200 to $500 | Tech |
| Drain pan replacement | 2 to 3 hours | $350 to $700 | Tech |
| Condensate pump replacement | 1 to 2 hours | $300 to $600 | Tech |
Water on the floor or stained ceiling?
We will clear the line, treat it and add a float switch so it does not happen again.
How AC water drainage works
Your indoor coil pulls humidity out of the air. That moisture has to go somewhere. It drips off the coil into a metal or plastic drain pan, then runs out through a PVC pipe (the condensate line) and exits outside, usually near the outdoor unit.
The system makes a lot of water. On a humid Florida day, your AC can pull 5 to 20 gallons out of the air. If anything blocks the path out, that water has to go somewhere, and that somewhere is usually your floor or ceiling.
The clogged drain line
This is what we find on the vast majority of leak calls. Algae grows inside the drain line. Dust gets pulled in too. Over time the slime builds up and partially or fully blocks the pipe. Water backs up in the pan. Once the pan is full, it overflows.
Coastal Florida is the worst place in the country for this. Humidity stays high almost year round, the AC runs almost year round, and the drain line is wet almost year round. Algae loves it.
How to clear it yourself
You can try this before calling.
- Find the drain line outside. Look for a small white PVC pipe sticking out of the wall, usually near the outdoor unit, sometimes near a hose bib. It will drip when the AC is running normally.
- Hold a wet/dry vacuum hose tight against it. You may need duct tape to seal it. Run the vac for one to two minutes. Most clogs come right out.
- Find the drain access inside. At the air handler, there is usually a T-fitting or a capped access point on the drain line. Remove the cap.
- Pour one cup of distilled white vinegar. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Vinegar kills the algae. Some people use bleach. We do not. Bleach can damage the metal drain pan over time.
- Replace the cap. Run the AC. Watch. Water should drip from the outside line within a few minutes.
If it does not drip, the clog is deeper than a vacuum can reach, or there is something else going on. Call us.
When the leak is from a frozen coil
If your indoor unit was iced over and you have since turned the system off to thaw it, you will see a lot of water as it melts. That is normal. Get a towel. Once the ice is gone, see if the system runs without freezing back up.
If your unit is currently frozen and dripping, see our frozen coil article for what to do.
Cracked drain pan
Less common but happens, especially on older systems. The drain pan is plastic or metal, and over a couple decades they can crack. We see this most on systems 15 plus years old.
Symptom: drain line is clear, but water is still ending up in places it should not. Sometimes you can hear or see water dripping from the unit before the drain pan.
Fix: replace the drain pan. We can usually do this on a service call without replacing the whole system, but in older units this is sometimes the moment when replacement starts to make more sense.
The float switch saved you
If your AC stopped running entirely and the air handler closet is dry, but you noticed something was off, you might be looking at a float switch that did its job.
A float switch sits in the drain pan. When water level rises (because the drain is clogged), the float rises with it and shuts the system off before the pan overflows. It saves your ceiling from a flood.
We install float switches on every system we touch. If yours does not have one, ask. Cheap insurance, especially in attic installs in Bay County and South Walton.
Drain line clogged on you?
If the wet/vac trick did not work, the clog is too deep or the issue is something else. We will clear it, treat the line and add a float switch if you do not have one, all on a single visit.
📞 Call (850) 235-8834Frequently asked questions
Why is my AC leaking water inside the house?
Almost always (78% of cases) a clogged condensate drain line. Algae and dust slime build up in the line, water cannot exit, and the drain pan overflows. Clear the line and the leak stops.
How do I unclog an AC drain line myself?
Find the drain line outside (small white PVC pipe near the outdoor unit). Hold a wet/dry vacuum tightly against it for 1 to 2 minutes. Then pour a cup of distilled white vinegar down the drain access at the indoor unit. Most clogs come right out.
Why does my ceiling have a brown stain under my attic AC?
The drain line clogged, the drain pan overflowed, and water ran into the ceiling. Stop running the AC. Get a tech to clear the line and check for damage. We install a safety switch on every job to prevent this.
Can I keep running my AC if it is leaking water?
Only if you have a safety switch. Without one, the pan will keep overflowing and damaging your home. Turn it off until you can clear the drain or have a tech do it.
Should I use bleach to clean my AC drain line?
We do not recommend it. Bleach corrodes metal drain pans over time. Distilled white vinegar kills algae just as well and is safe for the equipment.
How much does AC water leak repair cost?
A simple drain clear runs $120 to $300. Adding a safety switch is $120 to $250. Drain pan replacement is $350 to $700.
How often should I treat my AC drain line?
Every 90 days with a cup of distilled white vinegar in coastal Florida. We do something similar on every maintenance visit.
What is a safety switch and do I need one?
It is a small sensor in the drain pan that shuts the AC off when water level rises. It saves your ceiling from a flood. It costs $120 to $250 installed and we put one on every job we touch. If yours does not have one, ask.
Who fixes AC water leaks in Panama City Beach?
We do, same day in 95%+ of cases. Quincy's has been clearing PCB drain lines since 1979. Call (850) 235-8834.