LESLIE: Len in Florida listens to The Money Pit on WWBA. What can we do for you today?
LEN: Yes ma’am, I was looking for some information on an air conditioner exhaust. It seems like it is continuously – it’s dripping out of the outside drainage. Even when the air conditioner’s off, it still drains and it’s got a weird color drain.
TOM: So you have condensate dripping outside and you think it’s from the air conditioner and it happens even when it’s off?
LEN: Correct.
TOM: Well, that’s – I can’t explain that because it flies in the face of science. It could be that – this is a summer problem predominantly?
LEN: Yes.
TOM: Do you have a condensate drain that’s near the air conditioner?
LEN: I have (INAUDIBLE) two drains but one of them is actually closed. It has like a – like a pipe that goes up into the air. I guess that’s to have some type of air and then we have another that just (INAUDIBLE) follows out.
TOM: And the second one is the one that’s dripping water?
LEN: Correct.
TOM: Well, I mean it might be that that’s the condensate drain and it’s hooked into the air handler inside the house. And even though the compressor’s not spinning outside, the air condition air handler inside is still going to be causing moisture that’s in the air to condense. That probably is dripping down to a condensate pump. The condensate pump kicks on; it pumps the water outside. So if that’s what you’re seeing, that is normal function. Sometimes because it’s constantly wet, it will grow algae and look blue or green; especially where it drips out. But again, that’s normal function and nothing to worry about, Dan.
LEN: Does that need to be blown out? The system blown out, do you think?
TOM: No. No. I mean if you don’t like where the water’s collecting, you can extend the line out so it drips off somewhere else; perhaps into your landscaping or irrigation. But no, that sounds like it’s normal operation.
Len, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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