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Pipes are dripping down into unit and causing water to leak out of unit on floor

Pipes are dripping down into unit and causing water to leak out of unit on floor


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Old 02-14-18, 02:29 PM
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Pipes are dripping down into unit and causing water to leak out of unit on floor

Hello guys. This is my first post here....seeing if you can help me as I'm going crazy here. Well my ac unit went out in December at my apt and they replaced the whole unit. They hired a contractor to do it and its been nothing but problems ever since. First he used the wrong breaker and it was crackling and we had to call and get it replaced......then it would run and the inside would cut off, but the outside wouldn't and it was running all day while I was at work. I came home to find the outside unit with frost all over it.So it melted and got all over the floor outside in the storage closet. So then he just came back and replaced the thermostat because he said thats what would cause it to do that. But now I'm seeing that even with normal running and turning off the pipe is sweating like crazy and running down into the unit and dripping out the bottom. I have a bucket there to catch the water and have already emptied it once in 3 days. I noticed when he replaced the unit he cut off a bunch of insulation from the big copper pipe and there was like 3 feet of running without it into the wall. I went to Home Depot and bought some pipe insulation and at least tried to cover that but it didn't help and is still dripping. It also looks like its dripping on the electric panel on the side. This can't be good for it . Any suggestions on what can be done and what I can tell them needs to be done when I call back for the 3rd or 4th time? I took some pics of the unit.Thanks.
 
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  #2  
Old 02-14-18, 02:39 PM
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Welcome to the forums.

Can't really tell what I'm looking at. The condensor is outside so it can dissipate heat. It will have water run out of it..... that's why it's outside. What is inside the closet ? The air handler ? That should have a drain line connected to it to drain the water away.

The first two pictures are of the condensor and the second two are the air handler ?
Is this a pTac..... all in one ?
 
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Old 02-14-18, 02:53 PM
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Hey thanks for the reply. In my apartment its two different parts to the unit. My outside storage closet contains this part with the compressor and fan that have that radiator looking fins pointing outside. Then 2 copper lines run inside my apt and to above my bathtub contains the air handler that has the blower and drip pan that flows into a plumbing drain.With my old unit that went out there was never a drop on the floor on the storage closet. This one works good and cools but the damn water is just constantly dripping on the floor.
 
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Old 02-14-18, 03:33 PM
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It's going to be pretty hard to control the water coming out of the condensor.
It will always sweat when warm and humid and will always drip water.

I hope it's a pretty big closet as the condensor is supposed to be out in open air.
 
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Old 02-14-18, 03:51 PM
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So that’s the condensor? I thought that was the compressor? Yeah it’s a big outside storage closet with concrete floors. Above my bathtub is also a coil looking thing that drips into a reservoir.
 
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Old 02-14-18, 04:21 PM
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The "outside unit" contains the compressor and condenser. The compressor compresses the refrigerant, while the condenser acts as a heat exchanger to transfer heat from inside the building to the outside air.
 
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Old 02-14-18, 06:41 PM
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Bob.... covered the outside unit. The inside unit is the air handler and contains the evaporator coil and main blower for inside air delivery.
 
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Old 02-14-18, 07:25 PM
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Does this thing provide both heat and air conditioning (is a heat pump) or just AC inside your home?

A heat pump will have an evaporator (also a finned back and forth or coiled tubing unit) outside (or facing outside) and another evaporator inside (above your bathtub?). During the heating season the "outside" evaporator will be cold and from time to time will be dripping water.

Or maybe the new unit is much stronger than the old unit, perhaps too powerful for an apartment your size. This can result in the entire length of fat pipe coming back from the inside air handler to get cold and sweat and freeze up and drip water.
 

Last edited by AllanJ; 02-14-18 at 07:44 PM.
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Old 02-14-18, 09:06 PM
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Looks like a straight split A/C. I don't see any reversing valve or piping.
 
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Old 02-15-18, 02:20 AM
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It does have a heat unit too....I know when they put this one in it took a different kind of refriderent then the old one so he had to bleed it out and fill it with the new kind which is supposed to be better. I have noticed around the apartments that they are putting these in other units as well. Well they are actually condos but rented out as apartments. Do you think I should at least put something over that electrical panel box to keep the water from dripping on top of it? Right where that joint turns is where its dripping.....the compressor is also sweating like crazy as well.
 
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Old 02-16-18, 02:20 AM
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Also today I noticed that the whole compressor is sweating and pooling water at the bottom of the unit. Is that normal as well?
 
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Old 02-16-18, 02:53 AM
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Install co. should be making all repairs. You messing with it could leave you with a liability. First should never leak and condensation should be piped off, If hitting electric box point this out could be a problem.
 
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Old 02-16-18, 04:04 AM
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A sweating compressor is a sign the unit may not be working properly, and that the compressor is in danger of failure.
I would be very curious what the system superheat and subcooling was.
 
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Old 02-18-18, 12:12 PM
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Ok thanks for the comments guys. I put in another work order to have it looked at so hopefully they do it right this time.
 
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Old 02-20-18, 07:15 PM
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It appears you are referring to condensation on the refrigerant lines that is dripping and frosting. Frosting can be caused by an undercharged system. Or also low airflow thru the evap coils. Dirty evaporator coil—Dirt blocks airflow over the evaporator coil, causing it to freeze up.

Technician needs to check their installation.
 
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Old 02-24-18, 09:06 AM
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Rental apartment???

Are you kidding me? Your paying rent, and trying to figure out a mechanical problem? Why? ...... Unless your not paying your rent.... this is what rent payments pay for. If I was the landlord and found you tampering with it on your own, I’d have you pay for any and all problems with the unauthorized tampering, you assume all liability like the other guy said.... If you pay rent, let the landlord figure it out.
 
 

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