Over the Shower Unit Condensation/Water Issues


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Old 07-10-14, 07:17 PM
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Over the Shower Unit Condensation/Water Issues

You can view the issue here/pictures or attached to this thread: http://goo.gl/nw3eLW

The issue: About two months ago, I noticed that the water was leaking through the cover of over my shower. It appears condensation is appearing in several places and causing water to drain to the cover--mostly on the wire and right under the drip pan (marked in yellow circles in the link with pictures).

The layout: A/C unit is outside, drip pan and unit is over the shower. Both primary and secondary lines go outside.

Questions:
1. How do I prevent the condensation?
2. What is that green stuff on the cover? (see link: http://goo.gl/nw3eLW)
3. Is there any place I can buy the metal cover? (see link http://goo.gl/nw3eLW)


So far, I've taken the following actions or noticed the following:

1. Called a A/C repair person. They cleaned the coil and after about $400, it leaks. To his defense, he warned me that it might not fix the issue. He checked the Freon and said it was fine.
2. The primary and second lines were checked and they appear to be fine.
3. The drip pan unit appears to be slanted in which water would go through the lines (barely).
4. When leaving the cover open, no water leaks or condensation barely happens.
5. I live in Houston, TX and keep the A/C at 70.
 
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Old 07-10-14, 10:46 PM
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One more thing to add, I noticed that a lot more water comes out when the unit turns off.
 
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Old 07-11-14, 12:07 AM
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Welcome to the forums.

A lot going on here. Condensation forms when warm humid air meets cold. Your air handler is cold and the space it's in is hot and humid..... you get condensation. When you leave the cover open there is no warm humid air there.... it's cool.... no condensation.

That green you are seeing is condensation running off a copper pipe. When copper gets wet it oxidizes and turns green. Check out some copper plumbing pipes in the basement.... you'll see green. Nothing harmful.

Cleaning the coil and checking the freon isn't going to help a water leak. However, you mentioned that you get a lot of water draining out when the fan shuts off. That's caused by the fan creating a vacuum inside the air handler. Usually that can be fixed by installing a trap in the condensate line. Your "tech" should have known that.

You didn't say anything...... your bottom picture is upside down ??? Normally the poster will say something and we'll fix them. So that metal access cover is actually your shower ceiling ?
Brilliant planning there. That cover is more than likely part of an equipment access system. You can buy the whole kit.... frame and cover but I don't think the cover is available by itself.

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Old 07-15-14, 09:23 PM
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Thanks for the welcome and the reply.

The picture was upside down. I didn't know how to edit my original post nor did I realize others would fix them for me; good to know in the future.

As you mentioned, the metal cover is the equipment access point, which happens to right above the bath tub--the condo is about 30+ years old (hopefully the design got an upgrade after 30 years).

Is there an online website I can purchase the whole kit that you know of or do are they available at local stores?

Thanks for explaining the green. In regards to the "water leak", it's really the condensation--a lot of it--that's causing the "water leak". Any ideas on how to prevent condensation from happening or are you saying that "installing a trap in the condensate line" will solve that?

Thanks in advance.
 
 

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