Air conditioner problem
by
Usn9993262
+15
We live in Florida. We have an air conditioner with a unit in the attic that is similar to a swamp cooler for some reason this unit keeps overflowing with water. My 80 year husband has to keep going up there to empty the tray of water. We had an air man here who said it was because our attic is hot.
14 answers
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A swamp cooler has a float valve that regulates the amount of water coming into the unit. The float may be broken, the valve may be damaged. Replacing the float valve would solve the overflowing. The HVAC man you had should have found the problem easily. He probably wasn't familiar with this kind of system. Call Another HVAC company that knows what they're doing.
William
on Sep 06, 2016
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An a/c draws moisture out of the air. A swamp cooler needs to have moisture, usually with a garden hose, added to it. The answers are completely different as so are the systems. Which type of system do you have?
Larry Chura
on Sep 07, 2016
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I am not familiar w/a swamp cooler. I think William was correct. Call someone else! Sorry.
Barbara Valenti
on Sep 07, 2016
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If you have an AC it has a pan under it that should empty into your drain line. Algae can build up and stop up the drain. I had it happen to me and was told to put a gallon of bleach in the pan to keep the stuff from growing. Worked like a charm, now I have to fix my bathroom ceiling. Putting up Styrofoam tile as it is just put up with glue and reasonably priced. I am 80.
JEWEL C
on Sep 07, 2016
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I think you should combine the solutions of William - check the float and float valve and the solution of Jewel C - check the drain hose and use the bleach in the pan.
Brenda Hand-Amunrud
on Sep 07, 2016
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Jewel C is right on. It is standard practice for an AC man to drop a bleach tablet or two in the pan when servicing or checking the unit. Your AC man was not doing his job. The bleach idea is a temporary fix. The tablets provide longer measured relief to the algae buildup. You can probably get the tabs at your local hardware store.
Ronald Mortensen
on Sep 07, 2016
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Swamp Coolers / Air condition........Apples / Oranges. I lived in Arizona for 10 years and am familiar with 'swamp coolers'. A/C is much more efficient and economical in the long run. I agree.. call a different repairman who can provide a professional solution to your problem. Best of luck.
Diana Deiley
on Sep 07, 2016
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So, William, are you saying the float valve is sticking open or leaking through?...I think that's a sound evaluation.
Charles Prock
on Sep 07, 2016
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There seems to be some question as to the type of unit involved in this problem. Swamp coolers use water evaporation as a cooling agent and works wonderfully in arid climates. They don't work well in more humid areas, so in Florida we use refridgerated systems (HVAC) which works well for us. Air handlers are most often located in attics which get warm and cause condensation to form on the cooling coils from the return air. Air handlers are built with an internal drain, which sometimes fails and causes the unit to overflow onto the ceiling of the dwelling below. Therefore, most building codes require a safety pan, with separate drain, to prevent condensates from causing damage to the dwelling. Regular service by competant AC techs should reduce or eliminate the problem these folks are experiencing. Hope this helps. Been there, done that.
Ronald Mortensen
on Sep 07, 2016
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I don't think they use swamp coolers in FL. Too humid like LA. I never heard of a swamp cooler til I worked in TX where it is very dry.
JEWEL C
on Sep 07, 2016
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I live in the Central Valley of California. The temperature sometimes reaches up to 115 degrees in the summer the air here is very dry. Every swamp cooler I have ever owned has had a run-off drain line. We usually hook up a garden hose and use it to water some flower beds because of the drought most water is metered an this helps keep the water bill down.
Brenda Hand-Amunrud
on Sep 07, 2016
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The water seems to be running off one of the sidesl. The drain is not clogged. We are going to put vents in the roof area and a new fan to try to cool it down. thanks for your answer wish we could do this.
Usn9993262
on Sep 08, 2016
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Jewel it is something in our attic that takes the cool air and distributes it through the house with large vents. We do have an air conditioner in our yard that pumps the cool air into the attic. Weird setup.
Usn9993262
on Sep 08, 2016
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Hmmmm. Have to ask my husband it there is a float in the unit. Thanks good ideA. wE HAD AN AIR CONDITIONER PERSON HERE. hE SAIS IT WAS THE HEAT IN OUR ATTIC.
Usn9993262
on Sep 08, 2016
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