Preventing Water Damage from Your HVAC Unit

11/2/2017 (Permalink)

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Water Damage and Your HVAC Unit

As anyone who's suffered from water damage knows, it can cause multiple problems that can be difficult to remedy. If you’ve been the victim of water damage from a flood or excessive rain in Austin, then it’s something that you should take care of immediately. However, other types of water damage may go unnoticed, causing more insidious damage and leading to unforeseen problems down the road. Your heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit (HVAC) is one such culprit; if your HVAC unit is not properly cared for, and routinely maintained and inspected, you can find yourself with some very extreme water damage and mold issues down the line.

Normally, your HVAC unit shouldn’t leak, but it can happen. Basic maintenance of your unit can keep it running without any problems, but sometimes this just isn’t the case. Even minor issues can cause a major headache for you, if your HVAC unit isn’t checked on a regular basis.

Typical Causes of HVAC Leaking and Water Damage Resulting from Your HVAC Unit

Like any major household appliance, your HVAC needs to be maintained regularly to prevent any future problems. It’s like your car, if you don’t change the oil every few thousand miles, you’ll experience problems; the same goes for your HVAC unit. Water damage, mold and even structural damage are major risks you can face if your HVAC unit is not properly maintained.

Below are some tips to prevent water damage from your HVAC:

Preventing Water Damage as a Result of Condensate Drain Issues

If your HVAC is in good working shape, then the water that’s collected in your condensate drain should be carried through your plumbing system and expelled outside of your Austin home. While you might see very small amounts of water from your unit, this is often normal as the unit is removing moisture from the air.

However, a clogged condensate drain can cause water to leak. As your condensate drain gets clogged, it needs to be flushed out. Dust from your filter and other related debris can get stuck in the drain, so it should be cleaned out often, depending on how much you use your HVAC. 

Once you turn off your unit, the drain can be flushed with water mixed with some bleach, or it can be vacuumed out. If you’re not sure how to do this, then contact a specialist, who can also check if there are any issues with the drain itself. However, if you see larger than normal amounts of water appearing on your floor, on your walls and even your celling, then you have water damage Austin and need to get it taken care of right away. 

Another thing to keep in mind: if you find a leak in your air conditioner’s drainage pipe, this should be replaced right away. You should contact a professional for this, because it’s a bit of a tricky process, but if a leak is evident, then take care of it immediately to prevent any further water damage from occurring.

And if you are the victim of water damage in Austin TX or the surrounding areas, rest assured our SERVPRO team can help. 

Centrally located in Austin, our SERVPRO company consists of highly trained and certified water damage restoration professionals; not only can we take care of any water removal & extraction you may need, but we specialize in water damage restoration Austin, and can also handle any necessary mold inspection or mold remediation Austin.

Frozen Coils & How They Can Cause Water Damage

We all know how hot it gets here in Austin TX, and many people often have their ACs cranked very high in order to stay cool. If your HVAC is doing overtime in this department, you may actually find ice starting to appear in your evaporator coil. Once the ice begins to melt, the melted water will start to leak. If you think that your coil is frozen, then you should shut down your AC for a few hours, so that the ice melts and clean up any water that you find. If this occurs more than once, then you need to bring in a specialist to figure out the problem. Otherwise you could end up with more water damage on your hands.

Even a Simple Thing Like Your Condensate Pan Shifting Can Attribute to Water Damage

Another thing to look out for is your condensate pan, a galvanized metal pan that collects any condensation from your HVAC unit. If it shifts in any way, which they can do, you’ll find some type of water damage appearing over time. It’s not that difficult to repair as all you need is to check the pan’s placement and move it back in place if it’s moved.

Leaky Window Air Conditioners: A Large Culprit for Potential Water Damage & Mold

While most homes in Austin have central HVAC units, there are some homeowners that use window air conditioners to beat the heat. Although less expensive than a central system, these types of air conditioners are known to leak frequently, which can cause extreme water damage and mold. As they have no condensate drain, many times the water will leak out onto the window sill, causing permanent damage and allowing for mold to set in, causing even more problems.

These units are heavy, cumbersome and often tend to leak, as they usually aren’t mounted properly. If this is the situation, then you’ll find excess water coming into your house. Usually these just rest in your window, but it’s much safer if they are mounted on a window bracket, so that they’re positioned properly. If you don’t have a window bracket, be sure that it’s secure enough so that extra water drains on the outside of your Austin home, instead of the inside.

How to Repair Water Damage Resulting from Your HVAC Unit

If you find that your HVAC system is experiencing minor leaks, you may be able to tackle the problem on your own, but if it appears to be a long-term problem, then you’ll probably need some outside help. Slight damage to walls and small puddles may be easily repaired, but if your walls show increasing moisture, they you may have to resort to cutting them open to find the root of the damage. Your floorboards, sub floors and ceilings can also be affected, and if they start to sag from excessive water damage, they also will have to be dried and possibly removed and replaced.

Once water damage occurs, you’ll most likely have to deal with mold. Minor patches of mold may be easy to remove to stop it in its tracks…but depending on how extreme the water damage is, you may find mold growing on your walls, under your floors and in the bones of your Austin home’s structure. 

Here’s where heavy cleaning and sanitizing of your home may be needed, so please don’t try to tackle this type of mold remediation on your own: contact an Austin mold remediation company, like our SERVPRO team instead.

What You Can Do To Prevent Leaks in Your HVAC Unit

While you may have a trusted HVAC system, it’s always best to do routine checks to prevent any possible water damage. Here are a few ideas.

1. Check and Clean the Condensation Line Frequently

You should always check your condensation line for moisture and possible clogs. The line should be cleaned every 3 to 6 months, to ensure that there’s no extra moisture of clogs.

2. Replace Your HVAC filter 

Your filter can draw in tons of dust and dirt, which can greatly affect the performance of your unit. Your filter should be replaced every 3 months, to keep airflow consistent and to prevent clogs.

3. Air Duct Cleaning and Inspections, Cleaning & Maintenance of Your Overall HVAC System

It's always a good idea to have a regular inspection of your HVAC system to ensure that it's running properly. Our SERVPRO team can help by routinely inspecting and maintaining your HVAC system to help prevent the possibility of leaks and water damage from occurring. You won't always need an air duct cleaning Austin done, but should it be necessary, we can help with that as well.

4. Check Your HVAC Refrigerant Levels

The refrigerant is the ingredient used to keep the air in your air conditioner cool. If it’s low, then it can affect the performance of your HVAC, which may cause water to leak and cause subsequent water damage. Check the refrigerant levels regularly.

Call Our SERVPRO Office 24/7 Should You Have a Water Damage Emergency

If your water damage is extensive from your HVAC unit, don't try and tackle water damage removal and restoration and mold remediation by yourself. Our SERVPRO company is here for you. We're trained & certified professionals who are available 24/7 in order to assist you with your water damage Austin needs.

We specialize in water damage restoration, mold remediation, HVAC and air duct cleaning and more. We’ll work to properly restore your property in the aftermath of water damage from Austin storms, floods, leaks and/or issues with your HVAC unit. We use state of the art extraction equipment and scientific drying principles so that the water restoration process goes smoothly and is as stress free as possible.

We’re a locally owned Austin SERVPRO company that is proud to serve our community. We’re here for you should your Austin TX property experience any type of water damage.