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Our central AC is working fine (as far as we can tell), but there is a running water noise when the unit kicks on. My little bit of research indicates this sound "might be a red flag for a blocked condensate drain pipe that is not draining the condensate properly."
Should I call a plumber or an AC service to take a look? Any other advice?
Our central AC is working fine (as far as we can tell), but there is a running water noise when the unit kicks on. My little bit of research indicates this sound "might be a red flag for a blocked condensate drain pipe that is not draining the condensate properly."
Should I call a plumber or an AC service to take a look? Any other advice?
A HVAC unit will not produce enough water (condensation) right after startup. So, your theory doesn't jive.
So, where is this unit located? Basement, crawl space, closet, attic? Depending on which location, you may, or maynot, have a condensation pump. Which would mean that the condensation is "removed" by gravity. And it's location may, or maynot, have a drain pan.
From there we can determine where to look, and what to look for. It maybe something really simple; something that requires no attention, or maybe something that you can do yourself without having to call/pay for a repair person.
A HVAC unit will not produce enough water (condensation) right after startup. So, your theory doesn't jive.
So, where is this unit located? Basement, crawl space, closet, attic? Depending on which location, you may, or maynot, have a condensation pump. Which would mean that the condensation is "removed" by gravity. And it's location may, or maynot, have a drain pan.
From there we can determine where to look, and what to look for. It maybe something really simple; something that requires no attention, or maybe something that you can do yourself without having to call/pay for a repair person.
We had the ducts cleaned in this old house and they forgot to turn that pump back on. And there's no drain in the basement floor. Don't go down there very often, so it was a number of days before I noticed.
A HVAC unit will not produce enough water (condensation) right after startup. So, your theory doesn't jive.
So, where is this unit located? Basement, crawl space, closet, attic? Depending on which location, you may, or maynot, have a condensation pump. Which would mean that the condensation is "removed" by gravity. And it's location may, or maynot, have a drain pan.
From there we can determine where to look, and what to look for. It maybe something really simple; something that requires no attention, or maybe something that you can do yourself without having to call/pay for a repair person.
Two-story house on a slab, with 2 AC units, both located in the attic. I would love it if this was something we could safely ignore or DIY (or at least take a look at so we're not completely uninformed if we have to call a service).
House is about 12 years old, but we've only lived here a bit over a year. It's a lot different than our prior residence, and we're still learning its ins and outs. Appreciate the help and advice!
So both air handlers are in the attic. There should be a drip pan under both.
Each drip pan will have a drain line attached to them- and said drain line should be plumbed to the soffit of the house- usually located over a window(s). That way if there’s a problem, seeing water coming from that pipe(s) is your indicator.
If the drip pans are not plumbed, there should be a float switch attached to the pan- the float switch interrupts the condenser so it stops cooling (no cooling means no condensation). The main drain line that comes directly off the evaporator should be plumbed to the exterior- usually they exit right where the condenser units are on the exterior.
As I mentioned in my previous post, there is very little chance that a HVAC system (A/C specifically) would create enough water to actually create enough noise that you would here it within the conditioned space of the house. I would be curious as to where you’re actually hearing the noise, versus where the actual units are(?).
Thanks for the detailed replies, K'ledgeBldr -- really appreciate it! We'll do some more inspecting and will post back when we have more details.
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