Troubleshooting a central AC
Water on the floor by the AC.
An AC pulls water out of the air every day it runs. When that water ends up on your floor, something in its drain path has gone wrong.
Before the water spreads
Turn it off, check the drain path, then call
The water comes from the coil, runs into a pan and leaves the house through a drain line. The leak is somewhere along that path.
Stop, and call
First
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Turn the AC off
Carrier advises against running an AC that's leaking: it can make the water damage worse, or the mechanical problem behind it.
Source: Carrier, Why Is My AC Leaking Water?, checked 2026-10-22.
Safe to check yourself
Then check
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Source: Carrier, Why Is My AC Leaking Water?, checked 2026-10-22.
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Source: Carrier, Why Is My AC Leaking Water?, checked 2026-10-22.
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Source: Carrier, Why Is My AC Leaking Water?, checked 2026-10-22.
Worth a visit from us
What it usually means
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A blocked drain line
One of the most frequent causes. Dust and growth block the line, and the water backs up into the house instead of draining outside.
What we do: We clear the line, check it falls the whole way to its outlet, and watch it drain.
Source: Carrier, Why Is My AC Leaking Water?, checked 2026-10-22.
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A cracked or corroded pan
Over time the pan under the indoor unit corrodes or cracks, and stops holding the water it collects.
What we do: We replace a pan that's failing.
Source: Carrier, Why Is My AC Leaking Water?, checked 2026-10-22.
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A frozen coil, melting
Ice on the coil turns into more water than the drain can take when it melts.
What we do: We find out why it froze before it runs again.
Source: Carrier, Why Is My AC Leaking Water?, checked 2026-10-22.
Tell us what it's doing. We'll take it from there.
Call and describe the problem: the noise, the smell, the room that never warms up. Or book a visit online.
