What does it mean when your A/C makes a dripping sound?

Question

I have a central A/C unit and I can hear a severe
dripping sound almost like water flowing in the vents.What is this?

Answer 1

condensation

Answer 2

I like reading these answers and a lot of them make me laugh. I know everyone or at least most are trying very hard to be helpful. The problem is a lot of myths get perpetuated on here.

I teach heating and cooling in Saint Louis. I have been in the trade for close to 30 years. The reason you are hearing sounds inside your ductwork is because the ductwork is connected to the furnace, where the A coil is.

An air conditioner does two things. Number one it removes heat. Number two it removes humidity. The A coil gets cold and the humidity in the air condenses on it, just like when a glass of iced tea is setting on the table and moisture forms on the outside of the glass.

The water droplets then drip into a drain pan and flows out the drain hose. I agree a trap would help. You never mentioned any water damage so I assume the drain is not clogged.

One other thing you need to check is that the humidity aka condensate is not dripping into the furnace itself. You can do this by removing the front panels and checking for water. There should not be any. If there is you need to call the air conditioner repairman. Your drain pan is either clogged or has a hole in it.

Answer 3

I would guess your A/C unit is a cooling coil mounted on your furnace which is in a closet somewhere close by. (in the house) If you can hear this sound from all/most of your registers you should probably investigate. If you hear it mainly from the larger grill which doesnt seem to blow any cool air, then I wouldnt worry too much about it. A/C systems produce condensate for which usually there are primary and secondary drains installed. Secondary drains are usually installed over a bathroom sink or above a window. This is so the homeowner will know the primary drain is clogged. It may be a good idea to look at your installation and see if there are two drains and where they are designed to discharge, Hearing water from within your ducts sounds kind of unusual. At least in my opinion. Good Luck.

Answer 4

The drain line may be clogged, the easiest way to clear it is to use a jug of freon or compressed air, and force the air thru the pipe inside the house to the outside, to clear the clog. Good Luck!

Answer 5

The installer may have forgotten a drain trap in the condensate drain line. Go to the air handler and locate the A/C drain line. If there is no trap add one.

Answer 6

Sounds like it could be water condensation in your vents try a dehumidifier or get a plumber to check it out ..also look and see if you have water damage happening inside or outside your home

Answer 7

Its condensation from the heat difference between outside and inside temps. I think they all do that, in intervals between fan runs.