A leaking air conditioner can not only damage valuables such as paintings, but also cause mold growth. The challenge that most homeowners face when it comes to taking prevention measures has to do with the different causes of air conditioner water leaks.

A clogged up filter can cause restricted airflow within the air conditioning system. This will trigger evaporator coil icing that may then lead to air conditioner water leaks. The accumulation of dust particles in the system can end up clogging the condensate drain lines, causing air conditioner water leaks. There is also the fact that drain lines that have an upward slope can cause leaking. All these things make it hard for a homeowner to anticipate a water leak problem. They, therefore, make it easy for these leaks to sneak up on them.

The advantage of a condensate overflow tray

To prevent the property damage that air conditioner water leaks usually cause, installing a condensate overflow tray is advisable. With this tray installed in an air conditioning system, any sudden on-rush caused by melting coil icing won't be able to overwhelm the system. This is because while this sudden moisture rush may overwhelm the condensate collector tray, any moisture that overflows will find itself in the condensate overflow tray. The condensate overflow tray will therefore reduce incidences of water leaks simply because it increases the capacity of the air conditioner's condensate drainage system to handle incoming water.

This tray will also come in handy in helping to prevent water leaks by buying a homeowner more time in cases where the condensate drain lines are blocked or where there is an up-hill sloped section of the drain line. This is because the condensate overflow tray will keep any water that overflows from the condensate collector tray from flowing onto the air conditioner's housing.

The add-on that guarantees a leak-proof system

To guarantee a leak-proof air conditioner, manufacturers usually fit the condensate overflow tray with a switch. As a result, if by any chance the moisture produced by the air conditioner is enough to overwhelm not only the condensate collector tray, but also the condensate overflow tray, this switch will shut the air conditioning system down. And what is even better is the fact that all that one has to do to get the system back into functioning mode is to get rid of the water in the condensate overflow tray.