Condensation in AC ducts

Shop deals on ebay
SpartanEpoxies
shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
House Repair Talk

Help Support House Repair Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
R

Rockrz

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
155
Reaction score
20
What can be done to stop water from dripping on the floor from the AC vents in the ceiling where the cold air is coming from?

In my case, it's not a lot... but the wife doesn't like it so if I cannot find a solution I'll get put in time out and have to wear a beanie with a little propeller on top!
 
A photo would help.










And spin the propeller.;)
 
OK, imagine... a few water drops dripping down from your AC vent in your ceiling.
 
One of the propeller blades is bent and will cause your head to skew at high RPM.
 
Er, there are no propeller blades.

Please quit posting seeing you have nothing to offer.
Thanks.
 
I guess this;"In my case, it's not a lot... but the wife doesn't like it so if I cannot find a solution I'll get put in time out and have to wear a beanie with a little propeller on top!"isn't a quote from your post then?

But to your request for someone to save you the embarrassment................

Condensate occurs for several different reasons and will drip from the registered for several others.

Generally because an AC system compresses and extracts moisture from the condensed air the condensate will occur in the ducting because of the temperature differential between the atmosphere the duct is contained in, and the internal temperature of the air being forced through the ducting.

Then there is how the ducting is connected to the register boot, and the structure of the register boot itself.
 
I did a little searching and it seems the leading cause would be ducts not being insulated.

Mine are metal ducts (older house) and there is no insulation around the duct work in the attic... so maybe I need to start there.
 
There are a number of methods available.

The bug boxes sell a duct warp which amounts to about R-3, which you can double.
 
Last edited:
Do you ever find frozen condensation around the pipes going into the ac unit? Had this happen last week and froze my pipes...
 
First of all, what is the relative humidity in the house?

Damp basement or crawlspace?
 
Improperly insulated ducts are the usual problem. Depending on the source of the drips, it could also be missing insulation tape (cork tape) on the cold lines. Or, it could be a leak in the condensate pan below the evaporator coil. These are common and easy to identify.

An honest HVAC guy can assess and recommend. If you feel like crawling around up there, wear a mask and take a reliable flashlight. (Oh, knee pads help too)

We just fixed a condensation-based drip problem from a commercial ice maker. The cold water outfeed hose was uninsulated. Water drops formed and created a big puddle. Maybe more than your problem but it illustrates the situation.

hvac central ac diagram.jpg
 
you stated your duck work is not insulated. um.......teir your problem is rat dar.

other thing it could be, loss of freon, and the A coil freezing up, and when the fan blows it blows ice water into the duck work

start with the duct, insulate it. open the air handler, look at the cioil

is it a block of ice ? if yes, call a tech


just tip, if you ever have work done on the freon lines

tell the tech, you want a vacuum test .

they pull a vacuum, then you want 24 hours with out ANY movement in the gauge

I said ANY MOVEMENT, as in NONE
if you loose any, you have a leak
 
Last edited:
First of all, what is the relative humidity in the house?
Click to expand...

We don't allow relatives who are filled with hot air in the house... so, none.



Improperly insulated ducts are the usual problem. Depending on the source of the drips, it could also be missing insulation tape (cork tape) on the cold lines. Or, it could be a leak in the condensate pan below the evaporator coil. These are common and easy to identify.
Click to expand...

I'll have to check these items, thanks!



other thing it could be, loss of freon, and the A coil freezing up, and when the fan blows it blows ice water into the duck work

start with the duct, insulate it. open the air handler, look at the coil
Click to expand...

I'll have to check these items too, thanks!



they pull a vacuum, then you want 24 hours with out ANY movement in the gauge
Click to expand...

Does this mean 24 hours without AC???

That might get me put in the dawg house unless this is done in the winter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top