Air conditioners pull water out of the air and send it away through a small drain. When that drain clogs, the pan under the air handler fills, overflows and sends water into insulation, the ceiling below and sometimes the closet walls, usually in a slow trickle that goes unnoticed for days.
Signs of an air handler overflow
These clues point to condensate rather than a plumbing leak:
- A stain directly below the air handler location
- Water in the emergency drain pan or around the unit
- Dripping that grows when the system runs for hours
- Musty smell near a return grille or closet door
Air handlers above shared ceilings
Duarte has 1,972 homes in buildings with two or more units, and in a stacked building an air handler overflow can drop through a ceiling into the unit below. When that happens, the unit below needs its own drying and documentation, and the building manager usually has to be told about the source before the system is cleared and tested.
Drying insulation, ceilings and the cavity
Wet attic insulation is bagged and removed, because it stays damp and keeps staining the ceiling. Ceiling drywall that is stained, soft or bulging is cut back to dry material, and joists and sheathing nearby are checked with a moisture meter. Air movers and a dehumidifier then dry the opened area while a technician for the air conditioner clears the drain, so the problem does not return. The ceiling below follows the same steps as any ceiling leak, and the full Duarte water damage restoration process covers the claim file.