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Drain Inspection & Cleaning
The drain line cops it first because it's the cause nine times out of ten. We clear it, flush it and watch it run.
We find the leak, fix it properly and save your ceiling. Sydney wide, since 1991.
Air Conditioning Leaking Water?
Common AC Problems
Why Your Air Conditioner
Is Leaking Water
Air con leaking water inside? Nine times out of ten it's a blocked condensate drain. Mould and gunk build up in the line, the water can't get away, and it backs up into your room instead. A drain clear runs $120 to $150 and we often knock it over on the spot.
The other causes we find are a cracked drain pan, a worn out condensate pump, or an iced-up coil melting back into the unit between runs. If you're seeing ice on the pipes or coil, have a look at our ice on the unit page, the two problems travel together.
Don't sit on a leak. Water only gets dearer the longer it runs. Stains on the ceiling under a ducted unit or water anywhere near electricals means switch it off at the isolator and give us a bell.
A standard service call is $250 plus GST. That covers a tech coming out, finding the actual cause and quoting the fix before we touch anything. Most drain clears are done the same visit. We've been fixing leaking air cons across Sydney since 1991, 4.8 stars from 280+ reviews. Full prices are on our pricing page.
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Years of Industry Experience
Licensed, Certified & Insured Technicians
Environmentally Responsible & ARCtick Certified
100% Service Satisfaction Guarantee
Flexible & Affordable Financing Options
Wide Range of Systems & Leading Brands
Quick Checks First
Before You Book a Service
Check the drain line
Find where the condensate drain comes out, usually near the outdoor unit. If the air con's running on a hot day and nothing's dripping from that pipe, the line's blocked and the water's going somewhere it shouldn't.
Wash the filter
Pull the filters out of the indoor unit and rinse them under the tap. A choked filter can ice the coil up, and when that ice melts it drips straight back into the unit.
Switch the system off
If water's dripping inside, turn the unit off at the remote and the isolator. Every minute it runs is more water into your wall, carpet or ceiling.
Check the drain outlet outside
Make sure the drain end isn't buried in a garden bed, kinked behind the unit or blocked with dirt. The water has to have somewhere to go.
If the System Is Still Leaking
Still leaking after the basic checks? Then it's past the DIY stage. The blockage is deeper in the line, the drain pan's cracked, the condensate pump's given up, or the coil's icing and melting on repeat. Each one needs different gear to sort, and guessing wrong just means more water.
A proper drain flush is quick work for us. Cracked pans and failed pumps we quote on the spot before we start, so there's no surprise on the invoice. If the leak's coming from icing, the real fault is airflow or low gas, and we fix that cause rather than mopping up the symptom. A gas top-up with a proper leak check runs $200 to $350.
We handle leaks on every type of system. Wall units are covered under our split system repairs, and if it's a ducted unit dripping through the ceiling, that's bread and butter for our ducted repairs crew. Air conditioning leaking water is one of the most common calls we get all summer, so you won't be waiting long.
Common Causes
Why Is My Outdoor Unit Leaking Water?
Water around the outdoor unit is usually nothing to worry about. In cooling mode the unit pulls moisture out of the air and some of it drips off outside, and in winter the defrost cycle melts frost off the coil and dumps it on the ground. Both are normal, especially on humid days and cold mornings.
When to take notice: if the puddle looks oily, if the unit’s also stopped cooling properly, or if the water’s coming from somewhere it never used to. An oily residue can mean a refrigerant leak, and that’s a not cooling problem in the making. If you’re not sure, give us a bell and we’ll tell you straight whether it needs a visit.
Common Factors
Common Water
Leaking Problems
How the water shows up tells us a fair bit about what's causing it. A steady drip from the indoor unit points one way, stains spreading across the ceiling point another. Have a read of the common patterns below, then give us a bell on (02) 9820 4500 and tell us which one matches. It saves diagnosis time and gets the fix moving quicker.
Water dripping from the indoor unit
The classic. Almost always a blocked condensate drain backing up into the head unit. A drain clear is $120 to $150 and usually done on the spot. If it’s not the drain, it’s a cracked pan or an iced coil melting, and we’ll find which one it is before we quote.
Water stains on the ceiling or wall
With ducted systems the unit sits in the roof, so a blocked drain or an overflowing safety tray shows up as a stain on the plaster first. Switch the system off and call us. Plaster repairs cost more than the drain fix every time.
Water pooling around the unit
Pooling under the outdoor unit is normal in heating mode, that’s the defrost cycle doing its job. Pooling under the indoor unit is not normal, that’s a drain or pan problem, and it needs a look before the floor or carpet wears it.
Intermittent leaking
Leaks that only show up on hot, humid days or after long runs usually mean a drain line that’s nearly blocked or a coil icing up and melting between cycles. It’ll become a permanent leak eventually. Icing has its own causes, see our ice on the unit page.
When to Stop Using the System
Most leaks aren't dangerous, but two situations mean stop straight away. Water anywhere near electricals, power points, light fittings or the unit's own wiring, switch it off at the breaker and leave it off until it's checked. And water coming through the ceiling, because plasterboard soaks it up fast and a sagging ceiling is a much bigger bill than any air con repair.
For a small drip from the indoor unit, a towel and a day or two while you book us in won't hurt, but don't run it for weeks like that. The water breeds mould in the unit and the wall, and mould cleanup costs a lot more than the $120 to $150 drain clear that would've stopped it. If you smell something musty when it runs, that's the warning sign, our smells page covers it.
Diagnosis Process
How We Diagnose the Issue
No guessing and no parts cannon. Here's how we run a leak job from walking in to fixed.
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Drainage Setup Check
We check the fall on the line and where it exits. A drain run uphill or kinked behind the unit will leak forever.
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Airflow & Coil Assessment
Packed filters and a dirty coil cause icing, and ice melts back as a leak. We check the airflow end to end.
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Refrigeration System Check
Low gas ices the coil too. Gauges on, pressures read, and if the gas is low we find where it's getting out.
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Condensate Pump Testing (if installed)
If your system has a condensate pump we test it under proper load. A tired pump only fails when it's working hardest.
Choose the Right Fix
Repair or Replacement
Good news first. A leaking air conditioner is almost always a repair, not a replacement. A drain clear is $120 to $150. A chemical coil clean, if icing from a dirty coil is behind it, runs $200 to $300. A gas top-up is $200 to $350 if low refrigerant is icing the coil, plus the leak repair which we quote once we find it. None of that is new-system money.
Replacement only comes into the conversation when the leak is a symptom of a unit on its last legs anyway. Think a 12-plus year old system on old R22 gas with a corroded coil, or a leak that arrives with a dead compressor or board. At that point you’re better off putting the repair money toward a new unit, and we’ll tell you that straight rather than charging you to patch a dying system twice a year.
If it does come to replacing, our sizing guide works out what your place actually needs, and the pricing page shows real install ranges. A new 5kW split runs $2,500 to $3,000 installed. But start with the diagnosis, because most of the leaking units we see go for years after a $150 fix.
Stop the Leak Before It Causes Damage
Air conditioning leaking water doesn't fix itself, and the damage bill only grows. Jay's Air has been sorting Sydney leaks since 1991. Family run, our own blokes not subbies, fixed pricing and no surprises. Licensed (NSW 273312C), ARCtick certified (AU13058), 4.8 stars from 280+ reviews. Give us a bell on (02) 9820 4500, Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm, Saturdays by arrangement.
FAQS
Air Conditioner Leaking Water - Common Questions
Nine times out of ten it’s a blocked condensate drain. Gunk and mould build up in the line and the water backs up into the room instead of draining outside. The other causes are a cracked drain pan, a failed condensate pump or an iced-up coil melting. A drain clear is $120 to $150 and often done on the spot.
Not if the water’s near electricals or coming through the ceiling. Switch it off at the isolator and call us. A small drip into a towel is OK for a day or two, but leaks left running breed mould in the unit and the wall, and that cleanup costs far more than the fix.
Yes. A choked filter strangles the airflow, the coil ices up, and the ice melts back into the unit as a leak. Wash your filters under the tap every couple of months and you’ll head off a lot of leak and cooling problems at once.
No. Water dripping from the outdoor unit is usually normal, that’s condensation in summer and defrost water in winter. Water from the indoor unit is never normal though. That one always needs attention before it wrecks paint, carpet or plaster.
Usually it’s just doing its job. In cooling mode it sheds the moisture pulled from your air, and in heating mode the defrost cycle melts frost off the coil. Take notice only if the puddle looks oily or the unit’s also stopped cooling, that can point to a refrigerant leak.
We’re usually out within the week, and most drain clears are done the same visit. If water’s near electricals or coming through a ceiling, tell us when you call and we’ll treat it as urgent. Repairs that need manufacturer parts can take a bit longer.
You can try clearing the outside end of the drain where it exits near the outdoor unit. Past that it needs a proper flush with the right gear, or you just push the blockage deeper. We do it for $120 to $150 and test the drain properly afterwards.
The indoor unit lives in your roof space, so a blocked drain or an overflowing safety tray drips onto the plaster below. Switch the system off as soon as you see a stain. The drain fix is cheap, a sagging ceiling isn’t.
Jay’s Air. Family run since 1991, our own blokes not subbies, fixed pricing and no surprises. Licensed (NSW 273312C), ARCtick certified (AU13058), 4.8 stars from 280+ reviews. Give us a bell on (02) 9820 4500 and we’ll get it sorted.