Looking at the complications that can arise from not draining a portable air conditioner when the condensate tank fills up, and the risks it poses for your home
Having an air conditioner in your home offers you cooling that comes in handy when the weather conditions bring about temperatures that are nearly unbearable. Different types of units require unique care and maintenance because they do not work the same way.
One such air conditioner is a portable type. This unit operates like other units by removing humidity from the air to cool a space but unlike other units, moisture can collect in a portable unit and this water then needs to be drained. What happens when the AC is neglected and not drained?
Neglecting portable air conditioner drainage
The majority of portable air conditioners on the market need to be drained in order for them to function correctly so that you can keep using them.
Some owners of these units might neglect to drain them or simply forget to. This can be damaging to the unit and can lead to a number of issues that can be problematic for the unit and for your home or space.
Knowing the effects of not draining a portable air conditioner for long periods of time can help you avoid unnecessary complications and expenses that may arise as a result.
What happens if you do not drain your portable air conditioner?
Depending on the make and model of the portable air conditioner you own, it generally extracts as much moisture as it can from the air so that it can produce and release cooler air into a room.
In more humid weather conditions, these units accumulate more water and, thus, need to be drained regularly for the unit to continue cooling efficiently. But what can happen if a unit is not drained frequently enough or if draining is neglected or forgotten?
A number of complications can arise. The first thing is that the unit might suddenly switch off and not turn back on.
This will be the case with portable units that have a built-in float switch that automatically turns the unit off when the condensate tank has reached its full capacity.
In the case that your unit does not have such a technologically advanced feature, the water tank may simply overflow into the air conditioner and into your home, leaking onto your floors or carpets.
Finally, if too much moisture is left unattended in your portable air conditioner, the inside will likely become a breeding ground for moisture-related growths like mould and bacteria.
This can lead to a build-up of mould, mildew and even algae in the water tank, which, in turn, results in unpleasant odours from the unit, causing your space to smell bad. Respiratory infections can also affect people in the home.
Paying attention to the weather conditions when using your portable AC
Since the weather conditions highly affect how much moisture your portable air conditioner collects, you need to pay attention to the climate in your geographical location when you run your air conditioner.
When there is generally a lot of humidity in the air, this gives you an idea of the amount of water that may fill up in your unit.
You would need to monitor the unit while you enjoy its cooling to be mindful of the fact that water will soon fill the condensate tank from extreme humidity.
The benefit of units with exhaust hoses
Fortunately, not all portable units need to be drained manually as some can automatically drain themselves.
These units are more modern and come with exhaust hoses that need to be vented through a window opening, so that the accumulated moisture can be vaporised and released via the hose outside.
It is important to ensure these units are installed correctly for venting to take place without any issues or errors. Positioning the exhaust hose correctly allowing the moisture to drain freely is key for venting to happen.
Using a condensate pump for draining
Investing in a condensate pump can do the job much better than manually draining your unit. The pump sucks out the water from the portable air conditioner which avoids it filling up.
You can connect the pump to your unit in weather conditions where you know the unit may need to drain more water at a more rapid pace.
The pump can stay connected to the air conditioner for your convenience and automatically drains the water when it has reached a certain level in the tank. Positioning of the unit does not matter with pumps.