A window air conditioner needs to drain water accumulated from condensation through drain holes, which are at the bottom of a unit for drainage to take place outside.
Overview
If your window air conditioner is functioning properly, it eliminates the heat and moisture from the room to release cooler air into the room. As most of the humidity is extracted from the air, water accumulates inside the window unit to be drained outside.
Window air conditioners need to be installed in a way that allows them to drain the accumulated condensate water outside, so that the unit can repeat the process and continue to function. But if you are wondering where exactly the water gets drained outside of the unit, then keep reading to find out.
Window air conditioner drainage
It is important that your window air conditioner drains the water it collects when it extracts the humidity from the air inside a room.
If the unit does not drain this water, it will cause issues because the unit will not work efficiently, which will in turn, lead to unwanted complications with the internal parts of the unit. Water accumulated in the unit needs to be drained through what is called a drainage hole.
Where is the drain hole on a window air conditioner?
The inside of your window air conditioner contains vital components that keep it functioning well. Part of how this air conditioner functions is that it accumulates condensate liquid from extracting the heat from a room to release cooler air.
When moisture is collected, it needs to be drained and window air conditioners do just that. Most of the back part of the air conditioner protrudes to the outside of the window for the purpose of draining the condensate.
This liquid gets drained through the drain hole which is located at the bottom of the back, outside section of the window air conditioner.
This is why you may notice that your unit is dripping water from the outside part of it, this is water coming from the drain hole under the unit.
Maintaining the drain holes
The drain hole of a window air conditioner is equally as important as all other parts of it and needs to be maintained just as consistently as other components.
You can drain some of the excess water in the unit by carefully tilting the unit slightly while opening the window to help the water out.
Drain holes can develop gunk from the outdoors, so unclogging it will help water drain with ease. Switching the unit off when you can will also give the air conditioner a chance to drain.
Cleaning the drain pan for proper draining
Window air conditioners have a drain pan that collects the condensate that accumulates from the coils after heat is extracted from the air to, in turn, produce and release cooler air.
This process results in water accumulating in the drain pan which then drips through the drain hole for drainage.
The drain pan needs to be kept clean and this can be done by channelling the water through the drain plug and using a long, thin wire to gently poke through the hole and remove any debris or blockages.
You can also scrub the pan to remove grime and rinse off the dirt with water.
What happens when you cannot find the drain hole?
Sometimes, owners of window air conditioners may struggle to find the drain holes on their units. This could possibly be because the drain hole is plugged.
Plugged drain holes are caused by units that retain water and reuse it rather than draining it. Most modern, newer window air conditioners do not have a visible drain hole as manufacturers have found innovative ways for units to reuse accumulated water.
The water falls into a tray and is stored for later, when it is slung onto the condenser and recycled to prevent the unit from overheating.
Final thoughts
Window air conditioners attract heat and moisture to then produce and release cool air. When this process happens, water accumulates in the unit and needs to be drained.
The drain holes are where the water is drained from for the unit to keep functioning efficiently. The drain holes are located at the bottom of the back of the outside section of the unit, so that water can be drained without wetting the interior of the home.