Water dripping from the indoor unit onto the floor – blocked or broken?
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Titan, Postăvarul street, 1982 block, 12,000 BTU Midea, 4 years old. For two days water has been dripping from the right corner of the unit onto the floor. Never happened before. It cools normally. I put a basin under it. Is it serious or just blocked?
What is really happening
A technician should inspect the tray, drain route, insulation and any signs of icing. The symptom alone cannot identify which component is responsible. Cleaning deposits may help if they obstruct drainage; installation faults or other defects need separate assessment.
- The drain pan and connection.
- The hose: blockages, routing and joints.
- Surfaces and insulation where condensation may form.
These are checkpoints, not a diagnosis without inspection.
- The condensate pan of household units had the highest bacterial load (~12,300 CFU/cm²), over 20 times the 500 CFU/cm² limit for public spaces. [Frontiers in Public Health / PubMed Cent, 2024]
- EPA requires condensate pans to be clean and drain lines unobstructed; standing water must be fixed immediately. [US EPA, 2024]
- EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally between 30 and 50%, to prevent mould. [US EPA, 2024]
- Professional cleaning of split-unit components substantially reduced bacterial and fungal counts on all measured components. [Frontiers in Public Health / PubMed Cent, 2024]
What we do on site
- Collection cover under the unit – exactly for this situation, no more water on the floor.
- We empty and clean the pan, remove the sludge plug, flush the hose with water until it runs free at the outdoor end.
- Cleaning solution on evaporator, roller, pan; pressure wash in place – if we do not clean the evaporator too, the sludge rebuilds within two months.
- Sanitising solution, including pan and hose.
- Test with 2 litres of water poured over the evaporator: it must all exit via the hose.
- Outdoor unit, washed in place. See current rates on the Prices page.
What you can do yourself
- Unit off until we arrive; dry the floor and put a towel down, not a basin on a wet floor.
- Check the hose end on the balcony – if crushed, kinked or full of poplar fluff, you can free it.
- Afterwards: 'Fan' 20 minutes before shut-off – dries the pan and slows the sludge.
What NOT to do
- Do not blow into the hose with a compressor or your mouth – you push the sludge back into the pan or onto the wall.
- Do not pour drain unblocker or bleach into the pan.
- Do not remove the housing to 'have a look' – the pan is attached to it and you crack it.
Prevention
Annual sanitising before summer – a clean pan does not block. On units with a long hose or a trap, a water test at the start of the season.
When to call us
For dripping we come quickly: 0764 012 943, Monday–Saturday 08:00–20:00. Titan.
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Sources (5)
The information on this page is educational and based on cited sources; it does not replace medical advice. We do not do repairs, installation or refrigerant circuit work.