The unit spits water droplets from the grille onto the sofa
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Berceni, Obregia street, 1985 block, 12,000 BTU LG, 3 years old, living room. For a week, on Cool at high fan speed, small water droplets come out of the grille and land on the sofa 1.5 m away. It does not drip from the housing, it just 'spits'. I lowered the speed and it is better, but not normal. What is it?
What is really happening
On a clean evaporator, condensate forms as a thin film on the aluminium (factory-treated to be hydrophilic) and runs into the pan. When the fins are covered in a dust + biofilm felt, the surface becomes hydrophobic and uneven: water sits in large drops, the air jet tears them off and carries them to the roller, then out through the grille. The same effect appears when the roller carries a thick layer on its blades – water gathers on it and is flung out centrifugally. It is an early signal, at 3 years, that the evaporator is already fouled; it is also a sign that the jet air carries what is on the fins, because the flung droplets contain exactly that biofilm. Lowering the speed hides it, it does not fix it.
- 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.
- A typical evaporator fouls enough to double its pressure drop in about 7.5 years, reducing airflow by 5–7% and raising fan power by 1–10%. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory / , 2002]
- Dense bacterial biofilm (~11,000–47,000 CFU/cm²) dominated by Methylobacterium forms on aluminium heat exchangers. [Current Microbiology / PubMed Central, 2012]
- The blower (cross-flow fan) is the most fungus-contaminated component of a split unit, more than the filter or the front of the evaporator. [Indoor Air, 2023]
- Filter efficiency and indoor particle concentration are the most important factors determining how fast the evaporator fouls. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory / , 2002]
What we do on site
- Collection cover; we also check that the unit is not tilted the wrong way (rare, but we check).
- Cleaning solution on evaporator and roller, contact time; pressure wash in place until the fins are shiny.
- Pan and hose cleaned.
- Sanitising solution.
- Outdoor unit, washed in place.
- Test on Cool at maximum speed, 15 minutes, with you – no droplets. See current rates on the Prices page.
What you can do yourself
- Until we come, low speed and louvre up.
- Filters washed – if loaded, air bypasses them and carries dust to the fins.
- Afterwards: filters every two weeks, 'Fan' before shut-off.
What NOT to do
- Do not wipe the fins with a cloth 'to remove the water' – you bend them.
- Do not put film on the sofa as a permanent solution.
- Do not call a repair service for a 'fault' – it is not a fault, it is dirt.
Prevention
Spitting is the first visible sign of a dirty evaporator. Annual sanitising and clean filters, and the water stays in the pan where it belongs.
When to call us
0764 012 943, Monday–Saturday 08:00–20:00. Berceni.
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Sources (3)
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.