Leaky Air Conditionings: Here's What to do.

4/26/2021 (Permalink)

Cleaning up after a water loss can be time consuming. Why waste your own time? Call SERVPRO!

As the Southern United States heads steadily into April and things begin to warm up, most people will start dusting off their window units, kicking on the fans, or lowering their thermostats to accommodate for these sunny, Southern afternoons. With temperatures beginning to reach the 80s midday, most people are starting to see the definitive line in the sand, where once there was Winter, now there is definitely Spring, and soon, Summer will be upon us with new cooling demands. 

SERVPRO Kaufman County & Cedar Creek wants to extend a friendly reminder to our readers to check and service your air conditioning units, whether they’re window mounts, or central heating and air. Air conditioning units use the combination of electricity and the mechanisms inside the unit to cool the air that is expelled by the fans. These mechanisms usually involve some kind of coolant, and, you guessed it, water. And where there’s water, there’s the looming threat of water damage if that water ever becomes uncontained. 

Leaky water from the attic can ruin ceilings and walls, and even floor-level mounts can leak and effect carpet and vinyl flooring below, leading to extensive and expensive work. But unfortunately, leaky air conditioning units happen to the best of us. Here’s what to do if you find yourself with a leaky unit: 

1. Keep the air conditioning unit turned off until the leak can be fixed. Mop up and standing water, and look at the extent of the damage. Make sure it’s a task that you can handle. If it isn’t, there are service professionals who can help.
2. Start the drying process! Pull up affected carpet and vinyl flooring, use a shop vac to lift moisture from affected areas. Apply fans to help create cross-currents of fresh, moving air. A dehumidifier also helps speed up the drying process, so add at your discretion.
3. Patch. You may need to patch up any affected drywall, or remove affected baseboards. Be on the lookout for signs of mold growth. Again, mold can cause health effects and it spreads quickly. It’s an expensive predicament to find yourself in once your home is infected with fungal growth, so be keen.
4. Know when to call. SERVPRO Kaufman County & Cedar Creek is staffed by industry-leading professionals and full-time mitigation and restoration technicians, that can help you with whatever problem you have, big or small. We’re always here to help, and we’re eager to get you back to "Like it never even happened."