99% Don't Know THIS About Window A/C's!! DON'T DRILL!!
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- Window Air Conditioners use a "slinger ring" to throw water onto the condenser coils to help with the efficiency. HVAC technicians may be the only ones who knew. Do Not drill a hole into the bottom of the Unit. I learned something today!
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Mine started flinging ice chunks into my living room, so I drilled, baby drilled!
No more airborne ice. 😎
That's not normal...
@@HandymanHertz That's Walmart! 😉
You have to turn it off when outside temperatures get below freezing 😅
Yes. Yes !!! Do not drill. !!!! I did it years ago. And. I hit the copper tubing and all the Freon escaped and I ruined my AC unit. I was trying to get the water to drain out better. And I destroyed my AC unit. “ Do Not Drill “. !!!!! You have been warned !!!!
@toddburgess6792 that's right drill baby drill don't 4get it #TRUMP2024
you clearly live in a dryer climate . in south texas near the coast that "slinger" setup will turn the walls and entire area around the ac into a green swampy mess. it boggs the fan down inside trying to sling the water so the air slows to a crawl inside the house. you should say that this tip is location dependant. i drilled mine and the effectiveness of the ac increased several fold. just watch for refrigerant lines in the bottom of the unit when drilling
it seems like the AC I've seen have an overflow holes if the water builds up too much and if it's tilted correctly. Maude your are plugged? I Do live in a medium humid climate, so you're probably right on location.
Good tip on drilling through them. There's a lot of good ACs that have died prematurely because ppl have drilled through the condenser
yep, in my state the humidity will turn the whole ac into a black moldy mess
I've got a breeding ground of Mosquitos bogging up my unit. Took it apart a few weeks ago cus of the smell, were right back to where we started..
I watched for them, watched one bust in my face……😂
And make sure to watch for the fan blades and don't drill the holes while the AC unit is running cuz you can hit one of the fan blades and possibly break one off ask me how I know😂
I always drill holes in my air conditioner. As soon as water splashes on the coils they start collecting dirt and become clogged very quickly. The splashing water also creates mold in other parts of the cabinet.
I used to drill mine, and I haven't seen any noticeable difference between drilled or not drilled. But the amount of money saved on your utility bill you can see.
I drilled mine in the exact same spot where you put your drill the first time on the side. Drilled a 1/16 hole and blasted refrigerant all over my face. Rip ac unit
@@HandymanHertz How does drilling a drain hole in your a/c unit save on your utility bill?
I agree with this about the mold issue. How can you NOT have mold in an a/c that doesn't drain?
@@b18c5617 Been there before!
They only do this so that they can say it's more energy efficient as a selling point. The water that builds up causes all sorts of issues, mainly mold and bacteria growth. Also the slinger sound is very annoying to some people. Also it will pour a pint of water into your room when you uninstall it. It's absolutely no problem to drill drain holes as long as you are careful not to hit any internal components. Short of voiding the warranty anyway (but then most AC warranties are short and useless). Or just use the wick method (look it up on UA-cam).
One of my AC's was dripping into the house, I took it out and removed the cover, found out the bottom of the condenser was clogged with dirt and crud. Sprayed it out with hose, no more water inside the house. Will try to remember to clean them when I take them out this Fall. Thanks for the short yet informative video.
Yup! And if it's leaking inside the house it's probably the passage way plugged from the evaporator coil to the back of the unit that needs cleaned.
I drilled bigger drain holes to existing for faster drain during cleaning still works great 5yrs strong . helps the dirt escape faster and water drain
👍🏼
I just took the entire bottom off of the a/c unit. Let things fly when turned on. lol
@BillColicchio that's what you don't do but yes drill baby drill
Thank you! I so so many others who suggested to drill a hole, in fact I came to YT today to learn just how I needed to do it. Instead I looked at cleaning vids (yours was the best) and caught this at the end of the last one. I almost ruined my AC units.
If that's the case manufactures should make the bottom pan out of galvanized or stainless steel so the rusty water don't splash all over. They should also put a label stating not to drill holes on the bottom so not to shorten the life span of the cooling unit. Glad I found your video...was about to drill some holes and couldn't find any info on this issue. Thanks.
I agree on the bottom of the pan and the sticker. Although, I’ve never had one actually rust out on any rental houses yet, so it’s just the aesthetics so far. 👍🏼
That guy doesn't know what he is talking about not to drill a hole in the bottom of window AC units there's no difference in the efficiency whether it has water in it or but the water will rust out the unit faster so they don't know what they are saying. I have had window AC'S last longer without the water pooling in it plus I've done a test by plugging up the whole or letting the water drain out and there's no difference in the air conditioner efficiency the way it cools it makes no difference but I find that the air conditioner last longer without the water in it. Old air conditioners the water would drain out I believe that manufacturers lie because thay don't want your air conditioner to last. Since I drilled a hole in mind My air conditioner is over 10 years old and still works and ones that I left the water in was rusted and leaked the coolent in a year-and-a-half and was no good. people Just get dumber and dumber in the 1960's people made much more scene
I bet you think cars got better fuel mileage in the 1960’s too huh?
@@HandymanHertz yes in the 1960' there actually was a car that did get better fuel economy but the stupid evil government took it away from the people there was a man that made a vaporization carburetor that got 150 miles per gallon. And without all this stupid expensive computer crap that they have in cars now. Not everything should have computers what's wrong with making a car without a computer man has the capability or making a car with Superior gas mileage with no computer
@@stevealienman767planned obsolescence
I had several occasions of water in the room from the air conditioner to the point of staining the wall, windowsill, etc. I drilled a hole. The unit was tilted away from the house for drainage, but there was no weep/ drain holes provided in the casing. I'd rather have a wet spot outside than inside.
Had to drill mine anyways. Have old windows that don't allow the A/C unit to have a downward angle to it. Takes a bit of rigging just to get it level actually. So that water was sitting in my window sill and rotting my wooden window sill. Since it overflows before going out of the weeper holes, I had to drill holes in the bottom. I wish A/C units would come with a slider so you could move the top part of the surround forward or backward to change the angle of the unit while still allowing the unit to fit in your window properly. These things arent made to work in old windows unfortunately.
hmm strange. How old is your house? Mine was built in the 20s-30s with the original windows. I know everyone is working with different windows. I wish there was a way to adjust them too.
@HandymanHertz mine was built in 1905 but not sure about windows. There are wood framed and are the same windows my parents had in their old house that was built in 1901 that had the counterweights in the walls. Mine doesn't have counterweights tho.
@richardcope3077 mine plugged up again and leaked water in my window sill again. Had to go out and unplug it with a broken stick. That barely worked. Sprayed it diwn wuth a hose and that helped too but ended up still not draining right. Kept going with the stuck to try to grab the blockage and finally got most of it. I want to get a portable until that just has the vent go in the window.
I don't get it. My bedroom A/C never plugs up, but constantly smells if it's not on. If it's on 24/7 it doesn't smell. Even took it apart and cleaned it best I could with lysol. The living room one has no foul smell, but plugs up. Living room one is covered under a porch, bedroom one is out in the open.
cutting a piece of wood to put under the unit on the inside part of the sill works pretty good to give the unit the preferred tilt. As long as it's level, or no more than a 10 degree tilt down on the outside it should be fine.
Had the same issue on one place, just used wood on the inside to slightly angle it out, solved that problem. Just make sure you mount it so it doesn't fall out.
nice vid, short and 1 minute and topo the point. great! and i hate comments like this btw lol.
one thing i'm concerned about with a window unit (i'm halfway planning on switching to window rather than pay 10k plus when my 11 yrs old central fails) is, some people speak of mold in them, which is gross. and one would think it's because of that water pool. however, i'm thinking in tx where i live, it's so hot, pooling water might be short lived in any intermittent periods where the ac is off. it might be more of a northern climate issue.
I live in Kansas and I've never had any isssue with this. You'll just have to try it in your climate. Theres also tablets that you can put in there that kills mold if it's an issue on Amazon
I have this model GE, and Mr Hertz is right, they are designed that way for efficiency. The only problem I have had is the blower wheel which is inside the Styrofoam duct molds up and spits black mung out the cool air vents. I take mine apart every other year and clean it. 👍
Hmmm…there’s shouldn’t be any thing blowing out of the vents if installed correctly and working properly. Sounds like maybe gunk has built up and not allowing water to go from the evap coil in the front to the back of the unit? This would lead to water poking up and getting caught in the blower. I’ve never experienced a smell, personally. What climate do you live in? Is it humid?
@@HandymanHertz Yes, I only run it when the humidity is high. I will take the thing apart at the end of the season and do a better job cleaning it.
I have a similar experience with my Frigidair AC unit. Every few years I need to take the cover off and clean out the accumulated gunk. I'm pretty sure it's mosly tree pollen. Where I live, litterall every outdoor surface turns green in late spring from all the pollen. If it weren't for the pollen I'd just keep the windows open and not install the AC until early summer.
I had several Frigidaire units that do this. And no, I didn't put any holes in it either
If you have water spitting inside that means the inside coil is icing up. Setting the unit to cool, at high fan speed, and set the temp a couple to few degree's higher should alleviate that problem.
In my experience, the water in the pan attracts bugs which drown in the water then all the dead bodies get sprayed onto the cooling fins clogging it up. The water becomes very foul smelling as the summer goes on. When I cleaned it, it was so full of bug biomass it was crazy! After cleaning and installing it yesterday, checked it today and it's got lots of bugs flying around it already. Had tried taping window screening over the vent fins of the cowling a few years ago but even that got clogged quickly and was afraid it might be restricting the proper air flow. In my other window A/C, I drilled a hole at the side of the corner of the pan so water doesn't accumulate and it stays relatively clean year after year.
You could have glued a mosquito net
I'd rather just get a garden hose to flush out the water and bugs every now and then. Water does a great job in helping get the hot radiator to dissipate heat and get the refrigerant cooler easier.
I would often not get carried away with watering water, because it needs good drying, otherwise the bottom will rot with rust from moisture and you need make drain, then you will increase its life span from rust at the bottom of radiators
Awesome! I was really starting to worry about my ac as it is 100° and up and going to be that for the next couple months. I didn't want to have to get a new one. This one is only 2 years olI. So thankful for this video!!!
You're welcome, just make sure you clean it, I have a few videos on doing it either by a deep clean or a lazy way clean
In our area I always drill a hole to allow the condensation out of the units. Otherwise it hits the fan and splashes all over and is noisy..Drilling the hole also allows the build up sludge to flush out. We live in a very humid area. I always drill with a step bit as to not cause any damage to the fan blade etc.
Can also use a self tapper to replug if desired.
I had to drill mine. I have a window AC unit installed in the rear window of my camper van. The water would slosh around in there while I was driving and whenever I came to a stop sign it would come forward and come out while the AC was running and it would hit the front fan and that would spray water all over my bed and all over the rear of the camper van so I drilled the drains and I no longer have that problem.
@@OverlandOne Gross!
@@AldousHuxley7 It was just clean water, not rusty or anything. My unit is only a year old. It has digital controls on the front and I figured having water spraying out from behind that panel where the circuit board is, was probably not a good thing. I gave up some efficiency but, my bed stays dry now.
@@OverlandOne Thats ok itll last longer
Thanks that just kept me from drilling a hole under the backside of the unit outside my window and also very detail in easy to understand explanations my dude you get 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 10 thumbs up from me.
made my day as well !
You're welcome! Thanks for watching and the encouraging comment! 👍🏼
I did do that because they don't explain that anywhere.Mine was old and thought the same as this guy said but I got a brand new one at no cost out of the deal.Lessoned learned for sure.
Get out your bubblegum to plug it 😊
Thank you my new midea model one from Walmart is doing that and I was wondering the same thing. The water on the coils makes since. Helps transfer the heat out of the coils faster too I’m sure. Thanks for the video
Yup, exactly right. 👍🏼 thanks for watching
I found the right man to answer my question.Thanks
👍🏼 you're welcome, it's a really cool design
Man, I was going to drill my Toshiba in the morning, and thought I'd find a video just to see where. Glad I saw this!
Yeah, I've been there too. 👍🏼
@@HandymanHertz I did drill mine and started to think about this and looked it up to see if I was on the right track. Time to plug the hole. Thanks.
youll wish you drilled iof you live in humid climate the pad will get nasty and them youll be breathing it in
As somebody with an anxious brain this is very reassuring 😂
Haha I know the feeling!
This video literally saves people's money; both from electricity and the unit itself!
Yup, thanks! 👍🏼
I drilled mine for the same reason without thinking and it wound up tripping the breaker.. My last one had a drain so I figured the new one should too. There was even a slope and X where the drain would be. Found out that the water in the pan helps cool the unit like you said. Plugged the hole I drilled and it was good to go
That may be what it's for, but I ran into a problem. My window A/C pushed water inside the house because they also put weeping holes in the A/C frame "inside" the window flooding my room (thanks Arctic King, Walmart). I plugged the holes. It flooded because of the pool of water was covered in mold forcing the water "uphill" into the room. I drilled some 3/8" holes in it. It's predecessor, Also an Arctic King, welled water up too. It did the same, now that I remember. I'd drilled a bunch of holes for that one too. It lasted 6 years. IF I didn't drill the holes the condenser would have rusted away in the area under water. So, I'll take less efficiency and longer operation over more efficiency with a shorter life span.
YeAh that sounds like a poor design. You bet…gotta drill that…Can’t have water inside! 👍🏼
I have a unit made by whirlpool in the mid 1980s it is rusty yet it is still in one piece and has a built in drain and it still works though that remain unconfirmed but I do trust it to fire right up like it was only out for the winter. I am planning to check out a 2002 whirlpool unit that is in good shape and should also fire right up like it’s nothing.
Yup without drilling holes the whole unit rusts out in 2 years and will have battery terminal looking green corrosion all over the fins. I plan on window AC life being short, you can pick up 6000's now at discount vendors for a little over $100 new in box. I just replace instead of flooding my window sill and with a rusted piece of metal
My problem, other than the splashing water sound and water splashing out of the cooling vents, is mold. I have 2 units like this, and they grow and sling a terrible black mold all over. They're getting drilled!
@@stangcobra592had same problem, took it apart, used vinegar, garden hose and compressed air with a wet/dry shop vac and little hose attachments to get in-between components, works like new. Took a few hours to get all the gunk out.. save a few bucks and use the tools 👍 ✝️
I’m getting a mildew smell. I’ve already cleaned my coils once with distilled vinegar and it helped but I think it’s cause the water sits.
Sounds to me like it’s time for a deep clean because mold and mildew is in your inside blower fan. I have a great video on how to do it. You’ll be surprised how much mold than mildew is blowing into your room.
Also, Nothing on the outside of your unit gets sucked inside. 👍🏼
yep need to get that water out
I've had drip problems with two Midea U-shaped 8k BTU units. They drip right next to the window on the sill where it would rot the still. On a conventual window unit the sling ring slung water on the exterior wall and it started growing mold. Sometimes you don't have much of a choice but to drill.
Yeah, I'd probably drill too. 👍🏼
If you take something like a piece of gauze or very strong absorbing paper towel and cut it something like 3 inches by 7 inches. Stick it down in between the evaporator coils and the frame, careful not to bend the fins. Let drape over and it will work like an oil lamp wick. It will suck up the water out of the pan and drip off the bottom of the material. Learned from another you tube video. No need to drill
My Midea has a removable rubber plug.
drill a hole
It's crazy how out of a billion youtube videos on the internet, this is the only video that somewhat explains the function of drain plugs.
Drain plugs?
@@HandymanHertz my GE window ac has a little plastic plug underneath I can pull out to drain the water inside.
its stupid system designed to kill the ac. trust me
Totally didn’t know that! Very interesting!
It is interesting, a great design!
I really hate to say it, but designed to do it or not water like that in a unit doing it's thing is asking for rot both in the unit and in a home depending on the angle of the dangle. I've also noticed allot of that water never really goes away even when off during the cooler months and I'd rather not have standing water slowly turning into mold and mildew and so on. Plus I'll be honest I'd rather it not rot into nothing in a decades time. rather it die of funnier causes considering it was the cheapest unit walmart had to offer that day.
But to be fair the holes I drilled can easily be fixed at a later date if performance is even that large of an issue. Lil two part and a hour to dry fixes everything in the world today. Makes sense why doing it could be a bad idea in the right units and area. especially dry climates.
I've never had one rust out in my hose or my rental Houses, that's just my experience. Usually that's not the limiting factor on why they get tossed.
You can buy rubber plugs for the holes if you size them right. I had a unit rust out after many years because of all the moisture. They never dry out in a high humidity environment.
*WHEW*! My cordless drill was out and charged! I almost did a "WHOOPS"! Thanks, man! lol
Haha I've done many of whoops before I knew this too.
I was gonna go for it as well lol !!
Me too 😂
The only problem with this is the corrosion you get when the condensor sits in water. So drilling holes can be better. If your unit does works as good with a hole than you neex to clean the inside of your condensor, the side the fan blows.
You make some Good points, although I have never thrown an AC away due to corrosion, personally, in my house or rentals. 👍🏼
If you take something like a piece of gauze or very strong absorbing paper towel and cut it something like 3 inches by 7 inches. Stick it down in between the evaporator coils and the frame, careful not to bend the fins. Let drape over and it will work like an oil lamp wick. It will suck up the water out of the pan and drip off the bottom of the material. Learned from another you tube video. No need to drill
Had one rust out because of this, but it took years to do so.
We have two window ACs, a Frigidaire and a LG, and both have this system where the fan picks up the pooled water and splashes it on the condenser coils. The LG has one weep hole in the lower back frame (not on the underside). The Frigidaire does not have weep holes in the back or under and the water pools up a bit and the fins at the bottom that are in contact with the pooled water are corroding. I'm going to add one weep hole in the rear of the Frigidaire unit, but I'm also going to use a drill stop to prevent damaging the condenser coil.
That’s a really good idea. There’s been a lot of air conditioning units that have went to the dump because of a hole being drilled where it shouldn’t have. I may have sent one there prematurely myself 😆
My window AC is on the 4th floor of an old house with steep stairs. When i take it out of the window for the winter water spills out. A lot of water and its dangerous on the wood stairs. How can I get the water out before taking it in?
@@thankgodimouttahere Purchase a rubber plug of sufficient size and drill a hole in a spot that allows the water to drain. Plug the hole until you are ready to drain it for removal.
I install an 8k BTU Hisense and I made sure I had a slight tilt to the outside, using a level to confirm. However, the unit is overflowing onto the inside Windowsill on both sides. I found another video that showed how to place a thin cloth or gauze on the back of the unit to wick the water out. It worked like a charm. In two minutes the cloth was dripping with water and Windowsill stopped being wet. I was about to drill the bottom but the wicking of the water worked so fast I decided not to. With all the standing water inside the unit it would create more noise, a Gurgling sound, when the water was high and was being slung around inside which might’ve been contributing to the windowsill becoming wet. I’m going to stick with wicking out the water so I don’t keep having a wet Windowsill. This is a poor design and instruction or stickers should inform the consumer of the reason for the unit holding water but also provide pop out holds so drilling is not required if the water in overflowing inside the Windowsill. Thank you for making the video and explaining why we shouldn’t drill the unit for drainage.
Hmm, I only buy brands in familiar with (fridgidaire, lg, ge, midea, etc) and have never had this issue. I would be curious to know why. I believe you leveled it, but I also believe engineers design these things so they work when installed properly. I’ve never heard of a brand new one leaking inside. I’ve heard of a bunch that leak inside when they get dirty and there’s a blockage from the evaporator coil to the back of the unit. I’ve venture to guess something is blocking that from the factory, a piece of Styrofoam or some thing.
I run a strip of folded paper towel tucked in to the back between the housing and the fins and let the other end hang down bellow the unit. It wicks any standing water and since it wicks it downward, once the towel is saturated it starts dripping and begins syphoning any remaining water. It does this at a perfect rate that allows water to pool up during heavy use and then dries out the unit when not in use.
That works. Why not just drill a hole?
@@HandymanHertz an open hole wouldn’t let the AC benefit from increased cooling efficiency from the fan splashing water on the fins, as it was originally designed. A slow wicking paper towel will allow water to pool when the ac is in use and then dry the unit out when it’s not in use. A hole would just drain the water immediately.
Why does it smell moldy or musty without modification ?
I think the air quality is better without a pool of hot nasty water.
Air seems drier, and coils don't seem to freeze over as often.
Yeah a machine constantly full of hot water is a breeding ground for molds mildew, and it just keeps flinging it around inside a dark area.
Also even power off still left with a pan of nasty water sitting in dark environment.
I modified both of mine last year, love seeing the water pour out of them. Both units push 50 degree air out.I didn't drill, I cut the middle of the back and peeled it back so with tilt drains at lowest point, be careful not to hit coolant tubes.
Informative video, makes sense. But last year I literally poured bleach into one unit to get rid of strong mold musty smell. Could smell it with unit off too. They were plenty sloped backwards. Subscribed 👍
Thanks I almost just drilled mine lol and I have drilled one before I don’t think I ran it long enough after that to suffer the consequences but this is a great video and good to no
Yup, I've drilled plenty myself before i knew this
Thank you! I have been worried about this.
Glad I could help!
Should also mention how easy it is to puncture the condenser when your bit breaks through and screws itself through the thin sheet metal casing. I've seen it happen multile times.
Yeah very true. Lots of new ac's in landfills due to this...
Thank you for the information cause I was about to drill a hole in my window Unit. it was leaking water inside. So I pull it out find out the hole where condensed water drain was clogged. So I clean it real good then put it back in. 👍
Good job! Usually water leaking inside is a separate issue!
What’s that issue? Mine is dripping out inside
I agree with kevincheston i have 6 through the wall casement ACs one from 1986 is still working, old tech. The two newest ones that have the water fan sling style are the ones that have damaged my wall. The ACs are dead level so the weep holes when reacting to higher water levels drip on the bottom rails of the box allowing water to drip from the rear all the way to the front therefore causing sheet rock and wood damage. Now you say why did I let it get to that point. Well, my maintenance for the other 4 units required cleaning the filter and inside coil and hosing off the outside coil not adding tablets or liquids to prevent sludge. This I wasn't used to, never had a problem with sludge, the water drips out and was not stagnant. Yea I know I'm old but not afraid of embracing new tech if the tech is engendered and well thought out. Why make it harder and less healthy to maintain? To sell more ACs more frequently, the consumer be dammed.
You said the ACs are dead level. I believe there in lies the problem. Every instruction manual I read, says they need a slight slope that would fix your issue.
There could be a counter argument that the slinger ring makes your unit more effective and efficient by cooling down the condenser. This would cause less cycling, which would be less wear and tear on your compressor, extending the lifespan. Just some thoughts. I’d also be very very curious what your 1986 SEER rating would be and how much energy it uses 😬. can’t be good.
@@HandymanHertz I didn't install the sleeves, my contractor did. The other 4 on the second floor were all leveled slightly down. The newest one of these was the one that caused the most damage that I am in the middle of repairing. I removed it and actually found a factory hole that was near the front that was allowing water to drip behind the wallboard. I plugged this hole and drilled two holes in the rear, and now I get a drip outside. Why won't you admit this design has flaws? The manufacturers did this to get a little better SEER rating so we think we are being environmentally conscious and dam the consequences. Question everything. Don't be led by your ideals that are being manipulated. ( I don't think they used SEER ratings in the 80s)
This video should get two thumbs.
I disagree, it molds to high heaven in a humid environment. Maybe it looses a bit of efficiency, or a lot. But the indoor air suffers and molds.
Didnt know this and drilled. Had to plug it.
Mine has a rubber plug that is now missing. I can tell it doesn't quite cool as well now. A little silicone should do the trick.
I always drill. If not, the unit will die sooner because of dirt, dust, slime, and algae build up. I'd rather my unit last longer than be more efficient. Also, letting the water pool up over time corrodes and ruins the coils and rust the housing.
Do as you please, but I'm gonna continue to drill window units and run drain tubes to the ground.
👍🏼
Absolutely correct based on my experience. Before you drill check to see if you have removable plugs.
thanks! you just prevented me from drilling a hole in the unit!
You’re welcome!
Well I’ll be dandy just the. Information I was looking for thanks
Ok yup, glad to help!
I drilled a drain on mine. It makes more sense to me to not have the fan smacking water. That will burn the fan up if it makes it that long. It can burn up the fan motor and bearings.
I believe the fan motor and bearings are designed to handle the load. I think the Load would be minuscule, though, as it’s just a trickle’s worth of water. In my experience, the fan motor and bearings have never been the limiting factor in any of my personal houses or rental houses.
My old air-conditioning unit is 35 years old, i drilled it over twenty years ago, it still works way better than the newer one i bought, so i don't necessarily agree with you. But to each their own.
Don't care. I still drilled a hole and keeping it nice and dry.
That works too!
I wish I had seen this earlier .. too late .. I drilled exactly where you had your drill pointing and accidentally drilled the freon line.
That is silly. You really had to disassemble the whole unit first. If you were in Canada or Europe you could still fix it, but If you are in the states? Good luck.
Oh no! well, You arnt the first one to do that. A lot of window AC units go to the recycling center early due to this 😬
How do you fix this in a cost effective way?
@@HandymanHertz Newer window AC units do come with R32 almost always. And you can't get refrigerants other than R134a for vehicle A/Cs, without an EPA certificate. You can't fix it. The cost effective way will be buying a new one. If you are in Europe, you can get Hydrocarbon replacement for R32, what they call HC-32. Still, it would be cheaper to buy a new one.
What about too much water getting in there to the point it's affecting the fan. especially after it rains this is a problem. Do i need a awning over it? Also, my 5000 btu unit used to be enough to cool my room on a hot day, until my neighbors cut down all their oak trees and now I ano shade at all. It cool the room good at night but on days when it gets to 99 to 100 it barely keeping the room comfortable. I know how take the unit out and apart to clean it, but maybe I need a 6000 btu unit? Will an awning make a difference?
A deep clean would be your best bet. I did a comparison and there was an 8 degree difference. Watch my video on deep cleaning if you need. An awning won't make much difference if it's just over the ac unit. The problem is now the sun is baking your house instead of the trees. I'd guess 6,000 may not be enough, I'd go 8,000, personally. If you have two windows, I would put it either in the north side of the room or the west side of the room window.
Also, keep it at a set temperature, they are meant for maintaining temperature, not cooling down a room. You could also cool it in the morning, so you have a Headstart before the heat comes in the afternoon
I like the high efficiency, AC that uses the condensate, to help displace heat. But if you live in an area like me that has very high humidity, they will collect to much water in the tray and will need to have some of it drained. My GE came with holes, but the instructions said, to leave the plugs in. So, no drilling was necessary, when it needed a drain.
👍🏼 Interesting, yeah that makes sense. I only live in a medium humid location. My ge is older and has overflow weep holes. I know every model seems to differ.
Thank you for this... Totally was going to do this but was like wait a minute.. let me check the OL' UA-cam... Close one; CHEERS
You're welcome! Good old UA-cam!
😡 Wish I saw this at the beginning of summer haha looks like I'll be busting out the jb weld next year 😂😂
It still works with a hole, it just isn’t quite as efficient!
I complete ruined a year old 18,000 btu 240v unit last year for not knowing this. I noticed it wasn’t dripping water and freaked out thinking it was going to to go in the walls. I took a drill to it and busted Gas pipe. Oh yeah, and this was on Mother’s Day!!! 😂😂😂.. it cost @1k to replace it with a new one. Lol
Oh no!!! 😂 I was kinda flipping out too that was water was building up.
This what I did an mess up mine🤣🤣
So what you're saying is do not drill a hole in the bottom of my daughter's Midea U shaped air conditioner ? I have it a slight angle sloping away from the house but I do not see any water coming from it at all.
That is correct.
Ive got an acient kenmore window unit AC.
It has a drain but i didnt like the water pooling up inside so i made the drain to where no water pools up at all. That was done maybe 2006.
In 2010 or 2011 the thermostat went out so i found an electronic thermostat that plugs into the wall and the AC plugs into it.
That AC fires up every time and i dont think it will ever die.
That’s a great idea.
Thank God I watched this. I was just about to drill holes.
I drilled a hole on mine because the grills were getting corroded
👍🏼
Mine was pouring water into the house. Drilling the hole fixed it. Yea, it'll maybe shorten the lifespan, but I was gonna trash it anyhow.
They are designed to overflow out the back weep hole before they overflow in the front. Do you remember if it’s at the correct slope the manufacturer recommended?
my window air conditioners have little plugs on the bottom that you can pull out. So of course I pulled them out and threw them out long ago. I had no idea about this.
Not all a/c units have the slinger ring. You’d have to look into your make/model
Thanks brother You save my life 😮😮😊 adiós Ezequiel
I drilled holes into the finned aluminum part on the back wall of the ac.....I wonder why it stopped working.
This might be a feature...but regardless...drill a hole about 3/4 of an inch or bigger if necessary in a spot at the bottom where there should have been a hole. Keeps the bottom from rusting out and and collecting debris and mold at the bottom.
It may be designed that way but I hate hearing the water trickling. It drives me nuts
Mine you can’t hear inside. Maybe that’s because it takes up the whole window, but others have this complaint too.
Maybe add some cleaning vinegar or ??? For mold fungus prevention?
Never been an issue in my medium-humid climate.
Bro my ac drips water from inside and now I got a partly inf water generator 💀
Edit: it overflows when used 2 to 1 hour, and leaks water outside and inside the house 🤔🤔
has it always done this? Sounds like there’s junk dammed up and not allowing water to exit to the back of the unit. You need to watch my deep clean video, I show you how to fix this problem.
The problem I have with my Midea u-shaped unit is that the bottom panel is easily rusted as are the coils that are exposed. Secondly, ours just leaks from EVERYwhere including a slit that's underneath the AC and sits right over the window frame. So water goes EVERYwhere.
Sounds like you got a lemon or installed it incorrectly. I've never had 1 drop of water drop from it on the inside or the outside with either one of my midea u acs
@@HandymanHertz We looked at everything closely again before installing it for the summer a couple of days ago. Most people online were talking about the drip hole near the front of the machine and I had no clue what they were talking about. I finally got a photo and the one I got from 2 years ago doesn't have holes there. Only one RIGHT in the center which falls right on the frame of any lipped window sill. So I have no clogged that up with dense foam to see if I can coax the water out in other directions. Would love to show you some photos to get your advice.
But the point is, this isn't a dud. Plenty of us have this problem online on reddit, youtube, etc.
Bugs like to go inside the A/C for water and can be killed by the fan and restrict the drainage. Plant fiber, animal fur, and other materials can plug-restrict the drain hole.
True
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! My Central AC went out so I had to get a new Window AC.
Its been 2 days, and i see the water pooling in the same area as yours. I nearly did the same exact thing, I was just about to drill it, but figured I needed to look it up first. You saved me a ton of money and headache.
You're welcome, glad to help
If you are worried about efficiency, window units are the most inefficient A/C's. Two window units pull as many Amps as one and a half Central Units.
Yeah...but houses with no ductwork have few other options in a pinch. Cleaning the condenser coils every year is a must. I do that every year and can fill a room with frosty air with each window unit. It can easily cost 15-20 thousand to outfit a house with central AC. Even going with split units.
But what about the mold that grows in the back when the AC is turned off and sitting there for a while and then you put it away for the winter…
The water evaporates quickly. I’ve never had a mold issue anywhere other than the blower inside fan. But that’s just my experience
My GE units have a hole in the bottom with a rubber plug that you can remove.I just leave the plug in because I was told it cools better, but would be slightly quieter if removed and the blades didn't hit the water.
This is correct, also, it will cut down your electric bill because it runs more efficient
I can’t believe this is in my feed. I have never seen this until I got a new window AC. I literally just drilled 2 holes in my AC unit yesterday!!! Thank god they are small enough to plug.
Good timing. Get out your chewing gum and plug them 👍🏼
@@HandymanHertzWhat's supposed to happen if you drill holes? Mine was clogged up so bad even cleaning drain plug area still left way more water than what I saw in the video. About a week or two ago I made one small hole and lately it's been doing much better.
Drilled mine last year. Second story extension ladder, full view of the neighbors, nicked a freon line and it sprayed in my face for what seemed to be 20 minutes. Probably lung cancer. No ACs at the store. It was a great day.
I keep hearing water dripping moving around in mine? Is that normal, pretty humid where I am
Yup, that's normal. That's the slinger right splashing water on the coils
Not really, I set up window units. I would highly recommend drilling it, when you have access. If you drill it, make controlled weep holes I do 3 along the lowest point of the units this will allow a vacuum, go out periodically, rub the holes and The water will suck out until you stop rubbing the holes when it empties. Not to forget, you may have to shut the a/c off during that time. After that is done, the water can rebuild and the process can repeat. This is great for getting rid of stale water as well as preventing mildew and any other form of bacteria growth . There are more preferred methods I use that still involve drilling and the best one is when it comes to treating the water in the system to where it keeps it clean all summer and it works great. It may seem like a lot of work but general maintenance and innovation will keep equipment looking sharp and will work for much longer!
Mildew and mold on the outside had not been my experience with my personal window a/c units and also in all of our rental houses. I guess I don’t see any pros, only cons. ( I.e. Water will drip out, puddle up, chance of people drilling through condenser or fan and ruining machine, more energy consumed, less cooling capabilities (2 degrees cooler in my testing), have to go get drill and drill it.)
Thank you, It may all be preference really, I reckon. A buddy of mine, likes to draw a hose and collects the condensate and sends it to a pump for swamp cooling during the night. I agree with this video it could be hazardous and the system is already designed for max efficiency, drilling holes could be an annoyance especially if the a/c condensation is dripping from above in common areas where people are around. However, HVAC is part of my work and I as well, see the common failures day in and day out. What I see is the units are designed to balance in terms of climate furthermore for distribution. That's where innovation comes in, if you know what you're doing lol.
If you take something like a piece of gauze or very strong absorbing paper towel and cut it something like 3 inches by 7 inches. Stick it down in between the evaporator coils and the frame, careful not to bend the fins. Let drape over and it will work like an oil lamp wick. It will suck up the water out of the pan and drip off the bottom of the material. Learned from another you tube video. No need to drill
@@photog3377 Yes I agree, I did see that one as well, and did that with my over head a/c as it dries before it gets to drippin all over the deck area when I'm sitting out grilling, it took a minute, but works great, however my downstairs unit was as simple as point- click done as a faster method. Probably, the best thing I've noticed is just leaving it alone, not being lazy lol and just spraying it out annually as I only use mines 3-4 months in a year.
The air feels colder without any water in the unit. Wish somebody could test this.
You can test it if you'd like. Just get an accurate meat thermometer. I have a video coming out this summer where I did test it. Not to give that away too much, but you're going to want to keep your water in there 👍🏼
So this explains the sloshing water noise on the inside
So I had this issue, but the pan was filling up too much and the fan was spitting the water back out through the vents into the house. It was filling up so much so fast that it didn’t have a chance to drain. What could the problem be?
IC, said the blind man...but I'm uncomfortable having that standing water in terms of bacteria build up over time and increase of flying critters. Have had HVAC for decades, but certainly will refer your YT to others. Thanks again.
I totally understand. A lot of that might have to do with climate. I'm in a medium humid climate and have never had an issue with that, knock on wood. My dad says I see, said the blind man… So I appreciate that. 👍🏼
You can get a small squirt type plastic container. Ketchup type with a small tip. Squirt about a half cup of white vinegar into the pan water. Kills and keeps bacteria away. Once a month is good. I did drill a drain hole in mine so I can drain it and let it fill again with new water. I have a plug for it. I do it once a month and after I empty it I run some water into the pan to wash it. I then replace my plug. Put the vinegar in and replace the amount of water with it. The fan keeps throwing the water and keeping the condensor and piping cool and wet.
They sure do last longer without corrosion when the water is out of them.
Maybe, but I can't say this is true... I've Never had to replace one in my rentals or house due to rusting yet. Not the limiting factor for me at least.
Damn I drilled out holes on my ac 10years ago but still running 😮
I don’t think drilling hurts the longevity, only the efficiency.
Why doesn’t it say that on the unit next to “DO NOT DRILL”?!? 😡😂
I'd venture to guess that most people don't drill or think to drill.
I had an a/c unit like that but didnt like it because the remaining water would just be there and it would eventually smell...
Hmm…I guess I’ve never ran into this issue of a smell, so I can’t comment on that.
Need ask something my 1000 BTU air conditioner is not leaking out back does it leak or not got it in right but no water leaking out side mine is WiFi air conditioner got on 67 please help thanks
I'm sure it's got a slinger ring, so no water should be leaking out. It seems like it's functioning properly.
Glad I watched this because I was about to drill mine since I heard the water in it.
Glad to help!
It also provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Mine is throwing 6 to 10 dead mosquitoes into my room when I turn it on.
Weird, I don’t have this issue.
TL:DR If you DON'T have animals that might drink the water if it puddles drilling the pan or draining the water is better for your system and you. Do with this information what you will. If you might have animals that could potentially drink this water then DO NOT DO IT. This is why they don't have a drain or have a corked drain hole.
As an HVAC tech that evaporative dispersing probably more than likely is affecting your efficiency negatively rather positively as you lose air flow when the water fills the fins and you can potentially develop algae, mold, fungus and such. One thing you will notice if you have a fresh air intake on your unit is that it might smell like sweat or smell a bit funky when it brings air in, that is your condensate water in the pan. Its also a mating ground for mosquitoes and such and rusts out your chassis of you window AC. As far as I know its only there for multi story buildings so that water does not drip on lower areas, people walking below in the city, and so it wont puddle where animals can drink it and get sick. You can contract Legionnaires disease which is a type of pneumonia if you are heavily exposed to condensate water. A solution would be running a drain hose from the AC directly into the ground or a drain-out so no puddles will form.
Also, side note, I do not like portable hose ACs cause they hold the water in the unit unless you dump it leading to funky smells, constantly having the condensate switch shutting it off, and poor efficiency cause of the uninsulated condenser venting tube. Drilled a hole in my window AC condensate pan cause of the smell and found this video when I was seeing if newer LG units have condensate switches so they don't overflow. If you don't want to drill you can also just hang a paper towel/fabric from the back of the unit where that overflow hole is and it will just gravity drain it out.
Creds: HVAC Journeyman. I work residential and commercial. This includes central heating and cooling, gas heating, electric heating, watersource heatpumps, chillers, cooling towers, hydronic loops, and some refrigeration hence not the R part of HVACR as I am mostly an HVAC technician. A portable AC is technically a small size package unit and those usually will always have a separate drain line. The package units I've seen that did not and instead had evaporative dispersing for the condensate were always rusted beyond repair after 5-10 years.
Oh phew. I thought mine had an issue. I thought it was over heating from the sizzling sound of water hitting the condenser. I just didn't expect the water to be part of the process. Just seem like it would cause corrosion and shorts as well as mold growth.
It really helps with efficiency and less hard on your compressor. I've never personally had a mold issue, or replaced one due to corrosion or rust in my house or my rental houses
What about the mold you get from in window a/c's? Ive had 3 and they all got mold inside the house window sill and all over the room.
To be honest, I've never had one that didn't get mold in it. It's just the nature of the beast, at least in my area. Drilled or not drilled. That's why you need a deep clean once in a while.
This was the most useful video I have ever watched on UA-cam thank you sir 🫡
oh wow, Glad to hear that! thanks for watching!
I just broke my window unit out a few weeks ago when we were without power during hurricane Beryl. My AC was not dropping water. But there was some in the pan when I removed it from the window. I thought I didn't install it correctly. This video is so helpful!
What about in my case where I've got it tilted but it's still leaks water inside the house so I Drilled 4 holes 😏 and it is still running like normal and no more water leaking all over my window seals. 🤔
If you understand how a window AC works, you'd know that the condensate must drain from the evaporator coil in the front of unit through 1-2 passages to the back. I'd guess yours are partially plugged if you have the right tilt and once they plug you will have more water inside. Sounds like it's just a matter of time until it gets plugged, you need a deep clean, not drilling.
Yes, it will still work if you drill but you're going to spend a lot more in electricity and have warmer air coming out than if you didn't. Also, lifespan will likely be decreased due to machine working a lot harder to maintain temp.
Well, have always wondered why my ACs had no hole(s), but this seems like a crazy design. Everything gets all rusted with the water just sitting in there. It's a real great time when you pull the AC inside to put it away for the winter also, crappy water all over inside the house. I will watch your video again to try to understand your explanation the reasoning behind this, but will probably continue to drill drain holes down there.
If you dont have a drain its obvious the manufacturer designed it this way. My thing is that I'd rather lose a little bit of efficency than to prematurely rust out my air conditioners components, making it useless. Anybodys thoughts?
MUST READ!!! I drilled mine out have 2 units both are 2 ton, i will say liveing in va the humility is brutal so the condensers, condense alot !!!so much that. Mold begins to grow slime sludge and bugs even with droping pan tabs in the water so i drilled them out and bought a kayak plug so i could do kw testing, power test!
2 ×'24 hour test'
So with the unit set to 72 with water splashing everywhere in it it consumed
23,240 watt hours
With no water 23,841 watt hours
Difference of 601 watts so less efficient but much cleaner!
On to the so called shortening of the life of the ac from the manufacturers statment if drilled ....
Ac life is determined by how hot the compressor gets. Doin thermal test on the ac showed no change 84° both with water and without this is because it has a thermocoupler to monitor the compressor temp and keep it between a variable temp
All in all drilling in my case was well worth the 601watts
All test done with high end fluke 87v
It's a good idea to put tablets in front and back of your unit. They keep the water clean and slime free.
Thanks for the tip!
What to do when the fan is circulating water inside? 😩
I had no idea about this. I always thought something was wrong when I heard that sound.
If water is coming on the inside, your issue is usually one of two things. Either your window AC isn't tilted properly, or the passage from the water to get to the front of the unit to the back is blocked and requires a full deep clean. In my deep, clean video, I address where this is and how to clean it.
Yea, slinging water onto condenser helps a tiny bit with efficiency (there are no precise numbers how much it really helps), but there are many drawbacks for doing this. First of all, there's visible rust on your video when you show the interior condensate pan because the housing of window ACs is made out of steel that will easily rust, and even though the interior is also painted - it will rust faster with standing water, especially when your AC is not running but water still accumulates there because of rain. Second of all, it's a breeding ground for insects like mosquitoes during the time your AC is not running (for example when the weather is not hot enough) but still has plenty of water in that pan after a period of rainy weather. And for people who do actually remove their window AC for winter storage somewhere else - it's not convenient to drain standing water from that pan without any kind of drain hole.
Good window AC manufacturers at least give people a choice by providing a condensate drain hole with a rubber plug.
I had to drill the over flow holes bigger cause they just wouldn’t drain fast enough, the fan was picking water up and throwing it threw the vents into my house