An air conditioner running through a Mesa July pulls gallons of water a day out of the air, and all of it is supposed to leave through a condensate line. When that line blocks with algae, the pan overflows, and the water goes wherever the pan sits: through the ceiling, into the closet wall, or down inside the air handler cabinet. The full mechanism is in our guide to AC condensate overflow.
This is the quietest water damage there is. Nobody hears it, the unit keeps cooling, and the first sign is a brown ring on a ceiling or a musty smell near the return. By then the drywall has been damp for weeks and the mold is already established, which is why these jobs start with a mold inspection rather than a fan.
We dry the structure and handle the mold remediation that came with it. An HVAC tech clears the line and fits a float switch so the unit shuts down next time instead of overflowing again.
Technician insight
Flushing the condensate line every spring before the season starts prevents most of these calls. It takes a wet vacuum at the outside stub and about ten minutes.
AC Condensate Leak Cleanup Services We Offer
✓Ceiling Water Damage
Stained and sagging ceilings from attic air handlers, opened, dried and made ready for repair.
✓Air Handler Closet Drying
Closet walls, floors and platforms dried after pan overflow.
✓Post-Leak Mold Check
Testing around the affected area because condensate leaks run wet for weeks before discovery.