Aircon Drain Pan
The drain pan collects water from the indoor coil before it flows into the drain pipe. If the pan is cracked, shifted, or dirty in the wrong way, water can leak from the indoor unit.
What This Part Does
The drain pan sits below the indoor coil. It catches condensate water during cooling.
From the pan, water flows into the drain pipe and leaves the unit. The pan must stay aligned so water moves to the outlet point.
If the pan is cracked or out of position, water can escape before it reaches the drain pipe.
How You Would Notice
You may see water dripping from the front or base of the indoor unit. In some cases, water appears only after longer cooling runs.
A drain-pan fault can look like a blocked drain pipe because both cause indoor water leaks. The drip pattern often gives the first clue.
Users may also notice stains near the unit or along the casing edge.
- Water dripping from indoor unit casing or front edge
- Leak repeats during cooling runs
- Water stain near indoor unit or wall path
It Might Not Be The Drain Pan
A blocked drain pipe is more common than a cracked pan. Water backs up and overflows even when the pan itself is fine.
A float switch issue can shut the unit down without a pan crack. The problem may be the overflow protection path, not the pan body.
Coil icing can also create heavy water after melting. That can look like a drain-pan problem from the room side.
How We Check
We first confirm where the water starts and how it travels. This helps separate pan leaks from drain-pipe overflow and ice-melt patterns.
Then we inspect the pan for cracks, poor seating, tilt, and buildup that changes water flow inside the unit.
We also check the drain path and float-switch behavior because these parts work in the same drainage system.
Pan repair or replacement is recommended only when the pan condition clearly explains the leak path.
What We Find And What Happens Next
Indoor water leaks may come from the pan itself, the drain path, or a cooling fault that creates too much water at once.
| Finding | Next Step |
|---|---|
| Drain pan cracked | Replace or repair drain pan and retest drainage |
| Pan misaligned or not seated | Reseat pan and retest water flow |
| Pan normal, drain path blocked | Clear drain pipe and retest |
| Pan normal, ice-melt signs present | Check airflow and cooling condition |
About The Repair
Drain pan repair work depends on unit access and pan condition. Some cases need reseating, while others need a part replacement.
The right fix depends on the leak path. Replacing the pan will not solve a blocked drain pipe or coil icing issue.
We confirm the pan fault before naming replacement as the next step.
After Replacement
Water should flow into the correct outlet path with no indoor drip from the pan area. The leak pattern should stop during normal cooling.
If water still appears after the pan is corrected, the drain pipe or cooling condition needs another check.
We retest drainage behavior before closing the job.
When We Tell You To Wait
If there is active indoor dripping onto furniture, flooring, or electrical points, do not wait. Turn the unit off and arrange a check.
If the leak was one small event and has not returned, monitoring may be reasonable while you record the exact drip location.
We will tell you when the pattern looks like a true pan fault versus a drainage or cooling issue.