A wet air filter is a common problem that most homeowners face. It usually indicates that the condensate tray or condensate drain lines are clogged. Water is a natural by-product of a working air conditioner, and as the system draws warm air from your home to cool it, moisture from the air condenses on the evaporator coils and then drips into the drain pan. The most likely reason the air cleaner is damp is a clogged condensate drain pipe.
Condensate leaks are a common cause of wet air filters. As the HVAC system cools the air in your home, it also condenses indoor moisture, from water vapor to liquid form. Condensate normally falls into a drip tray where it is channeled to a drain away from the HVAC system. Water could also be leaking from evaporator coils.
This is less typical, but it happens from time to time. Both air conditioners and high-efficiency gas ovens produce moisture during normal operation. With nowhere to go, condensate returns to the drip tray until it overflows, resulting in a wet floor or, in some cases, a soggy air filter. A wet air filter can cause a lot of problems, but there is only one thing that wets the filter in the first place.
A clogged, dusty, and dirty air filter in your central air conditioning unit is a common problem most homeowners face. And when the ice starts to melt, it can overflow the drain pan and leak, causing the air filter to get wet. In addition, a damp filter in the heating and air conditioning unit is likely to develop mold, which can cause a variety of health problems, such as nasal congestion, wheezing, and redness and itching of the eyes. Just as it's important to check and change your HVAC air filter every month, it's also important to keep it dry.
Preventing Wet Air Filters
There are several steps you can take to prevent air filters from getting wet.Changing air filters regularly helps prevent this problem by minimizing the amount of debris that enters the drain pipes and the trays that clog them. Think of your filter as a rebounder that only allows good things (clean air and small particles) to enter your HVAC system and prevents bad things (large dust particles and harmful contaminants) from entering your HVAC system.
