Everything You Need to Know About Aircon condensation

Aircon Trunking Air Condensation – Why it Happens

Before we can begin to talk about air condensation issues, it is first important to familiarize ourselves with one of the most overlooked yet important parts of your air conditioner – the aircon trunking.

Aircon trunking is a ventilation system that helps to expel hot, moist air from the building. It does this by extracting the warm air from the room and transferring it outside. This helps to keep the room cool and prevents the build-up of condensation.

The main benefit of aircon trunking is that it helps prevent condensation in your air conditioning system. Condensation can cause a number of problems, such as mould growth, water damage, and corrosion. Aircon trunking helps to solve these problems by removing the warm, moist air from the room. This keeps the room cool and dry, which prevents the formation of condensation.

Now that we have that established, what exactly is aircon condensation, and why is it a problem?

Air condensation is the process of turning water vapour into liquid water throughout the process when your air conditioner cools the room. It occurs when warm, moist air meets a colder surface, such as a window or a metal roof. The water vapour in the air cools and turns into liquid water, which then collects on the cold surface.

It’s pretty easy to spot aircon condensation in your air conditioner unit. This usually comes with visible signs such as trap floor blockages. When a blockage happens, you will eventually start to see forming water droplets around your trap floor, and eventually water leakage.

Causes of aircon condensation

In summary, here are the common causes for air conditioner condensation:

• The use of an inappropriate dehumidifier

This can be another overlooked reason for air condensation. An ideal room relative humidity of 30 to 40 per cent is recommended. Suppose the dehumidifier runs at this humidity or lower. In that case, it will prevent the formation of water droplets on the cooling coil and other metal surfaces inside the air conditioner, which may drip down onto floors.

This is why some people argue that instead of spending money on a dehumidifying device. They would rather set their air conditioner thermostat at 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) because this temperature setting automatically turns off the compressor when it’s not needed, resulting in significant savings over time.

• Poorly installed trunk

Poorly installed aircon trunking can also cause air conditioners to condense. Air conditioners must be installed with a sufficient amount of trunking space for proper airflow. If the trunking is not installed correctly, it will create high and low-pressure areas that can cause the air conditioner to condense.

• Lack of aircon maintenance

Incorrect maintenance is also a common reason for air conditioners to condense. If the filters are not cleaned or the refrigerant levels are not adequately maintained, the air conditioner will not function as efficiently, resulting in condensation.

• Poor insulation of the aircon trunking

Insulation is certainly not something you easily think about when installing your aircon. However, your aircon technician should be able to give you this advice to prevent constant aircon condensation. In fact, this ideally should be included during the installation of your air conditioner.

• Lack of ventilation

This often happens when there is not enough aircon trunking space for the AC installer. When your aircon trunking cannot ventilate well, it will easily lead to moisture build-up, which will consequently trap floor blockages. This is one of the reasons why you end up with water leakage.

More explanation on principle of condensation here.

How can I prevent air condensation?

In most cases, an air conditioning system is designed to remove moisture from the air. However, during periods of high humidity, it’s not uncommon for some water droplets to form on the cold surfaces of the unit. This is known as air condensation and is perfectly normal. But to make sure your air conditioner is in its prime condition, you can do the following:

Weatherproof Fittings

Seal joints, elbows and other fittings with silicone padding to prevent air leakage. Applying padding in the same colour as your trunking will make it invisible. Poor insulation will make your unit work harder, which can be harsh on your condenser.

Maintenance Costs

To reduce maintenance costs, avoid over insulation when installing. Insulation that is too thick can create condensation build-up before heat transfer has fully taken place. This increases maintenance costs in the long run. Over insulating also restricts airflow creating ventilation issues which bring on new issues on heat exchangers, storage tanks, and plants.

Trunking Condensation

When planning new or maintenance on existing trunking, the key is to ensure that good ventilation is provided for all room areas, including the external wall, soffit, and through roof spaces. This maintenance practice will result in low maintenance costs due to the low risk of condensation-related problems such as mould growth, rot, and corrosion, leading to costly equipment breakdowns.

If you’re still experiencing problems with air conditioner condensation after correcting the above issues, it may be time to call in a professional for assistance. A qualified technician can inspect your system and make any necessary repairs or adjustments to ensure proper function and eliminate the possibility of future condensation.

How much does it cost to fix Aircon condensation?

Fortunately, air condensation is fairly common, but many of the problems need to be looked into by an aircon technician. Since this is more of a maintenance rather than repair issue, this should not cost you a lot. Aircon servicing for leaking water and other related condensation problems range from $80-150.