Shouldn't air conditioning leave a puddle of water?

Seymore Butts

Seymore Butts

New member
This is my first summer in my new-to-me '08 v6 and I noticed something unexpected. After running the AC, there is not a drop of water to be found on my garage floor.

My previous cars all left a small puddle that dripped out after driving with AC on.

Should I be concerned about a clogged drain, and if so, where do I find it?
 
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Seymore Butts said:
This is my first summer in my new-to-me '08 v6 and I noticed something unexpected. After running the AC, there is not a drop of water to be found on my garage floor.

My previous cars all left a small puddle that dripped out after driving with AC on.

Should I be concerned about a clogged drain, and if so, where do I find it?
Click to expand...

The drain is on the passenger side. Remove the dust cover and when facing the wheel well it's on your left side of the hole, on the firewall.

Once you find the drain tube, you can use something like this to clean out the evaporator. Comes with clear hose and instructions on how to use it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007PHD0S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
I pushed a soft plastic line up the drip hose and it is clear. However, the hose is dusty inside and there is no clean spot on the frame where I expect water to drip. Everything is dry inside the car. The entire year, there was a musty odor for a few seconds whenever I activate the AC or the heater, but a charcoal cabin air filter took care of that. I realize however, that a musty odor can be a symptom of insufficient drainage.

Should I be worried about the lack of condensed water discharge?
 
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It's possible you're a bit low on Freon and the AC components aren't getting cold enough to condensate.

Another factor is the relative humidity at the present time where you live, if the humidity is really, really low, there maybe not enough mositure in the air for your AC components to form condensation on them, not sure where you are in Colorado but I just looked at Denver and the relative humidity is 8% which is really, really low, especially if you compare that with here where I live, our relative humidity at present is 65% which is sorta low for us normally we would be at around 80% or higher this time of year, but I give it a day or two and it will go back up.

That being said the temperature in Denver was 92 degrees, so with the low humidity and high temperature I would think most any condensation would evaporate very, very quickly thus not dripping much if at all.
 
AuSeeker beat me to it, humidity plays a roll in how much condensate forms during refrigeration, the less moisture in the air, the less you will see condense. And your system may need servicing, especially if it doesn't feel very cold. Most systems I've messed with blow around 40 degrees cooler than amibent air. Charging the system, cleaning the condenser, if these things haven't been done in a while, may be a good idea...
 
Thanks, guys, good points. I do live in Denver where it is very dry. I'll wait for a humid day to check the discharge hose again.

The air blows cold, by the way. Very cold.

In the meantime, how does a guy go about cleaning the condenser?
 
Seymore Butts said:
Thanks, guys, good points. I do live in Denver where it is very dry. I'll wait for a humid day to check the discharge hose again.

The air blows cold, by the way. Very cold.

In the meantime, how does a guy go about cleaning the condenser?
Click to expand...
If you pop your hood and look right at the radiator in front, say hello to your condenser. I've seen people use a hose to wash it out. I've seen compressed air used, though I would recommend if you go this route you regulate pressure to 35 psi to prevent damage. If you are near an HVAC distributor like RSD, they sell a spray can condenser cleaner.
 
Your AC condenser is mounted in front of your radiator and look very similar to the radiator, clean it with a water hose and a soft bristle brush, what you're seeking to do is make sure there's nothing blocking air flow through it, i.e. bugs leaves, dirt, etc., just be very careful not to bend any of the fins, if you see any fins that are bent you can VERY carefully try and straighten them out a bit and especially be careful not to punture any of the tubes, if you do the condenser will need to be replaced as the freon will rapidly leak out.

Usually just hosing it good with water will do the trick, or you may find there's nothing blocking the air flow, but still give it a shot or two with the hose.
 
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