Why is my A-coil dripping?

[CMayo]

This is a mobile home system, 13 years old. I heard a tapping behind the covers of my coil/air handler compartment (if those are the right terms), and found the floor wet under the air handler. Looking upwards into the bottom of the A-coil, I saw a drop of water forming at the corner that dripped down onto the sheet metal and onto the floor. I filmed one drop and waited over a minute for another to form, then turned off the camera, so it may only be dripping a drop every minute or so.

Coil-wise, my filters were caked with crud (and I had changed them less than a month ago but they're cheap filters and I have five big indoor dogs. And I do NOT keep an especially clean house). When I went to remove the filters to check the fins, I found the fins were holding a good bit of ice, which had frozen the filters to the fins.

This system generates a lot of condensation during the hot Texas summer and the tray under the A-coil usually holds about a half-inch of water, but I'm guessing the dripping coil is responsible for the moisture on the floor, and the caked filters impeding airflow is responsible for the ice, which is probably melting and that's what's dripping.

So is this just a filter problem, do you guys think? Or do I have a bigger problem? I cleaned the fins on the outside condenser a month ago and partially cleaned the A-coil fins (then got lazy). I've got the system turned off now and a box fan blowing on it to try and warm/dry things out.

Video

<img src="https://i.ibb.co/wNYX7Qn/A-Coil-Drip-Video.gif" alt="A-Coil-Drip-Video" border="0">

Photos

<img src="https://i.ibb.co/5j0rzSc/A-Coil-drip-location.jpg" alt="A-Coil-drip-location" border="0">
<img src="https://i.ibb.co/w4J6KR3/A-Coil-tubing-frost.jpg" alt="A-Coil-tubing-frost" border="0">
<img src="https://i.ibb.co/BVMVP7d/A-Coil-Water-Tray.jpg" alt="A-Coil-Water-Tray" border="0">
<img src="https://i.ibb.co/1dKD16k/Air-Handler-Web-Bottom-2.jpg" alt="Air-Handler-Web-Bottom-2" border="0">
<img src="https://i.ibb.co/TkDc7HR/Air-Handler-Wet-Bottom.jpg" alt="Air-Handler-Wet-Bottom" border="0">
<img src="https://i.ibb.co/74P52Gx/Caked-Filiter.jpg" alt="Caked-Filiter" border="0">
<img src="https://i.ibb.co/1LN9j1L/Condensation-Line-Closeup.jpg" alt="Condensation-Line-Closeup" border="0">
<img src="https://i.ibb.co/FBD1xdq/Full-System.jpg" alt="Full-System" border="0">
<img src="https://i.ibb.co/FhKP4zd/Iced-A-Coil-Stuck-filter.jpg" alt="Iced-A-Coil-Stuck-filter" border="0">
<img src="https://i.ibb.co/y47PX7N/Soudproofing-Doghair.jpg" alt="Soudproofing-Doghair" border="0">
<img src="https://i.ibb.co/S6sP1cp/Stickers.jpg" alt="Stickers" border="0">

 

[CMayo]

Dang, I was hoping those photos would show up without my having to link each one. Oh well...

Oh, and I'm also wondering about the batting lining the sides of the compartment that's also pretty well caked with dog hair. I'm thinking that's just soundproofing (see soundproofing-doghair.jpg attachment) but the way the hair is pasted to the batting, I'm wondering if there's some airflow going through there?

I'd really appreciate any info you guys might have for me.

Video

 

[rooster59]

I can't see yer photos. Your a-coil is going to drip condensation. It should drip onto some sort of pan or tray inside the unit, with an external pvc or tubing drain going into a floor drain or a condensate pump. Crud will eventually clog the drain or the pans ability to send water to the drain, backing everything up and putting water on the floor. Or the pump isn't pumping. Check the pump if you have one, find the drain and start cleaning the crud out. That's what I would do, but I have ZERO experience with mobil home systems.

Edit: now I see the pics. I would clean the a-coil, new filters as well as the above. Looks like a straight gravity drain, no floor drain or pump.

 

[The Cobbler]

those filters look quite full of debris . try thawing out & new filters first

 

[CMayo]

Last two photos

 

[CMayo]

those filters look quite full of debris . try thawing out & new filters first

Yeah, that's the current plan. I use the cheapest filters at Home Depot. Do you think there would there be any advantage in using a better filter, given that I have to change them monthly already?)

 

[Jim greengo]

Pull those nasty filters out 1st,and let unit thaw out if its iced up.
Then I'd say pull out the blower and squirrel cage,soak down top and bottom side of A coil with no rinse coil cleaner and let it dry out to see how it looks.
Repeat process till coil looks clean then put it back together with clean filters .
I'd also pull out the hose barb on condensate drain coming from coil pan and clean it out,also blow through the drain hose.

 

[CMayo]

Pull those nasty filters out 1st,and let unit thaw out if its iced up.
Then I'd say pull out the blower and squirrel cage,soak down top and bottom side of A coil with no rinse coil cleaner and let it dry out to see how it looks.
Repeat process till coil looks clean then put it back together with clean filters .
I'd also pull out the hose barb on condensate drain coming from coil pan and clean it out,also blow through the drain hose.

I like your thinking, but I wouldn't have the first clue about how to do all that, I'm afraid. Maybe I'll Google around a bit and see if I can learn anything. Thanks, though.

 

[Jim greengo]

It's real simple stuff I'm talking about,maybe try a couple of you tube videos.

 

[CMayo]

It's real simple stuff I'm talking about,maybe try a couple of you tube videos.

I will definitely do that.

 

[CMayo]

After drying things out for an hour or so, I left the filters off and turned the system back on a half-hour ago, and the outer A-coil fins are icing up again, as is the copper tubing on the outside of the unit, and the air it's blowing isn't particularly cool (81-82f according to my instant-read kitchen thermometers). Any thoughts on this? I'm beginning to get a bit worried.

 

[American Locomotive]

...there is no way you're blowing 80 degree air with ALL of the coils frosted like that. You're not trying to operate it with the door off, are you?

You need to clean that A-coil, it's filthy. They have special no-rinse coil cleaner (as mentioned) that you can spray on the coil.

Secondly, is that system really designed for the filters to be placed directly on the A-coil? Seems very unusual.

 

[CMayo]

...there is no way you're blowing 80 degree air with ALL of the coils frosted like that. You're not trying to operate it with the door off, are you?

You need to clean that A-coil, it's filthy. They have special no-rinse coil cleaner (as mentioned) that you can spray on the coil.

Secondly, is that system really designed for the filters to be placed directly on the A-coil? Seems very unusual.

The inside temp is 83° and the air measured at the register was 81-82°. I'm using a digital food thermometer (two different ones, actually), but that's the reading I'm getting. Yes it's currently operating with the covers off, just as you see in the "Full System" photo attached here,

When I bought the place eight years ago, it had the metallic filters seen in the "First Filters" attached photo. I don't recall why I went to the paper filters, but the system manual (https://inspectapedia.com/heat/Nordyne-E3-AC-Heat-Pump-IO-Manual.pdf) does seem to show the filter placed directly against the coil.

But yeah, the covers are off. Is that why it's icing up again, or did I just not thaw it out well enough? Google suggests turning the cool off but keeping the fan on to blow house air through the system so it does't thaw too quidkly, so that's what I'm doing now.

 

[The Cobbler]

if the covers are off there's no air flow over the coils and could cause the freeze up. low freon I believe also can cause freeze up but run it with new filters & all covers in place and see what it does ( after thawing again )

 

[bonneyman]

Mobile home systems are notorious for poor ducting. Too small, long runs, 90 degree fittings. About the only good thing about them is they're in the floor (which helps heating performance - and isn't bad for cooling) so they're easier to inspect without worry about losing one's balance on a ladder and falling. Get a telescoping mirror and bright light, remove the floor registers, and take a look-see down both directions. Look for crushed or collapsed ducts, fur balls, and other restrictions, etc. many times as mobiles settle over the years the ducts crush or bend and cause loss of airflow. Which causes icing on the coil.

Of course make sure the coil and blower wheel are clean as well.

 

[American Locomotive]

The inside temp is 83° and the air measured at the register was 81-82°. I'm using a digital food thermometer (two different ones, actually), but that's the reading I'm getting. Yes it's currently operating with the covers off, just as you see in the "Full System" photo attached here,

When I bought the place eight years ago, it had the metallic filters seen in the "First Filters" attached photo. I don't recall why I went to the paper filters, but the system manual (https://inspectapedia.com/heat/Nordyne-E3-AC-Heat-Pump-IO-Manual.pdf) does seem to show the filter placed directly against the coil.

But yeah, the covers are off. Is that why it's icing up again, or did I just not thaw it out well enough? Google suggests turning the cool off but keeping the fan on to blow house air through the system so it does't thaw too quidkly, so that's what I'm doing now.

At the very minimum, the bottom cover needs to be on. The blower pulls through the A-coil, and without the bottom cover on, it cannot pull any air through the coil. It just pulls air from the room instead. The coil will freeze solid without that bottom cover on.

 

[CMayo]

...there is no way you're blowing 80 degree air with ALL of the coils frosted like that. You're not trying to operate it with the door off, are you?

You need to clean that A-coil, it's filthy. They have special no-rinse coil cleaner (as mentioned) that you can spray on the coil.

Secondly, is that system really designed for the filters to be placed directly on the A-coil? Seems very unusual.

if the covers are off there's no air flow over the coils and could cause the freeze up. low freon I believe also can cause freeze up but run it with new filters & all covers in place and see what it does ( after thawing again )

Thanks a lot, guys. I don't have any clean filters to put on tonight but I put the covers back on and it's blowing 61° air now, 22° cooler than the outside 83° air, and from what little I can see through the louvers, the coil's not freezing up again!

 

[CMayo]

At the very minimum, the bottom cover needs to be on. The blower pulls through the A-coil, and without the bottom cover on, it cannot pull any air through the coil. It just pulls air from the room instead. The coil will freeze solid without that bottom cover on.

I saw that as I was replacing the cover with the fan on... major suction! Thanks again for your help,

 

[Steve W.]

While you are doing all your cleaning, make sure your drain line is clear, too.

I have seen otherwise perfectly-operating systems "leaking" because the drip pan simply could not drain through the clogged drain pipe.

.

 

[fitter30]

System could be low on refrigerant. But coil and blower probably filty also. With blower off look at the wheel the.cups of the wheel should have a light dusting but not any more. Blower assembly pulls out the front 2 screws hold it in some wires unplug others like thermostat wires have to be disconnected. Take a few pics for reference. Pull motor wash wheel and housing theres a piece of sheet metal on the opening of wheel that unscrew to get the wheel out of housing. While blower is out clean the evap coil and condensate pan. Blower motor might have oil holes on each end bell if not the four screws can be removed and end bells removed to oil the bearings just mark end bells. Use electric motor oil its non detergent.

 

[bonneyman]

I heard about a mobile home customer who had a package unit installed on the ground in the back of their home. The contractor cut away some trailer skirting and ran some big flex duct from the unit to the main trunk under the inside furnace. Customer called us when they were having a no-cool condition. Seems the other company couldn't find a problem. We went out (as we did alot of the homes in that trailer park), and found out from the customer the unit seemed to work all day fine. But at night there was hardly any air. We checked and found out the duct was partially collapsed. Apparently a neighborhood cat came by at night and made himself comfortable on the (insulated) flex duct, causing it to collapse and cut off the air. At sun up he left, and the air pressure popped the flex out round. Go figure!

 

[yeldogt]

you ave a dirt problem ... but you may also have a low refrigeration problem. what does the outside coil look like?

 

[gmcgeo]

Oh my goodness, change filters more frequently

 

[CMayo]

you ave a dirt problem ... but you may also have a low refrigeration problem. what does the outside coil look like?

Dirt is definitely an issue here. The outside coil is in good shape; I cleaned that unit a month or so ago.