RV Air Conditioner Leaking Water Inside? Here’s the Easy Fix That Worked for Us
This simple fix has now been viewed more than 150,000 times on YouTube, and dozens of RV owners have commented that it worked for them too.
There are few things more alarming in an RV than suddenly discovering water dripping from the ceiling.
Especially when it hasn’t been raining.
That was exactly what happened to us after we’d been running our RV air conditioner all day during particularly hot weather.
Later that evening, after the air conditioner had been turned off, water suddenly began dripping from the ceiling unit and landing on the floor below.
Wonderful.
Fortunately, we had enough previous experience around HVAC systems to suspect that we might be dealing with a clogged air conditioner condensate drain.
And before Ed started taking the rooftop AC apart, he tried something much simpler.
It worked.
If your RV air conditioner is dripping water inside your camper, this may be worth trying before you move on to a more complicated repair.
What Happened to Our RV Air Conditioner?
We’d run our air conditioner throughout a very hot day.
Everything seemed normal.
Then, later that evening after the AC was off, water began dripping from the ceiling around the air conditioner.
Since air conditioners naturally create condensation while they’re operating, we suspected that the water wasn’t draining away from the unit properly.
Instead, it appeared to be backing up until it eventually found another way out.
Unfortunately, that way was inside our RV.
We Suspected a Clogged Condensate Drain
Ed and I had both had enough exposure to HVAC systems through previous jobs to have an idea of what might be happening.
We suspected that the condensate drain or drain openings had become clogged.
After doing some research, that seemed like a reasonable place to start.
The problem was that many of the repair methods Ed found involved quite a bit of disassembly.
And he wasn’t thrilled with that idea.
The More Complicated Way to Clean the Drain
The repair methods Ed found generally involved getting onto the RV roof and taking the air conditioner apart far enough to access the condensate tray.
That could mean removing the exterior AC cover, loosening components, carefully lifting parts without damaging refrigerant lines, removing or accessing the condensation tray, cleaning everything and putting the unit back together correctly.
That sounded like a lot of work.
There was another problem.
Ed hates heights.
Getting onto the roof of the RV and dismantling the air conditioner wasn’t exactly high on his list of fun afternoon projects.
So he started thinking about whether there might be a simpler way to clear the drain.
The Simple Fix We Tried First
Instead of taking the rooftop air conditioner apart, Ed decided to try flushing the condensate tray and drain area with water.
His theory was pretty straightforward.
If dust and debris were clogging the small drain openings, perhaps a stronger flow of water would wash that material out.
All he needed was:
- A water source
- A garden hose
- Safe access high enough to reach the AC area
In our case, the water came from our RV’s outside shower connection.
Using Our Outside Shower as a Hose Connection
We rarely used our outside shower as an actual shower.
Ed had previously changed the fittings so we could connect a normal garden hose to it.
That modification had already proven handy for bathing General because we could use tempered water instead of spraying him with freezing-cold hose water.
For the AC project, though, we only needed cold water.
Ed connected the garden hose to the outside shower fitting and took the hose up high enough to reach the rooftop air conditioner.
A Word About Roof and Ladder Safety
This was the method that worked for our RV and our air conditioner, but working around an RV roof can be dangerous.
If you need a ladder or roof access, make sure you can do it safely.
Follow the recommendations for your particular RV and air conditioner, and don’t attempt anything you’re uncomfortable doing.
If you’re dealing with electrical components, damaged equipment or a problem you aren’t confident diagnosing, professional service may be the better option.
Ed specifically wanted to avoid climbing fully onto our roof whenever possible.
Finding the Condensate Tray
From his position on the ladder, Ed could see the lower portion of the rooftop AC unit.
Below the condensation portion of the unit was the tray where the water collected.
There were small drain openings that allowed that condensation to escape and run across the RV roof.
Those little drainage areas can collect dust and debris.
And if they become obstructed, the condensation may no longer drain the way it should.
That was what we believed had happened to ours.
Flushing the RV AC Drain
Ed took the garden hose and directed a steady stream of water along the edge of the condensation tray.
He moved the stream back and forth through the area rather than taking anything apart.
Almost immediately, he began seeing water trickling from both sides of the tray.
Then the water began flowing normally down across the roof.
That was exactly what we wanted to see.
The tray was draining.
Whatever had been obstructing the drainage had apparently been flushed away.
And that was it.
No removing the AC cover.
No dismantling the condensation system.
No pulling out the tray.
Just water.
Did It Stop Our RV Air Conditioner From Leaking?
Yes.
The simple rinse solved the problem for us.
The interior dripping stopped, and Ed said the fix worked like a charm.
Because it was so easy, he decided to make rinsing the drain area part of our regular RV maintenance.
Whenever he was already cleaning or inspecting that area of the RV, it only took a few extra minutes to flush some water through the AC drainage area.
For us, that was much easier than waiting until another clog caused water to start dripping inside.
Why Can an RV AC Drain Become Clogged?
The condensation generated by your air conditioner isn’t necessarily carrying large amounts of water at once.
It may simply drip slowly into the drainage area.
Meanwhile, dirt and dust can accumulate.
Over time, enough debris may interfere with the small drainage openings.
In our case, flushing a larger volume of water through the area was enough to get everything flowing again.
That doesn’t mean every interior RV AC leak is caused by the same problem.
But if the condensate drain is clogged, clearing it may solve the issue.
Why We Tried This Before Taking the AC Apart
Our thinking was simple:
Why dismantle the air conditioner before trying the easiest option?
Taking an RV rooftop unit apart can involve considerably more work and creates additional opportunities to damage something or put it back together incorrectly.
For our problem, flushing the drainage area was quick and required almost no disassembly.
If it hadn’t worked, we would have needed to keep troubleshooting.
But it did.
So we never had to move on to the more complicated repair.
Can You Do This While Boondocking?
We boondock quite a bit, so we often have to solve problems without the conveniences of an RV park.
Fortunately, because we’d modified our outside shower to accept a garden hose, we had a water source available right on the RV.
Someone staying in an RV park could potentially use another suitable water source.
The important part for us was simply getting enough controlled water to the condensate drainage area to flush it out.
Add the AC Drain to Your RV Maintenance Routine
After seeing how easily debris could interfere with the drain, Ed added this little rinse to his maintenance routine.
It takes very little time compared with dealing with water leaking into the RV.
And interior water isn’t something we like to ignore.
Moisture can damage ceilings, walls and other RV materials if a problem continues.
Catching a drainage problem early is much better than discovering it after repeated leaks.
What If Flushing the Drain Doesn’t Work?
If you try clearing the drain area and water still leaks inside, there may be another cause.
At that point, the problem deserves further troubleshooting.
Possible issues may involve drainage, seals, installation, the air conditioner itself or another source of water entirely.
This article describes what happened in our RV and the fix that solved our particular problem.
It isn’t a guarantee that every leaking RV air conditioner will have the same cause.
If you’re unsure where the water is coming from or aren’t comfortable inspecting the unit, an RV technician can help diagnose it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did our RV air conditioner start dripping inside after it shut off?
In our case, we believed condensation had accumulated because the drainage area wasn’t flowing properly. Once the AC was off, that backed-up water eventually began dripping inside.
What did we use to unclog the RV AC drain?
We used an ordinary garden hose and flushed water through the condensate tray area.
Did we have to remove the rooftop AC cover?
No.
That was the main advantage of the method we tried.
We were able to flush the drain without dismantling the air conditioner.
How did we know the drain was clear?
Once Ed flushed the area, he could see water flowing from both sides of the condensate tray and running down the RV roof normally.
Did the leak come back immediately?
No. The rinse solved the problem for us, and Ed later added flushing the drainage area to his regular maintenance routine.
Should I climb onto my RV roof to do this?
Only if your RV roof is designed to support that access and you can work safely.
Ed himself was uncomfortable with heights and avoided getting fully onto the roof.
Never take unnecessary risks for an RV repair.
Sometimes the Simplest RV Fix Is the Best One
One thing full-time RVing taught us very quickly is that things are going to break.
Things are going to leak.
And occasionally you’re going to find water dripping from somewhere that absolutely should not be dripping.
We also learned that the solution isn’t always as complicated as it first appears.
When our RV air conditioner started leaking water inside, we were preparing ourselves for a much bigger repair.
Instead, Ed flushed the condensation drainage area with a garden hose.
The water started flowing properly again.
The leaking stopped.
Problem solved.
If your RV AC starts dripping water inside, this simple approach may be worth trying before you start dismantling the rooftop unit.
Sometimes a five-minute experiment can save you a whole lot of work.
And if it doesn’t?
At least you’ve eliminated one of the simple possibilities before moving on.
We’ll see you down the road…and Over the Hills.
Continue the Journey
If you’d like thoughtful road wisdom, practical RV tips, and reflections from life on the road, join our email list.