Window air conditioners can provide homeowners with respite from the heat of the summer. However, if a window air conditioner leaks into the home, you may not notice the water damage until much later after the water has infiltrated the walls and carpeting. You'll need to act quickly to stop the leak, remove the water, and repair the damage through water damage restoration services. Here's how.
Shut Off the Window Air Conditioner
If you are able to, unplug the window air conditioner. But, only do so if you can safely reach the outlet to pull the plug. If the outlet it's plugged into has noticeable water damage already, do not attempt to pull the plug. Instead, flip the circuit breaker switch that services the outlet.
Quickly Remove the Air Conditioner from the Home
Pull the air conditioner out of the window and quickly take it out of the home. The reason to do this is that the window unit will continue to leak water until the water that is inside the air conditioner has escaped. The cause of the leak is likely a buildup of condensation within the unit, which is likely due to a clog in the drain hole.
Wet-Vac As Much Water As Possible
If you have a wet vac, use it to remove as much water as possible from the carpet. Since the water may have already gotten into the padding and underlying floorboards, your wet vac may not be powerful enough to remove this excess water, so you'll need to call a water damage restoration service to help. If you do not own a wet vac, call a 24/7 emergency water damage restoration service for immediate help.
Check the Area Underneath the Room
You'll need to check the area of the home that is underneath the room with the leaking air conditioner for water damage. If there is drywall covering the ceiling, you can expect to see water spots on the ceiling if the water has leaked for an extended period of time. However, there may not be any noticeable water damage on the ceiling underneath the room if the window unit just started leaking.
Call Water Damage Restoration Services
After you've removed as much water from the carpeting as possible, avoid the room until the water damage restoration service arrives. The reason you need to do this is so you don't accidentally step on the wet flooring which can cause the water to be pushed further into the underlying flooring.
Sometimes in life, you need a quick fix. But employing a quick fix is not typically the best option for your home. When it comes to home repairs, you don't want it done quickly. You want it done right. Of course, this also applies to most car repairs and to various other restoration services. But what does "done right" really mean? This is something you can expect to learn as you read the blog posts on this website. We'll dive deep into all sorts of restoration and repair services so that as you read, you can learn the details of each service.