Water through the ceiling in Valley Village: a cracked drain pan in a fairly new Goodman package unit
A June 2025 job. The rooftop unit was only a year or two old, maybe less, and the water from it was running into the house.
In this guide
Water from above
Water was running from the ceiling. A Goodman package unit on the roof cools the house, and that’s where the water was coming from. Around the unit, the roof was wet with condensate, and the unit itself was dripping from every side.
The unit wasn’t old. It was fairly new, only a year or two old, maybe less.
Inside the unit
When we opened the unit, we found a huge crack in the condensate drain pan. It’s plastic, like the pans on many modern units. Water was simply running out through the crack, through the whole unit and into the house.
What the photo shows
In the photo at the top of this page, the unit sits on the roof with its top and several panels off, partly taken apart. The blower is on the left. In the middle is the indoor coil, with its foil-faced insulation pulled back.
Where the water in a package unit comes from
An AC’s indoor coil pulls moisture out of the air as it cools. That water drips off the coil into the drain pan underneath, and the pan carries it to the drain line and out of the unit.
A package unit keeps everything in one cabinet on the roof, and its ducts run from that cabinet down into the house. An intact pan holds the water and sends it to the drain. A cracked one lets it loose inside the cabinet, and from there it can follow the panels, the insulation and the duct connections into the building.
A crack in a unit that young
Plastic pans don’t rust, which is one reason they’re common on modern units. They can crack, though, if they’re hit or stressed. On a unit only a year or two old, the likely explanation is damage during installation or transport. We can’t say which of the two it was.
The fix: taking the unit almost completely apart
The drain pan sits under the indoor coil, deep inside the cabinet. To replace it, we had to take the unit almost completely apart. Then we replaced the pan.
Cracked pan or clogged drain?
If an AC puts water into a ceiling, the first suspect is condensate that isn’t reaching the drain. A clogged drain line backs the water up until the pan overflows. We wrote up a clinic’s rooftop unit where that happened, with a blocked drain, a choked coil and no filter.
A cracked pan is a different problem. The drain can be completely clear and the water still gets out, because it doesn’t stay in the pan in the first place.
What to do if water is coming through your ceiling
Turn the AC off at the thermostat. With the cooling off, the coil stops making water. Catch the drips and move what you can out of the way. If the water is near a light or anything else electrical, keep away from it and switch that circuit off at the breaker. Then call.
Don’t go up on the roof, and don’t open the unit. Inside are line voltage and moving parts, and the capacitor can hold a charge even after the power is off.
A water stain on the ceiling near where the ducts run is worth a call even when nothing is dripping yet.
AC repair in Valley Village
We repair package units and central AC in Valley Village and across the San Fernando Valley. The $85 service call is credited toward the repair if you go ahead, and repairs carry a 30-day labor and 90-day parts warranty. CA BEAR registered (#A 50636), EPA Section 608 Universal certified, $1M insured. See our HVAC services, read more about our work in Valley Village, or call (213) 205-2055.
FAQ
Why is water coming through my ceiling from the AC?
The likely source is condensate that isn't reaching the drain. A clogged drain line makes the pan overflow, and a cracked pan leaks even when the drain is clear. On this Valley Village package unit, the pan had a huge crack.
Can a fairly new AC unit have a cracked drain pan?
Yes. This Goodman was only a year or two old, maybe less. Its plastic pan had a huge crack, most likely from damage during installation or transport.
Why is replacing a drain pan such a big job on a package unit?
The pan sits under the indoor coil, deep inside the cabinet. On this Goodman, getting to it meant taking the unit almost completely apart.
What should I do if my AC is leaking through the ceiling?
Turn the cooling off at the thermostat, keep the water away from anything electrical, catch the drips and call. Don't go up on the roof or open the unit.
Do you repair package units in Valley Village?
Yes. We repair package units and central AC in Valley Village and across the San Fernando Valley. The $85 service call is credited toward the repair if you go ahead.
AC, heater or mini-split acting up? We cover LA and the Valley.
Call (213) 205-2055 or text a photo of the unit and its model sticker.