AC evaporator coil with melted drain pan!

[Trent Tarter]

I was inspecting HVAC and first noticed AC condensation had been leaking down through the gas furnace. First thought it was a clogged drain, quickly realized it was much more. As soon as the furnace fired up I started to smell burning/melting plastic. I quickly shut it off, as the smell got worse very quickly.

This happened to my neighbor last year during winter. They were at work and no one was home to catch it in time. The gas furnace had been running all day and the plastic drain pan below the evaporator coil had fallen down on the heat exchanger causing it to melt and burn. It was pretty bad, black soot everywhere and horrible smell, they could not stay in the home for over a week. Luckily home owners insurance paid for cleanup.