Air Conditioners (Photo credit: Ikhlasul Amal)
English: This image shows a roofing contractor during the process of applying an American WeatherStar elastomeric roof coating to a commercial flat roof. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Frozen Flat Roofs (Photo credit: ‘S’)
Today we responded to an emergency flat roof problem in the east-end. Store manager was disappointed and tired of chasing the original roofing company who installed the roof. It was in the late afternoon and thunder-storm alert was issued.
We examined the water damage from inside to pin point the possible location of the leak but nothing added up. Original leak was coming in from the second story and working its way all the way to the main floor. We noticed the water dripping by the duct-work on the second story and went up on the roof. Roof drain was very close to the entry location so we were assuming the problem was the drain but it just didnt make sense how the water was going onto the duct-line. After inspecting the entire roof we did find some overlapping seems that did not have any bleed marks from the torch. Torch-down membrane must have a 1/4 inch bleed-out indicating that fusion is complete and it is now one piece. Found the location of the drain from inside the building and there was no signs of water or moisture. Because the building was all cut-up it was kind of confusing where everything was located on the roof. Once we figured out where everything was located on the roof, it was obvious that there was an issue with the A/C unit.
I have seen this happen before where the ac unit bleeder gets clogged and water works its way in the building. As soon as i removed the pvc bleeder water was gushing out of the ac unit. This pvc pipe is designed to build pressure for the pump to force all the condensation and water out of the unit. Trap was clogged from all dirt and debris and water pooled up inside the ac unit and started to leak inside. We cleaned the trap and installed it back i its place. It took almost 5 minutes to leak to stop. Knowing that there was 5 ac units were up on the roof, we cleaned all 5 traps and installed it back in its place.
Poor maintenance of your roof and anything that is located on your roof is a potential cause for leaks. Always replace the ac filters regularly and clean out the pvc traps to avoid similar problems. Check all drains to make sure it is not clogged from dirt and debris. Always hire a professional to do the job.
We offer residential, commercial and industrial pitched shingle roofing and torch-down flat roofing services. Our services include roof replacements, emergency roof repairs, new roof sales, installations and repairs. We do offer free roofing quotes and estimates in the national capital region in Ottawa and the surrounding.
