How To Fix A Clogged Drain Line (Condensate Line)
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- Опубликовано: 2 июл 2020
- I've gotten hundreds of calls over the years from homeowners who are experiencing problems with their air conditioning units. Most of the time, the problems are caused by a clogged drain line in their system.
This is certainly something a HVAC technician can fix. But the good news is that for most homeowners, this is something YOU can do yourself.
In this video, I'll explain the quick & easy steps to fix a clogged drain line in your own home.
If you have any questions, please comment or email me.
Thanks for watching!
- David
David@DavidJonesAC.com
Follow me on Facebook: / david-jones-ac-1010702...
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(Central Texas) We have a black rubber hose on ours all the way out to the side of our unit outside. Ours was clogged two night ago. Tried sucking it out with my shop vac with no success. Watched this video and went out to Lowe’s, bought a 6.5hp and still no success.
Grabbed my air compressor with nozzle attachment, stuck in the nozzle in the hose inside, covered the remaining open parts of the hose with a rag to complete the seal and gave it a few pumps while still having the shop vac on outside. Cleared it right up. Big hard glop came out. Finished the process like in your video running water in the hose and fixed.
I think I could have gotten away with using my smaller shop vac for this along with my air compressor but I do woodworking in my garage and needed a stronger/bigger vacuum for my saw dust collection anyways so..Xmas gift to myself lol.
Thanks for taking the time to do this video. Great information.
This was so helpful and EASY. Thank you for posting!!!
Thank you for the elegantly simple , but helpful, way of your presentation.
Thank you so much I live in Florida so it gets hot fast when the air goes off lol but I tried what you said and it came right on I wish I would of found your video a few days ago but happy it’s fixed now 😊
great video thank you - would have liked to see the result inside the shop vac!
Probably the best and simplest solution. Great presentation!!
Great video. You answered my question and solved my problem. thank you
Great demonstration.......🇺🇸🗽
Another great video David 👏👏
Thank you for your video! It has helped solve our ac issue!
You the MAN! Thank you!
Very good tip David! I'm going try that one on next Clogged drain Thanks!!
You would wait until you have a clog in order for you to do maintenance? Instead of waiting for a problem just occasionally (every couple of months) add a cup or so of bleach to your line to kill anything in there that's growing so you don't have to clean your drain with a vacuum? Bleach is cheap and easy and will keep you from having a surprise at 2am, and having to call me when I'm on call because I'm expensive lol
Thank you so much it should save you a couple hundred dollars
Thank you so much sir, and all those Technicians that have a wonderful heart to share their knowledge to facilitate us the cost and repairs around our homes and other things. Than you so much.
Great idea, thanks. Is there a way to prevent water condensation on these lines?
Thank you! Very helpful! Question: does the air heater also have a condensation line? I have two drain lines in the attic, one is clear white and the other is covered in a black insulation and heat tape.
I’m having a hard time find my pipes. But this was very helpul
Thank you!
Thank You!
Thank you!!!
Thanks!
Thanks a lot buddy. I watched several videos and this one by far was the most helpful for my situation.
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This man knows what he is doing. Save yourself some money and follow his advice. At worst, you don't fix the issue and you don't cause any damage.
David, I have an AC unit in an upstairs closet. Neither drain line, primary or the upper secondary on the outside of my house is dripping. There is no drain pan in the upstairs closet where the unit is located. There is the trap like PVC pipe and there is a emergency switch that plugs into a 3/4" PVC. It is totally dry in there. There used to be at least some moisture or water. Do I pour the water in there? My old Shop Vac is only 3HP. I have never cleaned this Condensate line in 18 years unless a repairman did it on a service call and I just do not remember. Should I use some bleach or white vinegar. Thank you very much.
how did you make that attachment you are connecting to your drain line?
A little bleach or vinegar in the line will kill algae or mold that creates a plug. My system has a little elbow which I add bleach to. As the condensation drains it takes a little bleach with it. A couple of times every summer when the humidity is high I add some bleach it doesn’t take much.
Do you clean out the lines the same way if you have a condensate pump?
my air handler is on top of my water heater,on a closet second floor, how do you clean drain pipes for ac unit?
My primary drain is clear and I have a safe-t-switch on the secondary drain. My system has positive pressure. Water always get into my secondary drain and flips the AC off due to the float switch. It takes hours for the system to go back online. What can I do?
Do you need to manually reset the ss2 safety switch?
works great thanks
what about on drains that are clean but when you put water in the pan it doesn't drain out. Filled the trap underground from the outside but the water in the evaporator pan doesn't drain out so the pan stays full.
You would say that the drain line is clogged if the drain outside isn't dripping any water at all right?
Hey, I’m living in a down stairs apartment. When my ac is on for a while ( and sometimes when my up stairs neighbor has her ac on, I’m starting to see water coming from under the baseboard where the furnace / ac unit is located in the hallway. When the furnace/ ac panel cover was taken off, I saw standing slimy dirty( looked like mud) in the drain pan and it looked like mud around the coils. The apt. ac guy did put acid pills in the drain pan and in the big pvc pipe ( that my neighbor and I share) that’s stuck in the cemented floor. He did not clean or suction the coils( I’m sure if there is a lot of dirt attach to or around the coils in the front, the back maybe dirty as well) or the condensation line….. I do not see a pipe you can suction out outside next to the actual ac unit. If there is no pipe to suction by the ac unit outside and the ac line, the washing machine , and bathroom in the hall sink pipe may be attached in some way, should the sink get suctioned out? The ac guy keeps saying it’s not the ac that’s causing the water in the hall way but yet the water starts to show once the ac runs for a while. He thinks it may be the big pipe that is located in the closet that’s the problem and the plumber should be handling it. I think the ac ( coils front and back ) should be cleaned and preventive maintenance needs to be done . What do you think? This has been going on for a while and no one seems to have an answer. Thanks for all suggestions .
I hate to tell you this but the air you are breathing is flowing over and through that grunge. :-(
You are very correct - no matter what - the coils need to be vacuumed, and the gunk taken out of the drain pan, the condensate line blown out. The ducts in your apartment may need to be cleaned also.
Also critical - the "check valve" or "float valve" needs to be tested and replaced - if one was installed at all. It keeps the condensate pan from overflowing if the condensate line gets clogged. An apartment AC man may be licensed to recharge a compressor - or trouble shoot and replace a check valve.... if he is not licensed they need to hire a professional .
The gunk on the coils is like a pair of wool socks on your air conditioning system. Warm air from your apartment needs to meet clean metal coils full of coolant - not wool socks. The wool socks are costing you money. Either directly if you pay your power bill -- or indirectly if utilities are included in your rent.
You yourself can check the "cold air return" regularly. The furnace filter needs to be replaced and the grill vacuumed every 3 months -- or more often if you have a cat, dog or bird - or it is an older building.
Last the Apartment Maintenance man - or an HVAC repair service -- or plumber needs to find the source of the leak and get it fixed pronto - no matter what the cause. My father's favorite saying was "There is no such thing as a small leak."
Talk to the manager, and escalate if needed: the landlord, building owner, the city/county building inspector, then the tv station: the "Five on Your Side" or "Channel 12 Troubleshooter" reporter that helps people with housing issues.
Good luck buddy.
'
@@bynumfrontporch3526 😢
You saved me 250 dollars! Repair bill
That’s what I’m here for to help everyone
Thank you for watching and subscribing to my channel
Mine doesn't look like that, it has a big p-trap, and no clue where it drains to. It goes under the house somewhere, but it doesn't drain outside.
Does the same apply for ductless mini split drains?
Yes and no...yes it works but I would be very careful to not spill water on anything electrical. I would suggest you look up the model of ductless mini split for the manual because it would discuss both recommended maintenance and trouble shooting if you have an issue.
Yes
Hello. Does the A/C have to be running or off? Thanks
You should always turn it off
@@greeneyez2284 Thank you !!!
How do you know if the air handler coils and pan need cleaning?
If you have a digital thermometer you can place it near the return air vent let it stabilize for 4 minutes or so and write down the temperature. Then place the thermometer near the nearest vent to your air handler or furnace and again write down the temperature. Then subtract one temperature from the other and if it's around 17-20+ your probably fine, and less than 16 degrees you might want to get it checked out by a professional. If you haven't had a professional check your system in a couple of years it's worth it to have one go through and make sure everything is good electrically to prevent damage to your compressor or fans....
@@AWIERD1 Hey, I'm living in a down stairs apartment. When my ac is on for a while ( and sometimes when my up stairs neighbor
has her ac on, I'm starting to see water coming from under the baseboard where the furnace / ac unit is located in the
hallway. When the furnace/ ac panel cover was taken off, I saw standing slimy dirty ( looked like mud) in the drain pan
and it looked like mud around the coils. The apt. ac guy did put acid pills in the drain pan and in the big pvc pipe ( that my
neighbor and I share) that's stuck in the cemented floor. He did not clean or suction the coils I'm sure if there is a lot of
dirt attach to or around the coils in the front, the back maybe dirty as well) or the condensation line.... I do not see a pipe
you can suction out outside next to the actual ac unit. If there is no pipe to suction by the ac unit outside and the ac line,
the washing machine, and bathroom in the hall sink pipe may be attached in some way, should the sink get suctioned
out? The ac guy keeps saying it's not the ac that's causing the water in the hall way but yet the water starts to show once
the ac runs for a while. He thinks it may be the big pipe that is located in the closet that's the problem and the plumber
should be handling it. I think the ac ( coils front and back) should be cleaned and preventive maintenance needs to be
done. What do you think? This has been going on for a while and no one seems to have an answer. Thanks for all
suggestions
would have been better to show what ended up in the wet-vac. what that looks like. but this general process works.
My drain pan has water in it what do I do? It’s in the attic in a two story house and it’s leaking out pipe on the outside,
Did you find any help on this, I'm in the same situation
A small amount in pan is normal and it is supposed to drain to the outside of the house. If the pan is full or you see leaking on your ceiling or walls then the line is clogged and overflowing. You should then use the shop vac method to unclog it.
@@greeneyez2284 gottcha thanks for the advice. I have already fixed it. Yeah but it was a clog
I think my float switch is not working thanks. Water running on the floor and A/C still running.
Very good lesson but it would’ve been nice to see all the gunk that came out
Strange that I don’t have any line outside of my home . Idk where mines is !
Being a professional HVAC tech I think you explained very well for a system that is not experiencing a current blockage how to clean your condensate line.
One big suggestion that you left out is on air handlers (doesn't matter on furnaces due to positive pressure) is that there's usually a p-trap to prevent the system from sucking air through your condensate line. Just running your A/c won't prime it either so just top it off with more water after your done.
Also some people's systems primary condensate line drains into the sewer. So they might not know what to do about that. I would suggest discussing bleach or vinegar (never mix those two together) as an occasional additive so you don't have to clean your line like you did.
This was my situation. Discovered that my main line drains to sewer. Secondary started dripping outside. Found that the P-trap was gunky so I cleaned it out and now will routinely pour vinegar down.
Hello, would you happen to know exactly what is inside the drain that causes it to clog?
Was that water or vinegar? Big difference
I use my hose. But in the fl summer i have to do it every dang month
I add a cup of bleach through the line, but I don't run it through the overflow like you're doing. Only through the trap. Thanks for the video.
Great idea
Looks like you are using Vinager instead of water.
Can it be bleach instead of vinegar ?
I once thought bleach was best, and it destroyed the evaporator in three years, according to the tech who replaced it and a lot of internet pages. Since then, 10 years now, it's been vinegar and the evaporator's never gone bad.
@@Steve_K2 thank you dear friend !!! Hope one time of using bleach wouldn’t destroy anything inside of my system Have a blessed day :)
Someone just told me there furnace is leaking water ..my guess the drain line is clogged
You're saying water but that's a vinegar bottle! Is it vinegar or water?
I used a V8 splash bottle...that don't mean it was V8.
@@damontperkins4169 lol dude its a valid question and water and vinegar are both clear unlike V8 which you can tell the difference if there wasn't any juice in there
I've used vinegar
AC drain pipes are in the soffit(attic), not on the ground... so this video has done nothing to resolve my problem
Go and spend some money on those eyes of yours.