How to clean your air conditioner drain pipe quickly and easily
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- Опубликовано: 16 янв 2020
- My drain pipe for my AC was clogged and water was dripping into my drain pan. Here’s how I cleaned it super fast and easily using a cheap tool.
The tool I use in this video is made by DiversiTech. It's called the Drain Gun. Here's the Amazon Link: amzn.to/374KDxr
Note: I don't have an affiliate account and I don't get anything for mentioning this tool, I just happen to have had one a while and it really comes in handy.
Okay so I purchased the drain flush thing from a local AC supply house and your RUclips was so spot on in solving my problem for less than $50. Your two (2) minute video was concise, to the point and wasn't filled with fluff trying to show off AC skills that I'm confident you have but did not need to put in the video.
Thank you for what you do and the money you saved me today. God bless you and your family my friend, you have made my day.
That's great to hear! I'm really glad I was able to help out!
Blowing out the drain line has been a standard treatment, but it can occasionally blow apart fittings in the wall. When you use a vacuum from the outside, it can't damage the pipe or fittings.
I’m gonna try that approach next time if I can get a good seal on the outside line with my shop vac. 🤙
I have been used a steam vacuum to suck water and nasty stuffs from outside.
Think about blowing out the pvc pipe in the wall …sheesh
@@blakegossard3268 put duct tape on the nozzle around end of drain pipe. Pour some vinegar down the drain. Repeat every 60 days.
What if you don't have a drain pipe outside?
Bc of all the water that "could" spill where you don't want it to spill, the Internat'l Mech Code added new requirement for the installers: "307.2.5 Drain line maintenance.
Condensate drain lines shall be configured to permit the clearing of blockages and performance of maintenance without requiring the drain line to be cut." So adding a dedicated CLEANOUT like Safe-T-Switch SC1 makes all other blowouts so much easier since they come with schrader valve which to connect the tool you're using. Great video!
Thank you for a video that was short and to the point. Too many 20 min videos out there that are 95% babble and 5% process.
Thank you for explaing this in simple terms. Even though there was no standing water in my attic unit drip pan, my A/C shut off. The technician used a small pressurized cylindar to unglog the drain in in less than 5 minutes. This happens to my neighbors' condos all the time as we live in So. Florida with extremely high humidity. In lieu of spending $150+ dollars every few years for a tech to do it, I'm going to purchase the 'tool' you recommended. Thanks so much for the extremely helpful info.
Awesome, Tom! Glad I was able to help! I am always amazed at how much good info for DIY basic home improvement stuff is available on YT! Great way to learn new tricks and save some $$$! Good luck!
Every few years try every year lol😮❤😅
Florida gets pretty hot 🥵 Thanks! You are a Hero! I was hot and you got my AC unit working. You Rock!
Haha! It gets hot here in Florida. For sure. Glad I could help cool you off! 😎
I like the clear “sight glass” on your drain line. Quick check to see if you have flow. Thanks.
Nice and simple fix.
Yeah it’s pretty simple and effective. Just a piece of clear flexible tubing that makes a good seal. It makes it very easy to see if the drain line is backed up. My HVAC guy put me onto this idea.
@@blakegossard3268 what size is the clear tubing? Is there a special PVC elbow with a smaller diameter or it's the regular ¾?
@@lesio333 Just use a plastic tube diameter that will fit snugly over your drainline pipe. In my video here, the clear tubing abuts two elbows that are slightly larger than my drainline pipe, but I don't believe that's necessary.
Most people have a air compressor, Turn down pressure and gently blow out clog. Vacum in either direction works well also:)))
Thank you Mr. Blake for your great instructions to clean the AC drain pipe. We will try your tips.
Awesome! I’m glad you found the video helpful! 👍
I had no idea. ha Thank you for posting this video - I have sprayed air into drain but that tiny device would be much easier to use!
Thank you so much for this tutorial. 👍👍
Of course! Glad you found it useful! :-)
I watch my AC guy do this once and then did it several times myself after. It really works well.
Yeah I was so glad to learn about his handy little device from my AC guy. It has saved me a lot on service calls and is simple and effective. I mention it all the time to people who bring up AC issues. Seems like very few people know these exist.
😅
What do you do if you live in an apartment building with separate units for each resident but where you can't disconnect the pipe?
Very helpful video!!
Glad you found it helpful! 👍
Thank you sir for your video.
You’re welcome! Glad you found it helpful!
Tks very helpful video
Glad you found it helpful!
Thank you so much man, the tecnitian wanted to charge my wife $567.00 for doing this.
Use a shop vac from outside home. You may find the reason for the backups where your drain terminates i.e. buried, below grade, blocked... if you get it open with shop vac you can flush with clean water inside at system with shop vac running outside. You should hear and feel it pulling at drain. A Gallo gun can push enough to get it moving, but can just move the clog further down the run.
Good tip, Todd! For sure, it's a good idea to check to make sure your drain outlet outside isn't buried/blocked.
My parents had a badly clogged drain line and I used the shop vac too. I put several wraps of duct tape to reduce the shop vac hose down to fit the condensate line outside the house, and then I just let it vacuum for around 5 minutes before the clog finally let go.
U can have someone talk into the drain pip and if no water in there u should hear
I swear I cannot find where that thing goes out of the house.
@@bmiles4131 same here
Thank you
Of course!
Awesome, thanks!
Glad this was helpful for you! 👍
I see that your trap is a slight dip but the installer of mine made a homemade trap using 2 - 45 degree fittings connected by a 2 inch section of pvc, I think it's 1 1/2" pvc tubing. So, the trap is shaped like a 4" rectangle rather than a smooth U-shape. Does a trap shaped like this still function as it should and what would work I replace it with? Great video, thank you!
Hi, Rick - Good question. Would be worth asking an HVAC guy - I am not one so don't want to give you wrong advice. Maybe someone else here in the comments can answer your question re: the design of the trap.
So do you need to turn anything off or any other steps prior to pulling the pipes apart to drain the water?
Thank you for the presentation! As a homeowner single Lady this information is priceless! I did it and saved me money!!!! Gracias
This is fine for a short condensate run but for longer ones or any length for that matter, stick a garden hose with a spray nozzle in the pipe. Works perfectly to super flush the line out. You'll have to cut the pipe and add a coupler or like he did, add tubing.
Decent idea, but I'd be hesitant to try it in my situation because I'd be afraid I'd get a bunch of water everywhere. Probably fine for those whose AC units are in a location where it wouldn't be an issues if water leaked/sprayed everywhere. Thanks for commenting!
@@blakegossard3268 I had to do it and my air handler is in the attic with no mess. The key is to find a hose spray nozzle with a tip that fits in a PVC coupler. Attach to the pipe and squeeze in short, 5 second bursts. My run is about 60+ feet and compressed air nor the vacuum worked. Took less than a minute to flush.
@@TM_Stone Cool! Maybe I'll try this next time I run out of these little air canisters for the gun. Maybe I'll make another video when I try it! I'll be sure to give you a shout out as my inspiration to try it if I do. :-)
Alright, so you have two white pipes. One is a straight slalom draining out your house. The other has a bit of a roller coaster dip to a chimney looking thing to then who knows where. What is that second pipe? I have these two too, but mine are one above the other with no dip on either of them. My chimney comes out of the A/C at a lower than spot than the slalom. Yours appears opposite: your drain that you worked on comes out lower from the A/C but not by much. My chimney one is a whole 2" is lower and like I said has no dip. I'm so confused.
Exactly what I want... a quick video on how to that lasts two minutes.... not a quick video that is 21 minutes long.
To the people that make quick (21 minutes videos) I don't know, and I don't care, I'm not HVAC guy and don't want to be... just give me the facts... as a friend says...
I am asking for the time, not how to make a watch...
I got slime and want to clean and fix the problem... period. THANK YOU FOR QUICK SHORT VIDEO
See the wipe where it has a cap and a wire coming out? That's where I am having a little water dripping out of, wtf is that and what do I do to fix it?
My drain pipe does not have that clear and flexible, easy to disconnect fitting. Did you install that on your own? What is it called and where can I get one?
Thank you so much. I don't have money for AC ppl right now. Thanks 👍
Glad this helped! And Happy New Year to you and yours! 🙂
@1:50, you have a clear plastic tubing connected between two PVC, would it cause leaking time after time?
Had it that way for ~4 years and never had a single leak. Same piece of plastic tubing.
I’ve done this same technique with my shop vac, just reverse the the vacuum to blower.
Yeah that's definitely an option in some cases. I actually have a shop vac and tried this before getting ahold of this pressurized little gun device, but I couldn't get a good seal between my shop vac hose and the drain pipe. The hose was too big and the pipe was too small, so it didn't seal well and didn't work too well for me. If you have the right kind of attachment or can otherwise make a good seal, I'm sure that would work.
@@blakegossard3268 Just grab some duct tape and it fixes the problem with the vac hose being too big LOL it's what I did
@@akoww1000 As usual, duct tape solves most problems. :-)
Shop vac/duct tape just worked well for me. Thank you!!
@@chrisisrad8055 There are very few problems you can't fix with a shop vac and some duct tape! :-)
Save the fifty bucks and just add a slip fit fitting (no glue) as shown in this video. Open up the line and either use a wet dry vac on the outside outlet to suck out any clog, or use a garden hose to push the clog out from inside (or both). Pressurizing the drain line with high pressure can damage the drain line if the joints weren't made properly. Once the line is cleared of foreign material, make a schedule to proactively clean the line before it clogs. If you happen to own a plumbing snake and have a fairly long drain line, just run the snake down the line to break up any clog, then flush the line.
i just used the shop vac tehnique. even easier. you just put a shop vac on the end of the line, plug any excess space around the hose with a rag or something to creat suction (in my case it fit perfectly anyway)
Good idea on using a rag or something to improve fit for the Shop vac!
wow i gotta get one
So.. between this and a wetvac. Which one is better?? Bcuz i use the vacuum outside and it works fine
Both seem to work well. May come down to personal preference. Several people in the comments here have said the shop vac works for them.
That transparent pipe is a good idea to check and clean the pipe.
Yup, definitely comes in handy!
Also had blockage but wasn't about to pay a hundred dollars for service. I didn't have a drain gun nor a compressor, so just now, I blew into tube with my mouth & that seemed to relieve the blockage. I checked outside & there was a bigger wet spot under the drain port. I should have put a bucket underneath to see how much water came out. I'll have to wait & see if this worked.
Yeah I actually tried that with mine but it didn’t work. Good luck!
@@blakegossard3268 ... Thanks. After I blew into it with speed & force, I heard a glug glug sound. Idk, perhaps it was a pretty loose block, just enough to block water but loose enough to relieve with low psi, like my breath. I had to use my sump pump to get the water out of pan. The pan seems to also have a drain pipe but it looks like it doesn't really work.
Had a leak in my living room ceiling. Turned out to be the clogged drain pipe. I used a wet-vac from the outside to suck the crap out of the line. Some stuff came out looked like small pallets or balls. Could be a nest of some kind.
Thanks what size hose is the clear tubing ?
3/4 inch I believe
On average, what do AC techs charge for this services? I’m just generally curious.
What is the gun name and the bottle so i can find in online ...how many time we will able to use of botle oxigen \air and do it works well?? To clean the line?
Here's the link to the one I bought on amazon: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00207UAU6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You get one use per cartridge. They are small and the blast the clears the drain line uses the full canister in my experience.
And here's the link to the replacement cartridges: www.amazon.com/Diversitech-GGC-12-Swoosh-Cartridges-12-Pack/dp/B00MHKQ17M/ref=bmx_1/132-6047952-9071631?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00MHKQ17M&pd_rd_r=d9833162-bd00-4137-bc07-074c0e9754e3&pd_rd_w=8dB4t&pd_rd_wg=7MO6u&pf_rd_p=c5e1cf4b-c006-4b7a-bb44-797de0814d9a&pf_rd_r=T7T31MQCKNTX5T1PVGA6&psc=1&refRID=T7T31MQCKNTX5T1PVGA6
Float switch didn't work?
Dude's got the blues clues shirt
Where is the trap for the drain so that it evens out the pressure to suck the condensate out of the unit? The compressed air method is excellent to clear a drain but the vinegar and bleach maintenance helps reduce the algae build up over time.
I don’t know! This is something others have mentioned that I have to ask my HVAC guy about. I plan to look into this this weekend.
@@blakegossard3268 it’s ok but I’m half way done with my HVAC course for my degree so the trap allows a pressure differential to allow water to flow in the direction of a lower spot. Have you ever used a siphon? The trap in this case is lower than the tray so it naturally suctions the water out hence why a clog on the other end stops the flow.
how come your safety switch didn't prevent the dripping water it should have shut the system down when it clogged...
Could you use an air compressor instead of that little duegon you showed?
I’d be careful with an air compressor. Might be too much pressure. Same concept if you can avoid damaging the pipes with too much pressure. Good luck
Only problem would be is if a fitting isn’t glued properly than you have a leak in between your walls. I’ve heard of that before where the pressure blows apart a joint. Be careful! Nice video.
I initially worried about that, too. However, I think this is unlikely to be an issue in most cases because the gun hose isn't sealed tightly to the drain line pipe. It's held only by hand, so if pressure backs up, the gun hose will likely be the week point and will pop out before the pressure blows a drain pipe joint.
What do you do when it’s on your roof and you can’t watch?
Hi, Cheryl - I’m not really sure what you’re asking here. However, if you can’t easily and safely access your AC unit, I suggest calling a professional to address your issue. Good luck!
Looks like you just assumed you had a clean drain line. No way to tell until you go outside and see if anything came out. I find it hard to believe that little canister did the job. Try vacuuming from the outlet
You're right! Definitely important to go out and check to see if your getting flow out of the line. I have checked many times after using these canisters and they do indeed clear my line quite well. There's often a glob of gook that comes out. I always throw in a few pan tabs after clearing the line with this drain gun and it keeps things flowing for several months.
You might wanna add a p trap to prevent water being trapped due to negative pressure.
Yeah I have one further down the line that’s not visible in this video
does this reach far? my a/c is in my attic
It’s a small handheld device. You can take it anywhere with you!
@@blakegossard3268 Sorry, I mean does the air reach far when it's blown out into the pipe? You know how the drain pipes can be long
With this much of pressure you need to be careful not to cause leak in other places of the line. Nice video though!
Yeah that’s a concern. However, I think this is unlikely to be an issue because I don’t seal the gun hose tightly to the drain pipe; it’s just held there with my hand. If the pressure in the drain line gets too high, the weakest point is where I’m holding the hose to the pipe, so the hose just pops out. I’m pretty confident my grip will fail before the drain pipe glue does 😁
@@blakegossard3268 did that on my office and heard people screaming next to the lifts area, rushed there to find out that the pipe had burst and the (chocolate) ended up on those poor people! They looked like they had a military grade camouflage 🙂 . No one knew who was behind this mess 😉 .. not me of course!
You should probably add a P trap and fix that secondary with the float switch. If you want to do things yourselves as a homeowner, you need to understand the trade of what you’re trying to fix.
Where is the pee trap negative pressure will keep water in the evaporator good thing you have a secondary pan but without a drain or float switch every negative pressure coil needs a trap look in the installation manual that float switch in the position it’s in is a constant problem while actually causing erratic operation I would look at the evaporator pan for signs of rust caused by the water being suspended by the negative pressure CHEERS
Thanks for this feedback! I'll have my HVAC guy evaluate the next time he comes out.
Does the wife know you saved the family couple hundred bucks ?
I did 6 today
👍
Yea... until you blow apart a 20 year old glue joint in the wall.... then you have a MESS !! This is the WRONG way to do it.
Where's your P-trap?? Most important part of the A/C system.
It's farther down the line, outside. Never had an issue with maintaining forward flow.
How about a little vinegar once a month and save $30-40.
Might work for some drain lines. I’ve tried the little tablets you can get from hardware stores on the recommendation of my HVAC guy. I drop two in regularly, but the line still gets clogged. Never tried vinegar, might give it a shot to see if it works better than the tablets. Thanks!
I use bleach works like a charm
@@ammogiant824 I've used the dishwasher detergent pods before. Our unit is in attic, so the pipe clogs after the pan. A dishwasher pod once every two years seems to keep the algae away.
Unfortunately, I forgot to add one last year. Headed up now to blow out the **** drain...lol.
@@ammogiant824 bleach can be hard on the plastic and damage your pipes over time. That why people use vinegar.
I live in South Florida (high humidity). I run cup of vinegar and change the filter every month. Still gets clogged every 6-7 months.
Still leaking from inside the unit you need to take the doors off and clean the coil in the pan😅❤🥵
My tubing is not draining - happens every time I turn around. It causes my hvac thermostat to go completely blank.. and shame on these companies for not sharing this tool purchase w/folks..
Pine-sol or bleach works like a charm
I just use the little drain pan tablets for prevention. Line still gets clogged sometimes though. Never heard of trying pine sol. I’ll look into that. Thanks!
@@blakegossard3268 I'm on the second level story , and my ac is on the rooftop , how will I make this happen safely , I am scared of ladders.
@@moyseyyunatanov4313 This operation should be done on the portion of your AC inside you home. If you're unsure, call a professional. Good luck!
Did I just hear you say 800 psi??
Dude no…just no. That’s going to eventually cause problems if not immediately
I use my compressor and duct tape lmao
you should have installed a union and not that crappy hoes or at least put 2 hose clamps on