HVAC DIY Maintenance - Float Switch Explained
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- Here's a quick down and dirty of how you can perform your own monthly and 6 month maintenance. Its super easy and you can save $100-200 by doing it yourself.
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The filter tends to be the common root cause or some that don’t run a filter at all. What happens is that dust passes through the system and ends up getting caught up in the condensation that drains out and that causes the clogs. When a filter is too dirty, the suction will bend the filter and air passes around it. There are other instances of clogged drains or float switch issues such as improper pitch in the drain line, too much flow and not enough diameter in the pipe, and also issues with the drain pain holes getting clogged with buildup.
My thermostat went blank. Glad I checked this video out before calling someone. Turns out it was the overflow switch. Very easy fix and saved me 100 bucks. Thanks mate!
People like you are seriously Heaven-sent. I thought I was gonna have to pay a service tech a bunch of money for something you did in like 2 minutes. Thank you!
Aww thank you!!! I'm glad I could help!
This is amazing, thank you. My house and system is just under two years old. I’ve always regularly poured white distilled vinegar down into the drain line. Yesterday, my entire thermostat was dead as if it had no power supply. There weren’t any batteries in it to begin with so we added some and system came back on but then started to cycle on and off 5 minutes at a time. When it was on, I could feel cold air blowing out so I knew it wasn’t a total system failure. I checked drain line and was shocked to see it was completely full. Outside was still dripping though so I was confused. I hooked shop vac up to outside and inside until there was not even a drop left in line. I pulled out an entire shop vac full of liquid! It was the consistency of plasma. It worked, the air kicked back on and cooled me down from 77 to 72 in under an hour (Central Florida). Videos like this are a lifesaver!
I deduced that the float switch must have popped up and killed power to whole system. Since thermostat didn’t have batteries in it initially, it also went down completely.
I learned my lesson that in Florida, when you run your air as low as I do, just vinegar won’t do the trick - it seems I’ll need to regularly get out the vacuum.
This is also my first handler in the garage if that matters. All my other handlers have been in insulated closets.
Dude this is awesome! Im so glad I could help others out there with the same issue.
I have lived in S. FL since '94, and I've found if you vacuum the drain every 3-4 months, you'll have no clog problems. A five-minute job that saves a lot of anguish. Vinegar helps but won't prevent it entirely.
Excellent video. Thank you. Regular maintenance like this not only saves us money, but also tech’s time, which allows for people with serious problems to get service quicker. Basic preventative maintenance in all things is good, when it’s possible to do it.
I think this video just saved me a few hundred bucks.
Thankfully, I had a shop vac ready to go.
Float Switch was definitely filled with water. Drained that and turned on. Few minutes later, back off.
Went to the drain pipe. Got my shop vac and a bunch of nasty stuff comes out. A lot!
Turned it back on and it's been 10mins of AC on. Let's hope is stays that way!
Thank you!
I THINK THE COIL INSPECTION IS DONE ON THE SIDE OF THE COILS WHICH THE FILTER PROTECTS , WHERE AIR FLOW ENTERS THE COILS, THAT WOULD BE THE OPPOSITE SIDE ( UNDERNEATH). THANKS FOR THE SUGGESTION OF ANGLING THE OVERFLOW PIPE!!!
3 years later and i just used this to clean my own line. Thank you sir.
Yours is the only video I watched that showed keeping the float closed when running the vacuum. I’ve been searching to see if it should be open or closed. Thanks.
You just saved me a late night call for repair - just used the shop vac to clear the line bc the power kept shutting off.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge 👍🏽
Thanks man. I didn't think it could be the float because there was no power to the thermostat. But I didn't realize that that's literally the point
Very well done, sir...we are recent retirees to southwest Florida. Hot, nasty and humid air. We experienced the float issue which killed power to unit. Called neighbor who does A/C and he got us up and running after a huge snot clog vacuumed out. Luckily, at minimal cost. I am now subscribed to your channel so I can keep up on the refresher of what to do. Confident we are now on the right track for monthly/semi annual maintenance. Thanks for helping many folks who may have thought their only option was to call a repair company costing hundreds of dollars for something easily done at home!
That is awesome news!!! Thank you for subscribing :)
I’m a retired home inspector. Excellent job of explaining the ac routine maintenance. 👍👍
Thank you so much!! As a home owner and a DIYer not certified, this means a lot!!!
👋🏽😃✔This is PRECISELY WHAT I FACED. The filter on this inside unit is NEWS TO ME, TOO!!! No one ever told me it existed or handed me a maintenance list when I purchased my condo. Now, I'm your newest fan and subscriber! Thank you for sharing this incredible information. Your video is an eye opener and a head turner for me.✔✔🙏🏽🇺🇲🙏🏽🇺🇲🙏🏽✌🏽
Thank you so much for the awesome feedback!!
Great video! Thank you. I just had an issue with my filter so I changed it out and used the dry vac to clean the drain pipe. All better now !
The best tutorial bar none
The BEST video on how to HVAC EVER!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!
Just cleared my line using the wet vac and my AC turned back. Temperature dropping down from summer Hellfire. Appreciate the video!
Brilliant! Thank you for making this easy to follow and briliant to understand! It seriously may have saved me a useless trip. You're amazing.
Saved me some money and a service call and some great advice to service my system. Two story house and noticed some water leaking out of the ac/heat unit from upstairs. Had this happen a few years back and I remember the guy out and unplugging drain hole. I went up there and like a complete moron went at it with a coat hanger after taking the cover off and cleaning it out. Button everything back up and nothing. Didn't have a problem with the unit working until I meddled with it. The one switch the coat hanger was near was the Safe-t-switch in your video. After watching your video I went back up and sure enough, the black piece was now dettached. I fiddled with it and sure enough... paydirt..as soon as I put the black piece back on the safe-t-switch the unit came to life. Thank you for this simple and very informative video.
Your advice saved me a lot of trouble. Cleared out my float switch and no problems. Thanks for the great video.
You're welcome!!!
Thanks! Very well done, simple explanations so us lay people can learn some of the basics to save money.
Thanks so much for posting this video. It was so helpful to me. I always try to see if the problem is something I can fix, before having to pay someone. The information you give is just great.
You’re welcome!!
Please note.
5/16th.
The dirty part of this "A" style coil is most commonly on the under side. Be it that your return is boxed underneath the unit as indicated with the filter placement.
So your only fixing half the issue, potentially.
Suggestions could be a NuCalgon no rinse spray or actually getting to the underside of that coil to properly clean it.
Very well explained, thank you for sharing your hard earned knowledge !!
This was my issue, thank you for this helpful, and money-saving video!
Heck yeah glad to hear this helped!
Thanks for the video I never thought about hooking the wet vac up to the drip line! Thanks
You’re welcome!
Thanks.. I had a same problem, now I appreciate your help
Safety first before opening any panels turn the unit off at the wall control and the circuit breaker panel.
Yup absolutely!! Great tip 😀
Very useful thanks for sharing this video you made it simple and easy to follow.
My float pvc is mobile so I just sucked it out and moved it back thanks dude!!!!! Saves my ass!
Thank you very much! I appreciate the education.
Thank you! I am now cool again 😎 Liked and followed!
Thank You for this video. I’m trying to do this know, and I watched your video to get information.👍🏼
Heck yeah! It’s easy stuff that saves us money:)
After cleaning the pipes with vinegar and reinserting the Safe-T-Switch the thermostat screen was still blank. I had to push in the reset switch on the backside of the thermostat to get it to come back on. Now everything is working great.
Great video, thank you!
Thank you! I like to do as much for myself as I can.
I totally feel you there. It’s still good to have a professional come once a year to do this maintenance as well as checking the system pressure, coils, and capacitor etc.
Man, thank you for this video! Exactly my issues and such a good explanation
Thank you!! Glad I could help!
Fantastic information Thank you
Thank you very much for this video with detailed explanation.
You’re very welcome!
Perfect! Thank you!
AC company wanted 340 dollars for each of my units to clean them out. Thanks . saved me almost 700 dollars
Daaaang that’s steep!! I’m glad this helped!
Great video thank you so much
Thank you! Extremely helpful 💪🏽
Glad I could help!!
Good job Antman. Time to get hvac certified. 💪 LOL
Nuke Kogan thanks man!! I’ll take that feedback as a good thing here haha! I hope I didn’t say anything incorrectly 😁
Great video. Thanks!
Thank you soooo much for this video!
You save my life, thank you!!!
You’re welcome!!
Thank you for this incredibly informative video! Been having lots of trouble with AC drain line clogging and your explanation let me fix it on me own. Like others in the comments here, south Florida is a bit of a different beast and seems like it needs to be done much more frequently than other locations. I will be vacuuming mine every 2 months.
Exactly what I needed. I had a nest give me that infamous error saying no power. This solved that right away
Glad to hear! It’s the season to look at these components :)
excellent video, helped
Thank you very much. It took a little effort to remove the float switch cap, but when I did it was full of water. Some of it went down once opened and my a/C came immediately. I don't have a shop vac ...so guess I'll need to purchase one.
Yayy!!! So glad to hear it’s back up and running :)
That did the trick!! Thanks so much!
Hey you’re welcome!
Thank you so much. you just saved me
Thank you so much for posting this video. I fixed the problem myself. Thanks
Thank you!!!!
I'm trying to get as educated as I can before I go out in the field for HVAC, currently trying to wrap my head around heat pump maintenance/troubleshooting. Anyways getting to the point, I'm curious if you could take a nitrogen tank with a nozzle/hose attachment and blow it out from the capped area just outside the air handler? Say 50psi and give it a few blasts, would that work or could that cause damages?
Thank you!
Wow!!! Thank you 🙏🏽
It’s the season to prep for the summer! :)
I have a float switch but my thermostat is a nest which has a built in battery, I wonder if it will still cut it off. I appreciate the extra information for clearing the drains!!! No “on a future video”
Yes it does. Mine did exactly that last week.
Many thanks
Good video
Man your video is very helpful, my ac unit looks different and I actually think something isn’t correctly installed. I wish you were a friend of mine to get your help. 😅 if I can message you a picture of it maybe you would be able to tell me what is your wrong with it
I used a shop vac on the outside. Got a lot of gunk out. NOW… should I use the shop vac for float pump area? I can still see water floating
my air handler is in the attic of a small 1 story house. suspended with straps. the setup has no float switch, when the main line gets clogged, the overflow runs to a big drain pain under the handler, which has a secondary drain line that runs out to the eaves. it's supposed to have a hole cut in the eaves where the pipe comes out, but my homebuilders were lazy i guess so it doesnt even have that. but, if i notice water dripping from my eaves in that spot, i know my main line is clogged. but there is no float switch anywhere in the setup. i'm thinking of trying to set a float switch up in the pan as a third line of defense, but not sure if i'm capable. i had a galvanized drain pan that was quite large (about 30"X55") and it finally rusted and started leaking (just a few drops, thankfully no drywall damage) at my last clog event. It was really hard to find another pan that size, and the only one I could find was a thin plastic, with a lip around the edge. So things like float switches are going to be tough to attach, I'll have to see if I can figure anything out or rig something up.
anyways with this setup in the video though, i would be afraid of just relying on that 20 dollar float switch in the event of a clog. if that switch is bad, in my setup it's probably gonna ruin a lot of ceiling drywall if the main line gets clogged. yes i suppose you could test the switch regularly etc, but i'd still be nervous. now in a garage setup like this, it would be no big deal. because if you have a little flooding in the garage it's not a huge problem, and plus you are likely to see it much faster since you are probably in the garage often.
Does the furnace have a filter and also , the filter in the hallway also ?
Your video is so helpful! Just added it to my favorites so I can find it easily. I liked your explanation about the float switch and the way it is installed in a longer line and not directly next to the primary condensate line. Just wonder if mine will work better by having one like yours. Anyway, I need a new Safe-T-Switch since recently the HVAC technician glued it. Why it was glued? I don't know. Sadly, I live in Florida....
Hi there! The switch definitely shouldn't be glue in. It's a super easy fix/replacement and I'd help if you were local.
@@ArcLightAddicts Thanks so much, replacing it is my next item. Just need to figure out how to extend the line with an inclination. Still wearing my "thinking hat"!
Today, I replaced the fancy wi-fi thermostat for a basic one....and finally enjoying a stable cooling.
@@ArcLightAddicts I fixed it! Your video & input helped me to re-design the line for the new safe-t-switch. Works perfectly! Thanks, here's a Before & After drive.google.com/file/d/1Cqmq39M3IuOp5OQ7CHeM5gX9V7do1rd3/view?usp=sharing
@@sandrablanco6592 yayy!!! Looks good!! 🥳
@@sandrablanco6592 Is your system positive or negative pressure? .. I have positive pressure and was advised that a P trap is not needed for this type of system. Also, I noticed you also have 2 vents (1 before the P trap and 1 after).
Thanks Thanks Thanks and good blessed...
I just paid Advent Air (Dallas) almost $500 for this 5 minute job. Thermostat was losing connection bc the drain pipe was filling up. All he did was remove the floater thing and blow out the pipe.
Thank you for the video, about to do this tomorrow, How do you get that drain pan out or is there enough space to suck the water out of it with a shop vac. Thank you
Getting it out isn’t typically an easy task lol. You can fit a small shop vac hose end to suck out the water but makes sure you clean the 2 drain pan holes that go to drain and float switch.
Yes, it was. I have a question. Very Important to know what I can do.
Living in a Condominium, I have a neighbor underneath me, that doesn't change her A/C Filter on a Monthly Basis. I start to begin smelling dirt from her A/C Unit. It's AWFUL. What to do to avoid telling her she needs to remove her A/C Filter without making her feel bad, cause it stinks my living spaces? I thought I needed an
A/C Technician. It was my neighbor instead.
Thank You!🤭
my coils have some black on it, not frost, do you what that can be?
My upstairs air conditioner is cold as it is use to be my house is only 2 years old bought brand even though that doesn’t matter I check the vents and some thing dripping on ot
What if the clog is inside the air handler? Shouldn't it be installed next to the drip line on the air handler unit?
100% like your video
Is white vinegar a good source?
When inspecting the coils, if debris is visible, is it safe to to remove it with an energized ac or I should cut power first? Thanks for the video!!
You should always turn off the AC when servicing it.
Thank you
You’re welcome!
Should you turn your AC unit off when you pour the vinegar and then turn it back on? Also, when you’re using the shop vac do you turn your AC to off or leave it on? Thank you for this video
Turn the AC off so you’re not battling the condensation being produced as you’re trying to remove the sludge and existing water in the pipe. Vinegar works since it’s acidic but after letting it sit in the line for 30min, I flush it with a gallon of hot water.
- Turn off ac
- Use shop vac from outside to pull water and sludge. Do it for a good 5 min
- Pour vinegar from the inside pipe/air handler
- Follow with hot water after 30 min
- Use shop vac one more time outside for 5 min again
Sucking out the "chunks" from the drip line with a shop vac is a good idea. However, our lines are attached to bathroom sink drains upstairs and it would be extremely inconvenient to detach them every time I want to clear the lines. Any other ideas other than using compressed air to blow them out?
Honestly for that use draino and then flush with a gallon of hot water.
@@ArcLightAddictsso use drano instead of vinegar?
What filter merv rating you use ?
Hi… I got 2 story house n I look at Hvac I don’t have a float switch like your…what can I do now ??
I got a York system, the company that installed it won't come fix their problem. Also for some odd reason I think they put super glue in my copper drain line causing it to thicken. It's a little over a year old, my old PVC drain pipe normally goes under the ground through the garage to the outside. Well my mom's head walls so I had on them switch it to the other side of the wall that's why they hooked up a mechanical electric pump to siphon a wire through a copper pipe. There's so much sludge it looks like white clear silly putty or gak. So I hooked up a garden hose so it can run freely and also my water safety switch maybe faulty. It's one of those ones where you pull up to test and push back down.
Do a good flush and I bet it will work ok. Swap out switch if it’s failing and no overflow.
I did,now it's the overflow switch thing. I flit it n the red light gose on n off or deem red or nothing at all then I don't think what state it's in😒
Thanks 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
Question for you ? Secondary drain, How does your float switch work? The way it's piped is graded downhill to the float, which sits in a p- trap .. so if it does ever overflow into the float switch, you will have to remove the float, then lift the pipe to drain it dry, to resume normal operation: after you, of course, clear the primary drain that caused it to trip......it's not an automatic reset configuration....see what I'm saying?
That’s one way to do it or you have to vacuum the float switch pipe out. Many systems have a short run and I have since then made mine really short. This length was from the builder.
I am having the same problem with my Wi-Fi thermostat screen going black. I thought it was a faulty thermostat until I removed the front panel and saw there was no power. Turned out the stop switch in attic turned off the power and the drain line was clogged. I tried using an air blower to unclog it but it didn’t work. So for now I just removed the stop switch and that turned on the AC again But the condensation is going to overflow into the pan. I might try pouring down some bleach into the line and see if that unclogs it. If not I may have to get a shop vac and try to suck it out from the exterior of the house. I even tried snaking the PVC line for another 15 feet but that didn’t help either.
Update: poured some bleach down the drain line, flushed it out with hot water after 3 hours. Problem solved :)
Would you recommend putting some vinegar or bleach into the float switch monthly? If I do this would it flow into the pan to prevent algae? I do not feel comfortable taking the panel off to access the drain pan. I do remove the pipe to the drain pan and vacuum monthly, plus I put bleach down the line monthly. Sometimes the float switch still backs up. If I put bleach into the float switch it seems to just stay there for a week or so. Why doesn't it go into the pan.
Good question! The only pipe that needs vinegar or bleach would be the pipe that drains out of the house and I would do this monthly for sure. I will usually run a gallon of hot water after waiting 30 min of the vinegar/bleach flow. You’ll need to manually suction out any water that remains in the float switch pipe unless you can tilt it up to let it drain into the pan.
Thank you so much. I appreciate your quick response. Best regards
I have done everything you said to do but the water is not draining from the pan. I keep having to vacuum it out. Do you think I need a new float switch? Or do I possibly have a clog in 1 of the 2 lines within inches of the drain pan? Which is before where pouring vinegar would help
There is probably a clog in the 2 drain holes that leave the pan. If not that then maybe the pan shifted/tilted somehow.
Blowing warm….74-75. Checked float and drain pan under cooling fins. I have zero drainage and no moisture on anything. Any ideas?
I had the fins/whole coil replaced last summer.
Hoping it wasn’t a tiny leak.
I vote that there is a leak and refrigerant is slowly leaving.
Do all units have the removal piece (where vinegar can be poured)? My unit was installed in 2015, but I’m not locating that piece.
It might not look like this but there’s always a way
Just bought a house in SW Florida. How often do you need to do this type of maintenance? Did you say you replace the air filter every month or two?
We've got dogs and can't afford to have the AC shut off and stop working when we're not there. I got a smart thermostat i'm gonna put in that sends me alert notifications if the temperature rises too much in the house as an extra precaution.
Replace air filter at least every 2 months and don’t get the high filtration filter or it will clog sooner since it’s made to capture more air particles.
@@ArcLightAddicts Thanks, i've watched a lot of people doing AC condensation drain cleanouts and no one mentions replacing the air filter.
@@AchillesWrath1 yeah the filter tends to be the common root cause or some that don’t run a filter at all. What happens is that dust passes through the system and ends up getting caught up in the condensation that drains out and that causes the clogs. When a filter is too dirty, the suction will bend the filter and air passes around it. There are other instances of clogged drains or float switch issues such as improper pitch in the drain line, too much flow and not enough diameter in the pipe, and also issues with the drain pain holes getting clogged with buildup.
Just saw this video had the same issue and had to pay someone to do the Job.wish I had seen it earlier 😂
Awww well now you have this info for next time!!
Is it possible it to have a float switch?
My float switch is so tight, like stuck there, the other day I try to pull out to pour some bleach inside to clean but unfortunately can’t pull out😢
My float (safe t switch) is not working. There isn’t a ton of videos on how to fix. Can anyone let me know how to replace it?
Regarding the shop vac you used to clean out the drip line, would you know how much HP you would recommend getting?
Honestly, any of the plug in ones are strong enough so no need to get a high HP one. Battery operated ones aren’t strong enough to pull the thick grime, I’ve tried. It does ok but not for big clogs.
Okay. Thanks very much!!! Also need to say that your video was terrific. Very informative, easy to follow and straightforward. Much appreciated!
@@user-ti8cz1mi4l heck yeah that’s awesome to hear!
My AC keeps turning off because my float switch pipe will start to tilt too far down. I had to prop the pipe slightly up by putting a piece of something below it to hold it up so it’s tilted a little upwards. Will this harm the unit?
There has to be at least a small amount of downward tilt or yeah you could potentially have a flood of water or leak depending on where the unit it located. If it’s filling up at all then you have an issue with the drain or the pan inside.
@@ArcLightAddicts thank you for the fast reply. I was able to set it up now where it slightly tilts down. Appreciate the help
Can you tell me which drain pipe goes to the outside? Would it be going into a silver foil wall then to the outside? Thank you! ❤️
Yeah it would be the 1” pvc pipe going into the wall or down away from the air handler.
Thank you so much ❤
If I poured water down that pipe it should come out of the drain out outside, right? If no water comes out would that mean there's a clog in that pipe?
@@jantravia6984 correct. You would see it fill up where you’re pouring rather than drain out quickly. If the drain is free and clear it should pour out pretty quickly.
Ah okay.. I had poured a quart of water down the pipe and nothing came out of the drain out at all.
Thank you again for your help ❤
there’s a filter on the hvac itself? i thought only filters are on the vents in your ceiling?
On these newer systems, there's only one main filter at the air handler. It's much better than having to replace several throughout the house haha.
I'm assuming I am looking at it wrong as to me with the pipe running downhill to the float switch and the float switch not being very high, I don't see how water doesn't always run down there and then fill up and trip the float switch. So someone tell me I am not looking at this right please?
Excellent question!! Inside the drain pan there are two holes and the one going to float switch is slightly higher.
What if the shopvac isn’t breaking up the clog? I
Try some draino? As long as it’s pvc. Then follow with a gallon of hot water.