What To Use To Keep Ac Drain Line Clean

Download Article

Download Article

Every habitation AC system has a drain line that runs from the condenser coils inside the home to the exterior of the home or another drainage point. Over time, mold and mildew tin abound within the drain line and crusade problematic clogs. You'll know your AC drain line is chock-full if you see water pooling in the pan underneath the unit inside your dwelling house. To articulate these clogs, you will need to suck them out with a wet/dry vac. Clean out your bleed line with bleach in early springtime each twelvemonth to kill mold and mildew and foreclose future clogs.

1. i

   Turn off the power to your AC unit earlier you clean it. Turn off the AC unit at the thermostat first. Turn off the electrical billow that powers the unit adjacent.^[1]

   • This will preclude any electrical accidents during cleaning.
   • The breaker box is usually located on the footing floor of your dwelling house, or the basement if y'all have one, and sometimes in a storage room or the garage if you accept one of those. Check these spots for the breaker box. If the switches aren't labeled, and then you lot volition have to try turning several off, and seeing if the AC is turned off, in order to find the respective breaker.

2. 2

   Locate the finish of the drain line exterior your home. The leave point of the drain line is commonly located outside your home near the condenser unit of the Air conditioning system. Look for a PVC pipe coming out of the wall of your dwelling house and draining into the ground.^[ii]

   • When you locate the drain line's exit point, you can also bank check for whatever obvious obstructions right at the cease of the drain. Remove annihilation obviously bottleneck the drain with gloved easily or a pair of pliers if information technology is hard to attain. If you don't see anything, then proceed with vacuuming information technology out.

   Tip: In some cases, the bleed line may non be located outside by the condenser unit. If you don't run across an exit point outside your home, then some other possible drainage location is a bathroom bleed or other drain somewhere inside your dwelling house.

   Advertisement

3. 3

   Remove the newspaper or cloth filter from a wet/dry vac so it doesn't get ruined. Open up the vacuum and remove the filter. This will proceed it from getting damaged past the h2o you are going to suck out and continue it clean of any mold or mildew.^[three]

   • Depending on your model of wet/dry vac, you may be able to vacuum upwards small amounts of water with the filter in. Just keep in mind that you need to remove it, rinse it thoroughly with clean water, and let it dry out completely afterwards vacuuming whatever water and clogs to forestall mold and mildew from growing on it.
   • Any standard wet/dry vac will work for this job. If you don't have 1, you tin often rent one from a hardware shop.

4. 4

   Connect the vacuum hose to the cease of the drain line with a tightly-wrapped cloth. Put the tip of the vacuum hose to the end of the drain line so they overlap if possible. Wrap a cloth tightly around where they connect and hold it firmly with one manus to make a strong seal.^[iv]

   • You can also wrap duct tape around the connexion to create a tight seal instead of holding the hose and the drain together with a textile.

5. 5

   Turn the vacuum on high for 5-half dozen seconds to clear the clog. Turn on the wet/dry vac to the highest suction power for 5-6 seconds. Check the vacuum's waste holding compartment to see if you sucked out the clog.^[v]

   • If the clog persists, then proceed running the vacuum in intervals of 5-six seconds until you have run it for a total of i infinitesimal. If y'all are unable to clear the clog this way after a full infinitesimal, and so you may need to call an HVAC company to come audit your unit.
   • You lot tin make sure yous cleared the clog by pouring some water into the drain line'due south access pigsty, located within your home where the bleed line comes out of the unit of measurement, and watching to run into if it runs out the other end.
   • Once you are sure you accept cleared the clog, turn the Air-conditioning unit back on and test it to brand sure it is running equally normal.

   Advertisement

1. 1

   Clean out your AC drain line with bleach each leap to go on it clear. Pouring bleach into your AC unit'south drain line in early on springtime before you commencement using information technology for the summertime volition impale and forbid buildup of mold and mildew. Practice this every 6 months if y'all live in a particularly hot and boiling region and use your AC more than.^[6]

   • If yous perform this yearly maintenance on your Air conditioning unit's drain line, you volition exist able to keep it clear and y'all shouldn't demand to vacuum any clogs out.

2. ii

   Turn off your AC unit of measurement's power before yous perform maintenance. Turn off the Air-conditioning unit's ability at the thermostat. Turn off the breaker that supplies power to the Air conditioning organisation as well.^[7]

   • This volition eliminate the gamble of any electrical accidents while you perform maintenance to keep your Ac system'due south drain line make clean.
   • Check in the basement, a storage room, the garage, or a hallway of the ground flooring of your dwelling to find the breaker box. Experiment with turning off different switches and checking which one turns off the AC unit of measurement if the switches aren't labeled.

3. iii

   Locate the admission pigsty for the drain line and remove the PVC cap. Await by the Ac unit'due south air handler within your home for a T-shaped PVC piping running out of it. Accept off the cap at the top of the PVC pipe that goes directly up in the air to open the access pigsty.^[8]

   • If you already know that the AC drain line is clogged, then y'all need to vacuum it out beginning before proceeding to make clean information technology with bleach. After you clear the clog, clean information technology with bleach correct away to kill off any remaining mold and mildew and prevent it from growing back.

4. iv

   Take a helper watch the get out betoken of the drain line to run into if it drains. Ask someone to spotter the end of the bleed line outside when you cascade the bleach in the access hole. You volition know that the bleed line is clogged if they don't see anything coming out the other end.^[ix]

   • The go out bespeak of the drain line is normally outside your home next to the AC unit's condenser. If it'due south not, information technology may exist located within your home next to a bathroom drain or other drainage betoken.
   • If zippo comes out the other cease, then the drain line is clogged and you will need to vacuum it out before proceeding.

   Tip: Identify a saucepan or other container underneath the bleed line's exit point to catch the bleach you pour through to dispose of and determine whether it is draining properly if you are working alone.

5. five

   Pour 1 cup (236.v ml) of bleach into the hole to kill the mold and mildew. Measure out 1 loving cup (236.5 ml) of bleach into a measuring cup with a pouring spout. Pour information technology into the admission hole and permit it bleed out the other side.^[10]

   • Use a funnel to assist you go all the bleach into the drain line if information technology is easier.

6. 6

   Do this every spring earlier y'all start using your AC unit to keep it clear. Pouring bleach into your AC unit's drain line in early springtime before y'all outset using it for the summer will impale and foreclose buildup of mold and mildew. Practice this every vi months if you lot alive in a particularly hot and boiling region and use your AC more.^[11]

   • If you perform this yearly maintenance on your Air-conditioning unit'southward drain line, you will exist able to go on information technology clear and you shouldn't need to vacuum whatsoever clogs out.

   Advertisement

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

• If you lot notice water from condensation pooling in the overflow pan beneath your AC unit of measurement, then y'all probably have a chock-full Air-conditioning bleed line.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Ad

Things You'll Need

• Wet/dry vac
• Cloth or duct tape
• Bleach
• Measuring cup
• Funnel (optional)
• Helper or bucket

Well-nigh This Article

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 30,305 times.

Did this article help you?

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Unclog-an-AC-Drain

Posted by: whitmorethemeavoking.blogspot.com

Share this post