Keeping Your Condensate Drain Clog-Free

January 14th, 2019 Posted in Air Conditioning Service and Repair
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One of the key elements of an air conditioner is the evaporator coil, which cools the air as it passes over or through the coils. As this occurs, condensation accumulates and needs to be drained. The condensate drain is essential for removing the moisture created in the cooling process, but it is possible for it to become clogged. If this happens, water can overflow and leak into your home, causing expensive water damage. Keeping the condensate drain clear is an important maintenance issue to protect your home and the efficiency of your AC unit.

Condensate Drain Maintenance

What clogs condensate drains in AC units? Usually clogs are due to dust, pet hair or mold that get inside the drain lines. A quality AC filter can help reduce the amount of dust and debris that can make it inside the unit, but mold is always a possibility. If you have a tune-up or annual service performed on your AC unit at least once a year, the drain should be cleaned during this service. However, you can clean the drain periodically during the cooling season to prevent clogs.

To clean the drain, using boiling water to clear the PVC or drain tubing is usually all that is needed. You can check with your HVAC service or your AC manual to see if a cleaning solution or bleach water option is recommended.

If a drain clog does occur, you want to ensure that your AC shuts off and does not overflow water into your home. Make sure to ask your HVAC service professional about installing an emergency shut-off feature, that will turn off the AC unit if the condensate drain becomes clogged to protect your home from damage.

Posted on behalf of:
ClimateSmith, LLC
1925 Lena Carter Road
Buford, GA 30519
(770) 475-9528

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Why Is My Air Conditioner Leaking Water?

June 18th, 2014 Posted in HVAC Maintenance
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It’s completely normal for your air conditioner to create water through condensation when it’s working properly. But, if you are finding pools of water near your air conditioner, you may have a problem. While shutting off the unit will stop the problem for the moment, you need to address the underlying issue. Understanding why your air conditioning unit may be leaking can help you solve the problem. 

Why Air Conditioners Create Water

We have all seen what happens to a cold glass of water on a hot day. Water condenses on the outside of the glass, dripping down the sides onto the surface below. The same is true of an air conditioning unit. As refrigerant expands and cools inside the air conditioning unit’s coils, cooling the air that is pushed out of the unit, this causes condensation on the outside of the coils. This water then drips into a drain pan that should be draining the water outside. However, if this drain line becomes clogged, that water can overflow onto the floor near your air conditioner. 

This back-up of water can damage your floor and also cause problems with your air conditioning unit. If you know where your drain line is, you can attempt to remove the clog yourself. However, if you are not sure where it is or cannot access it, it’s time to call your air conditioning service company. They can perform a full inspection to make sure the unit is working properly, remove any clogs from the drain line and ensure no more damage is caused to your home or unit from the backed up water.

Posted on behalf of James Smith, ClimateSmith LLC

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Condensate Drains

July 30th, 2013 Posted in Air Conditioning Service and Repair
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All HVAC units with air conditioners will have condensate drains, which drains water created during the air conditioning process, into the home’s plumbing system.  This is even the case on homes where the unit is located in the attic of the home.  While it may seem that there is no maintenance involved in a condensate system, it is critical that this be regularly checked, especially on HVAC units located in the attic of a home. 

On the ground floor of the home, the condensate line usually terminates into a floor drain connected to the homes plumbing system.  There is a gap between the two, so the homeowner can see if water is flowing into the drain.  On attic units, the unit itself, the condensate line is also terminated into the home’s plumbing system.  In addition, there are two backup system in place as well to protect water created during the air conditioning process from leaking onto a ceiling and causing damage to the home.  First the unit is placed in a sealed “tub” so that the “tub” catches the water if the primary drain fails for any reason.  There is an independent drain in the tub that is usually terminated in the soffit of the home over a window.  It is located there so that if the homeowner sees water dripping out of the soffit and will be aware that the primary drainage system is not working properly.  Finally the “tub” has a “float” system installed, which will shut off the HVAC system if water rises within the “tub” because of a drainage issue. 

It is critical that these systems be periodically checked to verify that they are working as designed.  A qualified HVAC contractor that specializes in residential HVAC service and repair will check that as a part of their regular seasonal maintenance of your home.  If you fail to see water draining into the floor drain, see water dripping out of the soffit or you attic unit stops working, call your HVAC contractor immediately!

 

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Clearing a Clogged Condensate Line

December 6th, 2011 Posted in HVAC Maintenance
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A central air conditioner or heat pump not only cools the air in your home, it extracts moisture from the air which makes the air feel cooler and keeps your home comfortable.  The moisture collects (or condenses) on the coils inside the air handler which is the unit inside your home.  The condensate drips into a drip pan and is carried away by gravity through the condensate line which is typically a white PVC pipe.

Depending on where your system is installed, the condensate flows by gravity into a drain or outside the home, or it may flow into a small sump pump.  The sump pump is activated by a float switch and pumps the condensate safely out of your house.

On occasion, your condensate line can become clogged.  This is usually due to an accumulation of dust and dirt or algae growth.  Whatever the cause, a clogged condensate line should be cleared.  Otherwise, the condensate will overflow and can cause damage to walls, ceilings, floors, carpets, and your personal property.  In some locations, up to a gallon of water per hour will accumulate so you should get the clogged condensate line cleared before all that water causes damage to your home.

Fortunately, it is not difficult to clear a condensate line.  Sometimes just blowing through the line is enough to dislodge the clog.  If not, try using compressed air or a shop vac to clear the line.  A small plumber’s snake will also usually do the trick.  If you still can’t clear the line, call a good local HVAC contractor.

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