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How To Prevent Your AC Drain Line From Clogging

Air_conditioner

When it is working correctly, the AC unit is one of the most overlooked home appliances, but when it is broke, well then it becomes the number one concern, especially if you live in the hotter climates like Florida, Texas, or any other southern heat magnet. There are only a few maintenance issues that the average homeowner can manage on their own, those mainly being the AC filter and the often overlooked drain line. Filters will be discussed in a different article, for this article the attention will be focused on prevention of clogging in the AC drain line.

Where it is and what it does

AC systems vary in style and type, but they are all designed with the same basic functional characteristics. The basic premise of air conditioning units is to remove the moisture from the air, thus making the homeowner feel cooler. To remove moisture from the air means that parts of your AC unit are going to gather water and that very same water has to go somewhere. While there are different parts of the AC unit that may have condensation, the Air Handler is the part of the AC unit that condensates enough to warrant the installation of a drainage system that collects the water and discharges it through a sewer line, often made of PVC pipe. Most homeowners who have walked their property and seen their AC unit outside have noticed the PVC pipe that is always dripping water as the unit runs. This pipe is the AC drain line. Accurately identifying the drain line is the first step to performing any maintenance on it.

When is maintenance necessary?

Most people do not perform maintenance on their AC units until they stop working. The first recommendation for any maintenance on an AC system is to call a certified and licensed technician. For Orlando area residents, I highly recommend going to www.facemyeracorlando.com to find that technician. Before that call is made, take a quick peek at your system to make sure the call is necessary. The AC drain line in modern systems is equipped with a kill switch that is activated when water backs up and triggers the sensor. By simply going outside and inspecting the drain line for problems, you may be able to get your AC system going again. If you look at the drain line and notice that the area around the drain is excessively dry then you may have a clogged pipe.

How to prevent your line from clogging?

Regular maintenance on the AC system is vital. The central air unit of a home is a big complicated system integrated with highly dangerous electrical parts and sophisticated refrigeration components. The best way to keep it in excellent condition is to perform maintenance twice a year in addition to regularly changing the AC filter. Part of that maintenance should include cleaning the drain pipe. The most common offender in clogging the pipe is the excessive buildup of algae combined with dust and moisture forming blockage inside the line. As with most fungus, flushing with a simple bleach solution or vinegar mixed with a little water will do the trick. If you want to make a small investment, there are algae prevention tablets that you can line the base of the collection pan with that will inhibit the growth of algae before the water starts to travel down the AC drain line. Keeping your filter changed will prevent excess moisture from collecting that also prevents the spread of algae as well.

Most homeowners are happy to save money and who wants to pay someone a service call fee when he or she can solve the problems themselves? If the line is already clogged you may have to borrow or purchase a wet vac if you don’t already have one so you can vacuum out the clogged debris from the bottom of the drain line. Another option is to blow compressed air through the top side of the drain line and force the clog out with air pressure. Whatever method you use, they are all relatively easy and could potentially save you big money and keep you cool while doing it. Like they say in the medical field though, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So, keep it clean!

The author, Ray Donato, is studying to become an electrical engineer at Valencia College in Orlando. To help supplement his income, he writes articles such as these on a number of topics related to his field of study including home maintenance of electrical appliances.

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