Dirt, leaves, and other debris can make its way into your AC drain line and clog it. A clogged AC drain line can cause water to back up into the drain pan and eventually spill, potentially costing thousands of dollars in wood and home repairs. Keep your AC working well and prevent home damage with these cleaning tips. Turn off the AC unit before beginning at the circuit breaker box. Locate the drain pipe under the AC unit. This is generally either in the form of a PVC pipe or a flexible tube. Place a water hose tightly on the end of the drain line that is by the AC unit. Turn the water on, and allow the pressure of the water to dislocate the clog. Once the water flows well through the drain line, the clog has been cleared. Clogs in drain lines can cause algae growth and mold, which will eventually cause a clog to form again. Clear this with a mixture of one part bleach to 16 parts water. Run the mixture through the line to remove any remaining bacteria. After turning off the AC unit, place the hose from a wet vacuum onto the end of the drain pipe.

You can either buy an attachment or just duct tape the end of the wet vac hose onto the drain line. Turn on the vacuum and allow it to suck the water and debris out of the line. When the machine becomes full of water, turn it off and dump it out. Repeat until the debris, dirt and algae have been removed from the drain line and the water from the drain pan is able to flow properly. Run the aforementioned bleach/water mixture through the line to remove any additional algae or mildew to prevent the clog from occurring again. Keeping a drain line clear not only keeps your AC unit running well during the warm summer months, but it can save you thousands of dollars in costly repairs. For help cleaning your drain line, other routine maintenance or for any other additional AC problems, today. Our professionals strive for 100 percent customer satisfaction and will be able to help you with all your home cooling needs.To maintain the energy efficiency, safety, and useful life of your central air conditioning system, it is important that your home maintenance program include the proper care for your central air conditioner.

These tasks should be taken care of in April, before your cooling season begins.how to test a capacitor on ac unit Depending upon the type of filter on your central air conditioning unit, you should change or wash it every 2-3 months. energy star rated window ac unitsHow often you wash or change it, depends upon how dirty the air is in your area. hvac ac unitsIf you do not change the filter regularly, you reduce the amount of airflow through your ducts thereby wasting money trying to heat or cool your home because your fans are not moving air properly. The air filters should be replaced or washed monthly during the heavy cooling season months (April through August). When an air conditioner cools the temperature of the air, water condenses out of the air.

Most central air conditioning units have a condensate drain to collect this water. This is typically located on the side of the inside fan unit. This condensation system and drain should be inspected to make sure there are no obstructions, and that the hoses all fit properly. If the lines or drain become blocked or develops leaks, the result could be water spilling out around your unit, which can cause safety hazards and/or water damage. The outside condenser unit is the big box located on the side of your house or building. This unit is where heat from the inside of your house is pushed to the outside (which is why the fan blowing air above the unit feels warm). Inside of the box are coils of pipe that are surrounded by thousands of thin metal fins. These fins give the coils more surface area for exchanging heat. If there are any weeds or plants that have grown up around the condenser, remove them so that they don't interfere with the unit's airflow. Remove any accumulated dirt on the fins with a soft brush.

Don't use a garden hose to clean them. This will simply turn the dirt into mud and cause an even greater problem. Use a carpenter's level to check the concrete pad that your condenser sits on, ensuring that it is still level. If the pad has settled over the course of the year, lift the concrete pad with a pry bar, forcing rocks or gravel pieces underneath until you level it out again. Air distribution registers are the duct openings on your walls, floors or ceiling where the air conditioning comes out. These registers typically have a lever or wheel that allows the register to be opened and closed. Make sure the registers are not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes. Duct cleaning will improve your indoor air quality. Dust contains pollutants, viruses, and micro organisms that can stimulate allergies. The air ducts retain moisture and provide a breeding ground for molds and mites. Cleaning the ducts will also clear the air of excessive dust and allow the air to flow more freely.

Always seek the advice of a trained maintenance professional or other repair technician with any questions you may have regarding maintenance or equipment condition. If your air conditioner is old, consider purchasing a new, energy-efficient model. You could save up to 50% on your utility bill for cooling. Look for the ENERGY STAR and EnergyGuide labels. Consider installing a whole-house fan or evaporative cooler if appropriate for your climate. Check out www.energysavers.gov for more information on efficient cooling. Home Warranty of America™ Phone: 1-888-492-7359 or 1-888-325-5143 (CA only)Remember those kitchen cabinet pulls I installed at Fred and Kim’s house? Did I mention that their air conditioning wasn’t working that day… and that it was 100° outside when I did those? Well, it was miserable. The Fauth family came to our place to cool off that night, and I told Fred and Kim how a while back our HVAC quit working because the condensation drain was clogged.

They went home and checked, and sure enough, found their drain line full of dust, rust, and other gunk. Water pooling inside the drain pan of the air handler was preventing the coils from cooling down, ultimately robbing cold air from the rest of the house. Fred took a temporary measure and cut the drain pipe, then directed the water into a bucket which had to be emptied every 12 hours. It’s a better solution than having interior temperatures reach 90°, but it wasn’t a permanent solution. When my HVAC unit was replaced, the pros installed a clear plastic trap so we can see when it needs to be cleaned. I thought it should be simple enough to install one at Fred’s and Kim’s house. Unfortunately, none of the big box stores carry that component, so I improvised. You can do this project too, if you find your air conditioner giving out due to a condensation line clog. My goal was to piece together a new drain line and use some clear flexible tubing to recreate the trap.

The trap would collect any gunk, and adjustable clamps would allow access for cleaning. I had a gift card for Lowe’s so that’s where I picked up my supplies — ¾” PVC, various fittings, 1′ of clear tubing, a pack of metal clamps (the kind you tighten with a screw driver) and PVC cement. Since this was a drain line and wouldn’t be under pressure, I didn’t need to use any PVC primer (that purple stain you often see on PVC). Here’s a picture of the existing PVC. The drain goes to a small pump. Here’s a pic of the old drain removed. Using the old drain as my template, I began dry fitting everything together. Working the tubing in place. The old drain had a removable cap. I’m not sure if it was to introduce some air or another reason, but I recreated that too. If you’ve ever worked with PVC before, you know that it’s important to make clean, straight cuts and to remove any burrs and debris. We had a miter saw handy and it worked well.

Disregard my lack of safety glasses. When I was satisfied that everything fit together, it was time to start gluing. PVC cement is a chemical solvent that melts the two pieces together making a super strong bond when it cures. Be sure to fully seat the PVC inside the fitting. It’s also a good idea to give it a little twist to ensure good coverage. Keep everything in the right orientation, otherwise you’ll end up with PVC going in the wrong direction. This is the metal clamp I used to secure the flexible tubing. Turning that screw allows you to tighten or loosen the clamp. I actually ended up gluing the left side of the flexible tubing (in addition to the metal clamp) as there was a small leak. Can you see the water in the trap? Here’s a close-up of the bracket I used to keep the PVC in the right spot. When it was all finished, we flushed the line with water to make sure it didn’t leak and everything worked as expected. Fred and Kim have their A/C back and I get to share a great how-to with all of you.