Keep Your A/C Condensate Drain Clean with These Suggestions – Sobieski Services | DE, NJ, PA, MD

Keep Your A/C Condensate Drain Clean with These Suggestions

Condensate Drain

As a fortunate side effect of the cooling process, your A/C unit removes water vapor from warm return airflow. This helps manage indoor humidity on hot and sticky days. The water vapor is removed when it condenses on the cold evaporator coil, drips into the condensate pan and drains away. To ensure clear drainage through the summer and to help prevent odors from mold and mildew seeping into the home, cleaning the A/C condensate drain should be performed a few times each summer.

Cleaning the A/C Condensate Drain

The condensate drain line runs from the condensate pan to a floor drain, or the drain line may extend to the home’s exterior via a PVC pipe or clear tube. First, examine the area around the drain line and furnace for standing water. This would indicate a clog in the line and, perhaps, a faulty emergency shut-off mechanism (float switch) if present.

Next, examine the drain line to find an access point. The condensate pan and drain line are located beneath the evaporator coil, which sits on top of the furnace. Some drain lines will have a capped access tube. If this is the case with your A/C, remove the cap and pour a cup of bleach into the tube. The bleach will kill mold, mildew and algae in the line.

Many drain lines have a trap, such as the one located under the kitchen sink. The trap helps prevent odors from backdrafting through the floor drain when the trap is dry. If your system has a drain trap and no access tube, you’ll need to disconnect the trap to pour bleach into the line. Clean the trap out at the same time. Reconnect any loose parts and you’re finished.

For more information about these tips for cleaning the A/C condensate drain, please contact us today.

At Sobieski Services, Inc. Our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

Photo Credit: Cliff Johnson via Compfight cc

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