BEST AC Drain Line Cleaning Tool | 92 % DON'T Know This

[@JamesJones-wb4xi]

Thanks for the tip.

[@Golfreak]

Great idea but I'm pretty sure everyone's PVC are glued together.

[@juansifuentes3917]

No certified AC technician will ever glue the AC drain pvc pipe.

[@darkwood777]

Not likely. They don't need to be glued since they aren't under pressure, and having to unclog drains on the AC unit is pretty common.

[@craigkennedy9968]

most PVC cement will dry out over time and become unsealed. thats what makes this bad advise so bad ... when people pressurize their drain line with 35 pounds of water from a hose pipe and blow apart those fittings, flooding their homes

[@JF-tm1ws]

Another BOZO, hacking crap. Please do that in the attic with the drain connected to a sink drain. Its going to be a cool vid. And by the way, the end of the drain should not be sticking up like that. Water drains by gravity, and the dirt will stay in the pipe forever. But in the end who cares, you get subscribers and i get work.😂😂😂

[@DeaninItYourself]

Glad i could help your business

[@edmarkey]

Not a bad idea, but I'd rather take my wet/dry vac outside and suck the clog out. Avoids any chance of creating a mess inside.

[@vipermageex5861]

Main issue with this tip is most pipes have been glued together, and can't simply be pulled apart. If you feel comfortable you could buy the parts to recreate your existing glued pipes and then use this trick.

[@xamphoa]

Yep, this makes this tip useless. Came here to say this.

[@nelsonmontalvo7581]

HVAC guy here you can do that on 1% through the t for vinager but in most you can’t cause there no reason why your drain is without glue anyway shop vac from outside plus water from inside is and will always be the way easier to imagine if is in the attic

[@vipermageex5861]

@@nelsonmontalvo7581 I have heard shop vacuum outside, but what do you mean "plus water inside"?

[@kidmangu200]

​@@vipermageex5861let some water 💧 run thru it then do the shop vac

[@eddietee6305]

So true. The tip he's giving is easier said than done. Good advice though

[@AaronPowellvox]

This only works of you have a water hose near your indoor unit. Around here the inside unit is in the attic or in the basement.

[@chrisdaniel1339]

I actually replumbed my condensate drain, I added a pvc ball valve so water could not backup into the air handler, I added a garden hose fitting and cap and I got a three way elbow so I could put another cap, this three way elbow is wide enough to drop in a little chlorine tablet (Walmart has them in the bleach isle) which dissolves right away with the water coming from the unit. The bleach kills all the mold, bacteria, biofilm, etc that clogs drains. One chlorine tab once a month and flush with the garden hose once a year and you will not have any issues.

[@thrRnz9496]

@3:05 a lizard was shot out of the drain in the water

[@kirkhernandez1165]

The most important thing that was missing is make sure that you have a shut off valve on the garden hose. Cause if the drain is plugged, it’s probably going to blow the hose connector right off the pcv. Then by the time you come back in the house it’s flooded. You have to hold pressure with your hand cause it’s going to want to kick back. Guaranteed

[@ricknelson4793]

Your right about that these u tube channels are good about leaving important information out. Glad i have plenty of common sense 👍

[@MannyG32968]

Excellent point!

[@dini1046]

i was thinking the same thing when i was watching. With my luck thats exactly what would happen. Especially with PVC.

[@Dopeweed79]

@@dini1046I was thinking maybe turn it on slowly, but by bit so not to rush and risk it blowing off

[@AnnetteBond]

My drain line runs through my ceiling. If I flush it using this method, I worry about the pipe breaking in the middle of my ceiling.😰 There’s an Aussie tool that fits on the end of the drain pipe outside of homes and allows you to pull a vacuum using a shop vac. My problem: I can’t find the end of my drain pipe ANYWHERE.🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ My husband and I have looked everywhere, and we can’t figure out where the builder hid it. If we try this hose method, we’ll probably find it, but at what cost??😳

[@dadthefixerflorida]

Lots of people talking about how hard it is to do this if your pipes are glued, common people, part of being a homeowner means learning how to take care of your stuff. You should be able to work on some pvc pipes. Keep a toolbox with pvc cutter, glue, primer, and some fittings. It’s not hard!

[@andrewpolasek5524]

I just hook a wet vac to the outside pipe and let it run for a few minutes. Sucks all the gunk out of the pipe including the pan.

[@crand20033]

My units are in the attic so good idea to go in the attic and pour some bleach in the drain line after that.

[@andrewpolasek5524]

@@crand20033 I have heard to use white vinegar instead as bleach/chlorine can damage the PVC drain line.

[@barrygrant2907]

@@andrewpolasek5524 Won't hurt the drain line, but the chlorine fumes can corrode the coils in the air handler.

[@EsequielRodriguez-n8q]

What if you dont get anything from vacuuming out the drain line?

[@jordanlawrence2995]

@@EsequielRodriguez-n8qif it’s not flowing you might need a bigger vacuum.

[@frankyvee1]

I'm pretty sure you had a lizard stuck in that drain pipe. @ 3:00 minute mark you can see the lizard run out on the ground.

[@woodstream6137]

Wow, i slowed it down and definitely a Lizard came out. Nice catch

[@Voltrondefenderoftheuniverse]

Yes sir ! You have a good eye , I put the video on slow motion and saw the lizard 🦎 flush out

[@DeaninItYourself]

lol. would not be the first time. i am surprised it was only one

[@avflyguy]

Um.... don't think I'd like to haul 3/4 inch water hose through the house, up the stairs in the attic, then just 'hope' nothing comes loose while I'm dumping gallons of water in the attic then watch wallboard and insulation come crashing down in the room directly under the coil/air handler I'll stick to a cup of bleach mixed in a gallon of water and pour _slowly_ and watch.. Or better yet, a wet dry vac with PVC adapters and the drain end. How about that?

[@rubystruth]

Do what works best for you. This looks like it’s in his garage or basement since it’s next to the water heater.

[@seannoh672]

Another tip is to add a clear piece of tubing in the vertical section of the drain pipe. You can easily inspect the tubing visually to see if any water has pooled indicating a blockage.

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

Great tip

[@speckulator7516]

I use vinyl tubing and it fits so tight it won’t leak without glue. All this stuff about not gluing pvc fittings is a crock. I’ve seen them leak when people forget to glue one. The only ones I don’t glue is the access tube at the top. It’s better to vacuum from outside when you can because it sucks the fittings tighter instead of blowing them apart.

[@boblatkey7160]

Won't be able to see through it in a matter of months.

[@doomslayerforever2858]

mine has a clear P trap so easy to monitor

[@rich4860]

Mine are all glued.. I just stuck a WET rag down the inspection (top of pipe)opening past the pipe that comes from the unit with a larger diameter drinking straw along with it. Past the pipe coming from yhe unit. Blow into the straw ant you can feel when the blockage is clear when your blowing. It's just gunk in there, and it came out easy. Remove rag & straw. And then I pour a cup of WHITE VINEGAR down the pipe once a month. Article on you-tube said bleach is TOO STRONG & WILL MELT GLUED JOINTS(????).. Not sure about that, but the installation crew said bleach when it was installed 9-10 years ago. Who knows?? Your thermostat will automatically come back on if you haven't turned it off like the guy said... That's it was easy▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎

[@stevec9669]

How come your pvc pipes/connectors were not glued together, and could be disassembled quickly?

[@DeaninItYourself]

somtimes they are but in those cases i cut the pvc and just put it back together with a coupling

[@stevec9669]

@@DeaninItYourself That will work. Thanks much.

[@reensure]

That's a very common Florida condenser situation. That includes the snap-together PVC drain and the threaded water tank connections.

[@wmcomprev]

The main thing I didn't see in this video was that if the drain was plugged, as soon as that pipe was pulled loose, all the water in the drip pan would have poured out, assuming that the plug was after the separation point. Usually, it will be.

[@audreyplaysnice2086]

The ACs are in the attic. No way i'm dragging a hose up there when the thing is leaking thru the ceiling as it is.

[@dbenedict357]

No to mention in the South USA sometimes the HVAC is in the attic. Getting garden hose up there is difficult.

[@JohnFinityRealtor]

Okay then it is not for you

[@lovermillion]

the pipe that supplies your shower head is a similar enough size that an adapter can be used to convert it to a garden hose size and then you can run it from there instead of having to bring a hose all the way up from outside

[@craigkennedy9968]

if you think that is difficult, wait till you try this bad advise, blow apart some fittings and flood your home. then comes the cleanup, the drain repair, the drywall repair, the painters, the floor guy .... thats when this really becomes a DIY job

[@dave5185]

Great video - thanks for getting right to the point without filler content. For my ductless minisplit drains I attach a vacuum to the drain outside and that works well.

[@carlmccoy662]

I did that technique many years ago until one time, a PVC fitting, just like the ones in this video, was not glued. It was in the wall and blew out causing a considerable amount of water damage. I also had to cut a hole in the wall to put it back together(with glue) and patch/paint. BEWARE

[@jmanzani6450]

Any plumber or AC tech should be immediate fired if they left the PVC dry fitted like he has. Need to be glued. Actually primed and glued. Worse is that all these connections are in the attic and will destroy your ceiling + more damage.

[@ScubaCat3]

I'd also ask them to leave if I saw them bringing the other end of a connected garden hose into the house.

[@paulweston9441]

It doesn't need to be glued with PVC cement. It's not constantly under pressure.

[@jmanzani6450]

Solvent (glue) is mandatory for ALL connections. Some plumbing codes will allow you to skip using primer (pink/purple) on the glued joint only if it’s a drain non-pressure connection.

[@lockedandloadedsigns4424]

50 year HVAC tech here, I would not recommend you try this or any other KZbin preventative maintenance hack. I have kids to feed and a mortgage, so I need to come out for $550.00 to do this for you... Thanks in advance!

[@miguelterrero6577]

lol, you should say how this doesn’t work and how you’re willing to come to your house, for a nominal fee, to get this done properly

[@williamprezioso2742]

$550.00? I thought you might say what every AC guy says ( YOU NEED A NEW SYSTEM BUDDY THAT WILL BE 10 Grand)

[@phyllisniper8066]

My husband was a HVAC tech for over 35 years and I never see him use a garden hose. Also If you get a quote of $550.00 hang up your phone and call the next company that is highway robbery. Unfortunately I lost my husband almost 2 years ago so I now take care of my own drain line myself.

[@coolramone]

I’ll do it for only $500.

[@cotmhg8980]

My condolences to you. 🙏 that our Heavenly Father give you strength & blessings to you & your entire family.

[@waynearcher5970]

Run a cup of bleach or vinegar with a quart of water through float housing monthly during A/C season to keep algae from building up.

[@waynearcher5970]

Rain frogs and lizards like to get into the condensate drain outside, too.

[@leecowell8165]

that could be a real pain if the evaporator is in the attic where its about 9 zillion degrees.

[@leecowell8165]

You need to clean MORE than the drain you need to clean the entire evaporator coils as well! yeah there's a REASON why that primary drain is clogged, okay? So plan on getting in there to find out why that pan is chock full of condensate to begin with. In fact to prevent this every year around April you should check the evaporator portion of your system (that's the part that has the main squirrel cage fan pumping out the ductwork air) its NOT the compressor side.

[@kenfarley6837]

Nobody I know who does hvac is gonna just stick the pvc fittings together with NO glue and primer. You’re gonna be sadly mistaken when you go to pull your pipes apart and they don’t come apart. You can add that fitting at the top of a pvc tee and use this trick but it may be a small project to do not 10 minutes.

[@bbgator1]

It is common for the first two fittings near the unit to not be glued. This allows cleaning of the pan drain. I agree that I’ve never seen the pipes this accessible and all unglued!

[@mikem6176]

These drains are not under any pressure, so gluing them together isn’t necessary. But more importantly, if you glue ‘em up, you can’t disconnect them for cleaning.

[@turkleton4054]

@shaunb.5401 Sounds like you jhust popped the top of ther PVC off and put the hose in without cutting off the supply so the water wouldnt run back to the unit.

[@celsoechevarria1810]

Will need to check inside once you open the water so you avoid water running everywhere if the pipe get disconected or the water return back, just a tip.

[@boblatkey7160]

It's a drain, it doesn't need glue!

[@oveidasinclair982]

I had to use compressed air because my air handler is in the hallway of the second floor (can't get a hose up there, but can get air from the air compressor in the garage). What do you use to keep it clean through out the year, Draino, bleach? I was using bleach, but it didn't work out all that great and dragging that air line through the house, along with cleaning up the mess was a pain in the rear end. You should have seen all the gunk that the compressed air forced out, it looked like a dozen cats all barfed in one spot outside.

[@travis7277]

How did you connect the compressor to the drain line, and also without it going the furnace? You could do it with a bucket of water like this guy did but need a $220 tool kzbin.info/www/bejne/mH3WmYWMe9OhnpY. I had the same gunk its called bacteria zooglia. Apparently evaporator coils used to be made of copper, now they're made of aluminum, copper has antibacterial properties whereas aluminum does not. So the water from the aluminum coil is more susceptible to create this gunk. Drano won't fix it either. Im trying to figure it out, it's a biofilm, so something that would attack that. I even heard of people putting a penny in the drain pan to create the chemical reaction necessary to prevent this white slime from developing the first place. apparently its a new phenomenon with the advent of aluminum evaporator coils

[@Miamis4me305]

@@travis7277I live in Florida. Every 5-6 weeks I run warm water down the line and then run a cup of vinegar. Recommended by an AC tech. Best advice I’ve been given. My AC runs perfect.

[@leecowell8165]

You don't. the issue is the evaporator coils themselves they get gunked up with algae and shit. So prepare for a very messy job but before you do the thing with coil cleaner ascertain that there's no condensate in the pan itself. Because if there is that means that more than likely the primary drain is clogged. Most places also have a secondary pan that drains to above an entry door or window. See any drips there and you know the primary is clogged.

[@Thuban06]

@@travis7277 Bacterial Zoogloea - kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4eyl5mNn9KKoc0

[@jimzimmerman5288]

Surprise all your fittings were not glued.

[@travis7277]

Good idea, I had a clogged drain line downstream, probably under house, and the garden hose was the only thing to create enough pressure to clear the clog, lots of white slime came out at the end outside. A vacuum wouldn't work, and it was not possible to snake through multiple tight turns where the clog, plus it would be nightmare if the snake broke the pipe. So water hose is great idea. Just make sure there is no way for it to backup into the furnace. I installed a permanent ball valve, and then after that downstream a water hose connection, so now I just need to turn the valve (so water doesnt back up into the furnace) connect the hose and turn it on. No need for taking anything apart. That wouldn't solve a clog in the 2 feet of pipe from furnace to ball valve, so put a simple T connector there, since a brush could easily reach that area. Also big warning, I made a huge 4K mistake of poking too hard into the drain hole where it meets the furnace, not realizing how delicate the evaporator coil inside was. There are several 1/4" aluminum tubes near the drain hole, and there flimsy, so if you break one of those, your toast, cant be repaired at least safely, and they have to replace the entire evaporator coil. So just be careful about anything going into the furnace. I had no idea, treat it like glass.

[@arrongalinis5896]

I was just thinking you need a pee trap on that

[@mikeryan6277]

All you’re doing is causing good meaning people to break fittings and crack pans. First, to pass code when that system was installed all fittings were glued until later when you got into it to make it what it is now, second, where’s the trap? And third, what about cleaning the drain pan, fourth, if proper prevention is done you would never have to do what you did.

[@theintrovertedc.o.6214]

Hush ya Skunk!

[@mikeryan6277]

@@theintrovertedc.o.6214lol my apologies I’m retired now so sometimes I forget the rules.

[@MrJrnegron]

I use a solution of vinegar and baking soda let that foam up a bit run three gallons of water down lines and then run my shop vac and suck the lines clear. Prevention is key to avoid clogged lines! Do this every other month or if going on vacation the day before that way no issues while away!!!

[@dstmars1]

A guy told me I should pour a cup of bleach down that drain once every couple of months. Is this ok?

[@DeaninItYourself]

Yes that is good practice

[@onenikkione]

Once your drain is clean/clear and working put in a small amount of diluted bleach water in once every three months and keep the drain pipes clean all year

[@derrickmansingh4689]

Bleach is corrosive and creates vapors that rust out air handler That is why is is not recommended. A few drops of dish soap every few months works for me

[@pukaseek]

I’ve yet to see someone in a real world situation where the AC unit is in the attic. Most of the ones I’ve seen do there thing where the equipment they’re working on is in a nice cool environment.

[@leecowell8165]

Lotta residences in FL have the evaporator in the attic because they take up space elsewhere whereby that space may be needed. This is especially prevalent in smaller single family residences that may not have a garage. These are always split systems whereby the evaporator and condenser units are separate.

[@darkwood777]

Many ac units are in the attic in southern Louisiana and Mississippi. No basements here because the water table is just a foot or so below the surface.

[@colinmoore68]

Thanks for posting! I am glad to move out of the 8% and into the 92%. I realized mine has not been cleaned out in several years, miracle that anything is flowing at the moment. I look forward to checking your other postings.

[@tednitta1785]

Take a shop vac and suck out the slime .

[@bshadrick]

Mine drains outside. Every other month I take my shop vac, squeeze the end of the suction hose over outside drain fitting, turn the vac on for 2-3 minutes, suck out the water and any gunk. Never have a issue anymore. Way too easy.

[@robc.5745]

We just have been having this problem where the AC drain was backing up into the ac/heating duct in the floor,We thought the new shower we put in was leaking, after spending 700 buck for someone to use some high tech equipment we discovered it was the condensate line we had that cleaned and no water in ducts.Thanks for this tip.

[@davesrvchannel4717]

Here’s an easier solution. Take a bicycle tire pump. At the end of rubber hose on pump you have the part that you attach to the tire to pump it up, cut that piece off. Now you just have a rubber hose dangling from bike pump. Take rubber hose and shove it into the drain of hvac unit. Take bike pump and start pumping.

[@jean-phil]

hmm let me think .. let's scrap my 90$ topeak bike tire pump or buy a stanley shopvac for 60$ which can be used for so many things

[@davesrvchannel4717]

@@jean-phil I wasn’t talking about a $90 tire pump. I was talking about the old school style you find at yard sales for $2. But go ahead and ruin your overpriced bike pump.

[@arniekover6502]

Will inserting a shop vac hose into the T to blow out the drain also blow air into the AC unit? If so is that a problem?

[@tombushing4907]

Great video! After flushing the pipes, add some vinegar to kill bacteria and submerge the ones removed into vinegar too. Thanks!

[@Hamish-f4b]

Bleach works very well too.

[@larrywasserman294]

Thank you so much. I appreciate it have a question I know you get so many emails. What about the pan inside the AC unit do I open the unit to check it? I heard about tablets I’m not sure to leave in the pan thank you for what you do I appreciate it deeply. God blessJP from Miami

[@DeaninItYourself]

Yes you can! Buy the tablets at Home Depot and drop them in the pan they will help to dissolve the algae build up if you have any

[@jonathanbakalarz7786]

This is legit good advice.

[@DeaninItYourself]

thanks

[@mikerobles2630]

All that info but one thing most important .clean out the drain pan lol

[@tmmrtn]

This was too freakin' easy. Thanks! In my case, the only access was a capped section of pipe that fed into a tee (one side AC, other side drainage). I didn't want to attach the hose adapter to this tee because it'd've meant I was pushing water into the AC unit too. Instead, I cut the tee out and replaced it with an unglued 90. This gave me undivided access to flush the drain line. And, man, was it satisfying to watch that stream of water flush out to the outside.

[@DeaninItYourself]

it is the best feeling, its strange yet satisfying

[@RadioRich100]

Its not that easy all the fittings are glued or should be.

[@Michael-rx6ji]

Using this method if the idiots did not glue the PVC pipe in the beginning that he shows, they probably didn't glue it anywhere else in the line. Thus, the water pressure from the garden hose will likely separate the drain line somewhere else which will cause a major problem. Use a vacuum instead!

[@pughconsulting]

I put a shutoff and a schrader valve on mine. Shutoff the pipe to the air handler, then hit it with 90PSI and watch the slime fly across the yard.

[@mrpoolplayer6379]

My PVC Glued joints don't come undone, but I get the drift,,,, the cleanout line gets a hose connector.... I have an AC maintenance Company, who couldn't care less... They hope & pray for failure, so they can come & repair... One day, they will get a call, from a Lawyer, instead of me, for court instead of more repair... Looking forward to it...

[@mamahamda906]

Incomplete story. How about if your gung in the ac unit itself before reaching the drain pipes, this technique is not useful.

[@devellwilson7099]

Why didn't you use any glue for the pipes?

[@gottafly30]

another way is to use a shop vac and suck it out from the outside. just use a rag to somewhat fill the gap between the PVC pipe and the shop vac hose. let it run a minute or two. that way you dont have to run a hose through your house to an attic or other location inside. plus these pipes are made for 30# of pressure, and many contractors skimp with the glue, so putting 40, 50, 60 #'s of water pressure could cause you even bigger problem....

[@frankmontez6853]

Hey I’ve been told ( and doing it the past few years) that pouring a lil bleach down the line keeps it clear

[@23DoBoi]

What size? Do you have a link for both the female and male you purchased?

[@DeaninItYourself]

the size is 3/4inch, i belive the links are in the description

[@michaelpass2176]

My air is a window unit.😊

[@kirkhernandez1165]

Has the unit always drained outside? If not then it is definitely blocked in the wall where it goes into the pee-trap. The average a/c unit is producing about a gallon of water per hour. It kinda sounds like the tech didn’t want to be in the heat of the attic and I can certainly understand that in August But in the early morning or in the fall, it should be addressed. I’m at work right now and would like to discuss it further. If you would like to give me a way to call you directly, I’d be happy to help you resolve it. It should be running to a vent stack. Either by a bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room. Whichever is closest generally

[@ryang6311]

I added a couple of things onto my drain to make life easier. 1st I glued most pvc connections. 2nd I added a "T" with a hose fitting and cap. 3rd between the air handler and and "T" I added a ball valve. The connections between ball valve and air handler are pressed together. I can close the ball valve and push water or air through the drain line with no issues at all. I can then disassemble and clean parts between air handler and ball valve easily! *** If you do this be sure you have extra pvc pipe so in the future you can relocated your drain for new air handler. ***

[@marcelosantana9311]

That is the setup that I wish I had. In the main time, keep adding vinegar. 😂

[@paull3179]

I have slip on hose connectors and I always use a bike foot pump to force air through and it works in seconds.

[@tonydeniro284]

Just blow compressed air through the pipe, done. Drill small hole in pipe, blow air into pipe. When none, place a screw into the hole. Done...a can of air will work. The ones you use to dust keyboards etc...use whole can once per season. You can hear the air exiting into the condensation pump reservoir.

[@tommyt1877]

Why wouldn't this just blow air and gunk back into the inside unit? you need something to prevent the air from going backward.

[@DanWessonSpecialist]

Compressed air is so much simpler. And all those pipes are almost always glued together. If you have to cut the PVC go to the hardware store, get a screw together union, and install it so the next time it’s much faster and simpler. It’s worth the $5.

[@doomslayerforever2858]

hvac wanted to charge me $100 to do this . i took my hose and cleared mine that wasnt even dirty for free. i clean it yearly

[@Fyffe16]

Now I don't have to personally call you!

[@cconnon1912]

The problem with this is is if the drain is clogged, the garden hose water will back up into your AC unit. You need to open the panel and plug where it enters the pipe in the first place from the AC unit. If not, you were just going to make a huge mess.

[@veltonmeade1057]

Good vid. I add a cup of white vinegar once a month, keeps it clear and clean.

[@a1tank400]

How about adding bleach?

[@lfrankl53]

@@a1tank400 Most A/C info online says that bleach doesn't dissolve clogs nearly as well as white vinegar and if the drain is plumbed so that what you add also goes into the drain pan, bleach is more caustic to the coils than vinegar is. My A/C guy recommended 1/2 cup of white vinegar once a month.

[@dlgrayskibum]

Yes! A cup of white vinegar, followed by a few cups of hot water is what I use once a month and it keeps the AC drain line clean.

[@Hamish-f4b]

Just put a small amount of bleach in the pipe (when the AC is NOT running). Do it every few months. :)

[@SnowmanRH]

You can connect your hose to the water heater drain valve at the bottom of the water heater next to your AC, and run hot water through the pipes. This will allow you to hold onto the pipes and turn the water on or off fast.

[@kirkhernandez1165]

The hot water does kill the bacteria and algae in the pipe for sure. But I bet you that 1 out of 3 water heaters will start that damn drip, drip, drip, And I wouldn’t tell people to mess with the burning hot water or the heater they probably aren’t qualified to safely do that. But it does work really well. I tell people to put hot water , then bleach, let it sit for 20-30 minutes, then hot water again. Out of a cup

[@zahidkm]

Would the water heater tank generate enough pressure to open the clog? Asking casue the heater would be sitting right next to the AC drain pipe with no elevation difference to get enough pressure. Have you done this?

[@SnowmanRH]

@@zahidkm Yes and hot water will clean better than cold water.

[@MarkMD.]

Smart

[@LeonardCooperman]

That’s good for clearing the drain line but doesn’t clean the drain pan inside the air handler. Just get it professionally serviced by a reputable AC company.

[@DeaninItYourself]

You can buy drain pan tablets for that or por a little vinegar in the pipe where the overflow switch is

[@devellwilson7099]

Thanks for the information bud..

[@clintgray1623]

The float switch in that position is worthless Will never work, Just get a small shop vacuum cleaner and suck it drain out and add drain tablets in the ptrap ! Most importantly change the air filter at least monthly and more often if you have cats and dogs

[@zero1fifty8]

I’ve been doing this on mine for the last few years and yes the pvc piping should not be glued so as to access it periodically for maintenance. There’s no need for the pvc to be glued and if it is just cut out a section and replumb it but don’t use the glue

[@Kawasaki9MM]

I just spent $1100 yesterday and had a bad "AC float switch" that THEY SAID was $400!!!!! Wish I found this video earlier!

[@DeaninItYourself]

Sorry to hear.

[@erojohn2]

Ouch! Our unit did not come with a shut off float switch. Many villas in out area have hat damage from ac condensation pipes overflowing and causing damage. I installed a backup switch for $15.

[@kirkhernandez1165]

A float switch is about $22 now a days. You need to report these guys. I’ve installed hundreds, if not thousands of them. Very rarely do they go bad. Sorry for the info but maybe it can help someone else out

[@dwightpayne4264]

My overflow pan drain is the only line that drains outside of my house. The condensation drains into my home drainage.

[@rebeccareyes2297]

Don't do it!! It was a disaster at my house!! My husband put the water hose on the connector the room was flooded then the water got into the unit and blew the capacitor on the fan!! We were lucky the fan didn't go out too!! Still recovering had to call HVAC company to replace the capacitor!! Hottest day here in Atlanta when it happened!!

[@nighthawk_predator1877]

Dude no way i am going to do that every month or so.😅

[@DeaninItYourself]

you dont need to do it every month. I do it once or twice a year. once you get the hang of it it it takes 5 minutes

[@ncrpejxi]

I use a hose all the time, connected to HWH or laundry sink, 2 ACs

[@nYdGeo]

Every video I watch for this involves a system setup nothing like mine. It's a horizontal line with a T in it for the float, just like my last place had. Need to block the blow-back into the AC unit, while simultaneously sending the air in the other direction, working from the T. If you have a tip on doing that, I'm all ears.

[@DeaninItYourself]

Unfortunately the way I do it since I also have a setup like yours is to remove the portion of the pipe that has the Tee and clean it manually and then just blow out the rest of the pipe with the hose. I usually take the small portion with the tee outside and clean it with water as well. It’s an extra step but T least I know the entire pipe is clean. That’s the best I got for you.

[@nYdGeo]

@@DeaninItYourself Thank you for your reply! I've recently found a T with a directional valve that enables me to connect the hose to the T-valve and direct the gas/air flow in which ever direction is needed. I wish they'd have installed those!

[@AngelicFoster]

This will work as long as any of the drain isn't in the walls if someone didn't glue the lines and it blows the pvc open and next thing you knNo you have water in your walls

[@miscemail2901]

Sounds like an indoor water damage nightmare waiting to happen with a lot of faith being put in the pressure integrity of that condensate drain pipe. A strong vacuum on the outside end would a lot safer and wouldn't blow any fittings apart.

[@johnweddel687]

Exactly! I hook my wet/dry vac to the outside line before I flush the line.

[@kirkhernandez1165]

Exactly! If none of that was glued, why would the rest be glued together.

[@fauxque5057]

@@kirkhernandez1165 it's common not to glue the fittings that have to be disassembled. The pipe under the slab, or inside a wall is always glued.

[@leecowell8165]

With drywall being the norm nowadays yep you need to ascertain that the evaporator coils remain relatively clean no matter where they may be but especially so if they're in the attic. Water where its not supposed to be is bad news regardless of its source!

[@kirkhernandez1165]

Generally the line going to the outside of the house is the emergency drain line. This tells the homeowner that the main drain line for the unit is blocked. The main drain line should go to the sewer line because it drips about a gallon of water per hour. This is not something that you want dripping every day, all day. Older houses commonly have it dripping like this because the house didn’t have AC installed at the time of construction. In such cases a French drain should be installed on the outside. Just a FYI. Always solve the main drain problem first. Good luck y’all

[@mikimiki195]

My drain is inside by my furnace 👍🏻

[@thedude2897]

I just hire Mega Maid to unclog my line because she goes from suck to blow.

[@kirkhernandez1165]

This method will almost surely flood 8 out of 10 houses. Sorry but after 29 years in the business, there are many better ways to do this

[@reedrobb]

I’d check to make sure the last Hvac guy actually glued all that pipe together. Could be a disaster.

[@freedivemd9366]

Yeah, but what if the person who installed all the PVC tubing, glued it all together.

[@angelinajoy3084]

How I flash my pipe for a Trane unit, the pipe doesn’t come out so easy?

[@nilolee2426]

Garden hose is not accessible to the attic where my unit is located, so this doesn’t work for me. Just buy the condenser pan tablets

[@krmtdfrg]

Problem is my units are in the attic and I don’t think I can get a hose all the way up there from outside

[@azammohammed5795]

I have had many units installed, and all the pipes are not glued, for the easy cleaning.

[@MrRW88]

I dont know about you but that looks like no a/c unit ive ever seen. Looks like a furnace to me

[@thekey1682]

All you have to do is get you a small air compresser and and blow some air down the top....easier than that

[@dtechvinnie]

Unit is inside where plumbing part is can't put a hose through it hose is by where it flows out

[@laylaanddadsyoutube5709]

Poor installation and poor advice. That air handler requires a P-Trap and all PVC connections should be glued. I would advise the gentleman in the video contact a reputable HVAC contractor to make the primary drain line appropriate.

[@janetkeith4877]

Let me suggest safety glasses, and surgical gloves and mask then to wash up thoroughly after handling AC drains. This is where Legionnaires’ disease (legionella bacteria) comes from presenting with an often terminal pneumonia among other symptoms. 1976 An outbreak during a legionnaires Convention baffled, CDC scientists for months and was determined to be contracted by individuals as they were walking in and out of hotel entrance where AC drainage was directly misting and dripping down. 35 died and another 200 became seriously ill. AND NEVER ATTEMPT TO BLOW THROUGH A DRAIN PIPE.

[@DeaninItYourself]

hmmmm, good to know, I never thought of that, thanks for the insight

[@markbelanger7394]

Tips ? Don't smoke in bed it's hazard to your health.

[@bladeforcefury4807]

Where do you get those adapters?

[@DeaninItYourself]

link in the video description, you can also pick them up at home depot in the sprinkler section

[@dcquadrant]

Well there was the problem, a live lizard just came out of the pipe! 03:03

[@stevemeisenheimer]

Get those pipes glued and get washer for your hose

[@lastboomer6164]

This is great. My AC is almost exactly configured that way. - One item I thought you were going to suggest when you were saying "one more Thing" was to attempt to vacuum out any H2O from the AC system via the drain that was exposed.

[@mscibetta]

During an Annual Service, I was told that you want to make sure that you leave water in the line and not vacuum it out completely. You can vacuum out the line, but was told to put water back in the line so that it sort of works like a syphon. Your thoughts?

[@rcsontag]

Good luck, most installations use glue on the PVC fittings.

[@carlosquinto6821]

My question is, when you TEONSTALL The pvc pipes back, do you have to put glue or just like that, it might be water leak If I don't put Blue or is safe thank you

[@DeaninItYourself]

i put it back like that. no leak so far

[@danielmejia780]

Thank you for this video. It was very helpful. However, after I declog the pipes, there’s still a little bit of water leaking under the HVAC UNIT leaking

[@DeaninItYourself]

check the pipe thats connected to the ahu

[@craigkennedy9968]

Terrible Advise, can Cause Damage to your Home !!! did you notice how he pulled the pipes apart, they aren't glued, most have sections where the glue dries out and becomes loose. guess what WILL happen when you pressurize it with a Garden Hose ? no, i mean before you hunt down this video with plans of calling an attorney to sue this guy for advising you to flood your home. yep, many have Condensate Lines going across the Ceiling or Down their walls ... places you may have a hard time getting to. City Water is generally around 35 pounds of pressure, plenty enough to blow apart a loose fitting ! then comes the cleaners, the drain repair, the drywall guy, the painter and maybe the flooring guy. seen it plenty of times in my over 20 years as an HVAC professional.

[@DeaninItYourself]

another one.....🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️