Clear AC Condensate Drain Line with a Shop Vac

How to prevent or clear a clog in an AC condensate drain line using a Shop Vac and a few minutes of your time.
Popular clog remover/drain tool on Amazon that doors a variety of Shop Vac hose sizes:
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[@raizedbynerdz8718]

Thank you sir...just got our home cooling again

[@jasonhans864]

Great video but generally the drain line you see on the exterior of the residence is the overflow drain from the pan under your ac system. Most drain lines are plumbed into the internal plumbing so you wouldn't see water dripping to the exterior of the home unless your drain pan has water in it. Meaning, using a shop vacuum on that line will not really fix the real clog. Again I said generally as every residence I have ever been in always has 2 drain lines for the AC system. One is the main drain line (interior drain line)and the other is the overflow drain line (exterior drain).

[@thehun06]

Tape the end for a good seal. Turn the shop vac on. After that go to you line opening at the unit and pour hot water (I do a gallon) … slowly … while the shop vac is on … this will ensure that the line is 100% clog free as you are creating a bigger suction …

[@EhrenSixon]

Thank you for the video. This is the first time I had to unclog our AC drain line. I bought a wet/dry shop vacuum with the intention to vacuum the ac drain line from the outside as instructed and recommended by a close friend of mine. It is the exact way you have done in your video. Instead of vacuuming out the ac drain line from the outside, I accidentally connected the hose to the blower and it blew air into the ac drain line, causing water to come out at the wrong end. This consequently gushed all the water inside our home. After cleaning up the mess I made, I then went back outside to the AC drain line, but this time made sure the hose is connected as a vacuum, and then I vacuumed accordingly. It worked, and inside the bucket I was able to remove all the dirt and debris and clogged water that was impeding better drainage for the AC. But the issue that concerns me is when I go and monitor the AC drain line outside, I don't see any water or drips of water coming out as I normally see it should. What are your thoughts on that? Is this a cause for concern? Should I wait a few more days? Did the mishap of blowing air into the AC drain line from the outside instead of vacuuming out damaged something inside? Looking forward to hear from you.

[@DIYAroundTheHome]

Shouldn't be a cause of concern. When you mentioned that you cleaned up the mess you were at the evaporator coil right? There's typically a tray the collects condensation below it and it likely needs to collect a little water before the water level reaches the opening for the condensate drain line. Have you been running the system since you drained the condensate line?

[@EhrenSixon]

@@DIYAroundTheHome Thank you for your immediate response. I vacuumed the AC drain line yesterday, and I have been monitoring it today. In fact, this morning, I actually used a bottle of water and ran the water through the ac drain line from inside, and then I ran outside to check if the water or drips of water are coming. I did the see water coming out of the AC drain line, which is a good sign. And you may be right - it probably needed to collect a little water before the water level reaches the opening for the condensate drain line. I am going to vacuum the AC drain line one more time today, just in case. What is your recommendation of how long should I leave the vacuum on to drain the AC line? Yesterday, I only vacuumed for less than 20 seconds because once I opened my wet/dry shop vacuum, I saw at least 2 inches of water in there. I wasn't sure if I needed to vacuum the AC drain line longer.

[@DIYAroundTheHome]

@@EhrenSixon Good to hear, as for length of time I'd let it run until I stopped hearing water enter the basin of the Shop Vac. If the system is sucked clean and is clear of clogs there's nothing wrong with running the Shop Vac for any amount of time.

[@DIYAroundTheHome]

Frequency of cleaning is the bigger question, you'll have to monitor that to get an idea of how often you should perform the service. Depending on where you live and a variety of variables that'll change from person to person. I clean mine ever 6 months or so. If I had a history of clogging I'd probably do it monthly since it only takes 5-10 minutes

[@sca9269]

Great advice. Another suggestion, to pour hot water (not boiling)down your line as you vacuum. Water should then run clear, which indicates line is clear. Also don't forget to add a mixture of bleach and water ( water bottle size half and half) to your drain line every month and change your filters.

[@angelgregio]

Or Vinegar.

[@adam10532]

How long did you leave the vacuum running? Great video by the way 👏

[@DIYAroundTheHome]

I would run it for about 30 seconds to a minute then clean out the container and then run it for another 30 seconds and see if any more entered into the collector

[@DIYAroundTheHome]

You'll also be able to hear the liquid so just pay attention but just give it a little bit of time

[@littlestation3222]

really helpful !

[@maxcampbell2560]

Great video I’m looking to do this. What’s the name of the Amazon tool you mentioned?

[@DIYAroundTheHome]

The link to the product is in the description below the video. It's been a few years I don't recall the name of it exactly

[@kentbernard4319]

some repair guys have the pipes facing up, or sideways or down.. what is the best direction for the drain pipes ???????

[@mjc11a]

Elbow pipe works best when facing down. Allows the water to freely run out while keeping leaves and other debris from plugging the pipe.

[@lauderdalefellow]

Should the A/C be running when you are using the Shop Vac?

[@DIYAroundTheHome]

Shouldn't matter but I'd turn it off personally

[@stevehatfield3485]

When using a wet/dry shop vac at the outside PVC drain pipe, do I remove the either cap or the float switch coming out of the unit in the garage? Or do I want to leave them in place when I vacuum the line? Thanks in advance!

[@ericiidx]

For best results, leave them both sealed while vacuuming for better suction at the drain. Just be certain you're "sucking" and not "blowing" first!

[@stevehatfield3485]

@@ericiidx many thanks!

[@Tradog1]

Did you have your ac unit on while you did it or did you have your ac unit off?

[@DIYAroundTheHome]

Off

[@matthewqtran1318]

what's the power rating on your shop vac? looking to get one. wondering how much power i need. thanks

[@DIYAroundTheHome]

I'll try and go take a look at it later today but I know it is nothing impressive. I paid like $25 for it... it is as basic as they come

[@matthewqtran1318]

@@DIYAroundTheHome thanks. so tired of having the HVAC guys come along.

[@am3thystb1ossom40]

@@DIYAroundTheHome did you ever look at the power rating on your shop vac? I’m also looking for a shop vac for this purpose only.

[@DIYAroundTheHome]

No but I'm also about to toss it out for a bigger stronger one. Used it to clean the roof underlayment when we fixed a tear and it was awful

[@rfdfire911]

Don’t forget to prime your p trap

[@zackshields1419]

So this can't hurt the AC? I don't understand how the condensation line works.

[@DIYAroundTheHome]

No it doesn't hurt anything if done correctly

[@Phone-sh7jg]

Can you use ammonia