How to Fix Your Air Conditioner When It's Not Cooling: Float Switches and Drain Pipe Clogs

[@FaithNtheSun]

This saved me in the 100+ degree heat of Texas summer, while dealing with Covid. Thank you so much.

[@brandisilva1306]

Thank you! This happened last year and my brother (a HVAC tech fixed it blowing through a water bottle). It happened today in the hot California sun and I just knew it had to be it again. I was in tears because our company couldn’t come out for weeks. We found one for a few days out but of course they want a service fee just to look at it. I watched your video, my husband and I grabbed our shop vac, and we followed your instructions. AC came back on, NEST thermostat shows power, and we have cold air. Thank goodness as it was 90 in the house. Thank you!!! Now we can afford to wait until routine maintenance in 2 weeks knowing that we are capable of small fixes, and knowing that the Safe-T Switch is there to prevent any major flood or damages if it happens again.

[@CLNSL8]

Very informative for someone who is a newbie

[@meikgeik]

Woke up to the heater not running today, thermostat dead. The drain switch light was on. Followed this video and the light went off. Pulled the switch just to make sure there's no water in there, dry as a bone. This helped so much.

[@InternetPwnDept]

I saw this video last night and sure enough, there was water in the drain pipe that pushed up the float valve shutoff. I didn't have a shop vac, so I siphoned out the water using a plastic tube until maintenance came out to fix the other end of the pipe and also charged my AC while there. It was a bit warm yesterday, so Thank you Wayne, and thank you Sears PartsDirect!

[@jorgetoloza269]

Damn Dude..I followed ur instructions n my a/c worked ..Florida 90 degrees I endured..thanks a billion

[@82oldboy]

Thank you. This did help. Bought a $29 wet/dry vacuum at Walmart 3.0 HP it worked great! Followed all the instructions. Worked perfectly.

[@searspartsdirect]

We're glad to hear that you fixed the problem. Thanks for sharing.

[@changeagentGD7]

That is as fast and simple as anyone could have made it.

[@polarispan]

So I take out the float switcher and pour the bleach through the float switcher pipe to clean the drain line every months am I right?

[@tristanballard4003]

I don’t have a vac but this saved me it was 80 degrees just now and needed some air flow until maintenance came

[@medafaded1517]

Short n sweet. Straight to the point 👍🏾

[@coolhandlou6126]

Good looks on the knowledge. Definitely saved us from hot nights in the summer

[@UFTROOPER]

Just used this video to drain the pipe to the Safe-T-Switch and get my AC running again at night. Thank you so much for your helpful video!

[@carefulconsumer8682]

Thank you. After you add the bleach or vinegar, should you see some of it drop out of the condensate pipe outside? I added 3 cups of vinegar but saw nothing leak outside from the pipe. Thanks.

[@searspartsdirect]

Bleach or vinegar will drop out of the condensate pipe outside but it may not happen that fast. You'll often see the grass die around the condensate pipe outlet because the bleach or vinegar kills the grass. If the condensate pipe is clogged, you may need to use a plumber's snake to clear the clog.

[@carefulconsumer8682]

@@searspartsdirect Thank you for your reply. It turned out nothing worked so i called the A/C expert who discovered the coolant was low: 70 instead of what it should be 120 . He added more but told me to watch it since there may be a leak in the coils in the attic that may need attention if the fluid leaks out again. but the unit is 6 years old so I'll watch it. Thank you again.

[@jkieran42]

Learn something new everyday, system is fixed & I have one more thing on the monthly maintenance to do. Thank you.

[@YolandaTheGardener]

How did you lift the top off so easy? Mine seems to be stuck...

[@cardiojim]

My float switch is working opposite! Now it only works when it’s up. Is there a way to reset it so it works when it is down and no water?

[@e.alowrey3884]

My unit kept running on the inside but the fan would shut off on the outside. However it wasn’t cooling well. It would creep up to 80 if temps were at 100. Is this normal for the inside unit to keep running even when the fan outside is not? I have a heat pump unit.

[@e.alowrey3884]

The ac tech cleared out that pipe and now it seems to be cooling. But i’m just curious why the inside would keep trying to cool.

[@INYOURFACE-1]

I like when mention take care the grass,,

[@Js_family_adventures]

Yea line is clear how often do the pipe floats go bad? Mine turns red and kills power and no water in the line when it does so

[@searspartsdirect]

Failure of the pipe float switch is fairly rare but a switch failure can happen at any time. Replacing the switch will likely fix the problem.

[@kasun1752]

Thanks this deff helped I came back from a 2 week vac and noticed the Ac was off I was freaking out but this video helped and is now running 😅

[@texasranger7262]

Wow we just experienced this problem. Thanks for the remedy!!

[@monicahenrion1559]

Best video on this by far. Now should the unit be turned off during this process or do you keep it running?

[@searspartsdirect]

On most models, the inside unit will already be off when the float switch trips because the drain is clogged. For safety, you should shut off the unit before pulling the out the switch. Shutting off the house circuit breakers for the air conditioner is also a good idea. On most air conditioners, only a small amount of DC current runs through the switch and you’ll not likely be exposed to that current unless the switch or wires are damaged but it’s better to be safe and shut off the unit when checking the switch.

[@suzannearthurs8492]

the unit should be turned off while doing this. at least that is what i was told by an AC tech

[@e.alowrey3884]

My unit kept running on the inside but the fan would shut off on the outside. However it wasn’t cooling well. It would creep up to 80 if temps were at 100. Is this normal for the inside unit to keep running even when the fan outside is not? I have a heat pump unit.

[@Wendel_F_Soares]

Short, plain, and helpful.

[@relicrecoveryspecialist16]

Good job man. It’s currently 8/20/23 and 104° here in Arkansas and the house is 80, and indoor humidity at 80%. Where my Safe T Switch is at the water is completely at the float level. I don’t have a plumbers snake but luckily I have two wet/dry shop vacs😊 I’ll try this out in a bit. My Honeywell thermostat inside is a rth7600d and never shows the right day even though I’ve set the right date, I’ll try the vac out in a few

[@e.alowrey3884]

Im in AR too. I just paid about $85 to have Airco come tell me this was the issue and cleaned it out. It was 80 in my house also. Now its 70! I noticed my fan was not running outside full cycles and when dude came he said that was for sure it. That the sensor would turn off the fan and thus not cool as well.

[@BrookeMalizia515]

from now on, i'll never have to worry about it stopping as long as i do this every 3 months

[@joshriver7483]

Great and helpful video!!

[@marcelachirinos639]

Is it uncommon when there is no other tube opening visible to do this maintenance by pouring vinegar one a month directly through the safe-t-switch instead? Then wait 20 min before turning the ac unit back on...is this ok

[@marcelachirinos639]

Ruud rh1p3617stanja no straight pipe opening...s shaped pipe goes down next to float swithch...then it straightens all the way down in one piece

[@searspartsdirect]

The maintenance instructions for that model of Ruud air handler don’t include recommendations for pouring vinegar through the drain line. We recommend that you have a technician examine the unit, perform maintenance and give you recommendations for drain line maintenance.

[@funposter8600]

They always told me a teaspoon or two of beach which makes no sense now that I think about it. At least a cup would be needed to make it through the entire pipe. Thanks for the video!

[@Rick.Granzow]

If I wanted to bypass this float switch FOR A SHORT TIME to verify it is bad... how would I do that?

[@datpspguy]

Straight to the point, thank you so much!! Had no idea what was going on!! This fixed my issue instantly

[@raoamarjeet5473]

Sir how much voltage goes in inverter ac float switch?

[@searspartsdirect]

We need to know the model number of the unit to answer that question.

[@bradh6185]

My unit doesn't have a visible float switch. The pipe is capped. Could there be one in another location? The 3amp fuse in the circuit board is blown. But I unclogged the drain pipe. Still have a blank screen on the thermostat. I have to get fuses tomorrow. Would the clog somehow have resulted in the blown fuse?

[@searspartsdirect]

There's a possibility that your unit has a float switch in a different location. Let us know the brand and model number of your unit and we'll check. A clogged drain pipe can cause water to back up and short out wiring which could have caused the fuse to blow.

[@bradh6185]

@@searspartsdirect I had a tech come out. The culprit was a short inside an electrical box on the outside unit where the wiring plugs in.

[@bradh6185]

@@searspartsdirect Thanks for responding, though.

[@bradh6185]

By the way, there is no float switch. This is a Comfortmaker.

[@laurie2141]

Okay I have this switch but I also have one with a red light it was solid red and not blinking I picked up the switch there was water I use a Shop-Vac to get the water out so it should be running fine after that correct???

[@searspartsdirect]

Possibly. If the switch with the red light was preventing the unit from running and the switch allows the unit to run after draining the water and clearing the drain path, then the unit should run fine after that. If you still have problems, let us know the model number of your unit and we'll try to help with some troubleshooting and repair advice.

[@laurie2141]

@@searspartsdirect Thank you! For the quick response! Crazy there's NO Drainage outside at all!!! and there's NO DRAINAGE PAN! am i CRAZY??? Like where does the water go?

[@searspartsdirect]

@@laurie2141 Let us know the model number of your unit and we'll check on that issue.

[@nashi._.7563]

Thank you thank you!!

[@rhandall484]

Had my a/c and thermostat randomly shut off on me. I poured vinegar into the float switch and walla, everything is working again.

[@atarigames]

THANK YOU SEARS!!

[@MzB305]

Hi! Should the unit be turned off when pouring the bleach?

[@searspartsdirect]

If you have a different type of air conditioner than the one shown in the video, then you may need to shut off the air conditioner before pouring the bleach through the drain tube. Follow the directions in the owner's manual for your air conditioner when completing this task.

[@zest4life33304]

I poured bleach into the safety switch and the bleach just sits in the switch and does not go anywhere. What should I do. Because the switch is filled with liquid bleach the AC unit is tripped

[@MIGGYME1]

U were supposed to vac it first

[@zest4life33304]

Thank you so much. I appreciate your time. I will vac it next time

[@props88]

Thank you! Solved my problem and saved me a $126 weekend service call!

[@searspartsdirect]

Thanks for letting us know that our video helped you. We're glad to hear that you saved money using a simple troubleshooting tip.

[@hollyhauptman8677]

Sears PartsDirect will it make the air get colder if you unclog the drain line?

[@mandysahoo]

you saved me with your video...was so helpful to fix my problem

[@weidow1]

step one: grow a badass beard.....step two: make a badass video

[@markangeldizon9333]

Thank you. It worked in my ac; the water was clogged so my ac stopped working 😅😊

[@iamsparticus21]

I love the air filter comment. Cause naw, aint nobody doing that until right before the AC repair person shows up. Its like flossing. We dont floss until a week before seeing a dentist.

[@chrismel9142]

Thank you. I just flushed bleach through it.

[@12vLife]

worked! Many thanks for posting this.

[@claytonberry8141]

Shop vac and an improvised pipe cleaner did the trick - thank you!

[@xcrunner211]

You are a LIFE SAVER💯💯💯

[@MsRenny23]

Thank you so much! So helpful!

[@MTRAdmiralty]

Great video!

[@Bengus06]

Thank you! This helped and worked!! You the man !

[@deannebreitenbach551]

Why is bleach a harsh chemical?

[@revgo4624]

Bleach is corrosive, which means it can irritate or burn your skin or eyes. It can also corrode (“eat”) metals. When mixed with certain other chemicals or cleaners, it can produce toxic gases which can damage your lungs or be deadly.

[@deannebreitenbach551]

@@revgo4624 Gotcha

[@chasefabling2594]

Will purposefully tripping one of these switches damage the hvac in any way? I have a roommate who keeps turning on the ac and I would like to disable it discreetly

[@searspartsdirect]

We don't recommend altering the air conditioning system by intentionally tripping that device. Taping the float switch in the "up" or tripped position likely won't damage the air conditioner if you leave the switch tripped for only a few days but leaving it tripped for several weeks or longer could eventually cause problems in some air conditioning systems.

[@jerrylockhart3069]

Can’t use bleach anymore buddy ❤😮😢😊

[@AugustaWilliamsJr]

thanks a million

[@RzVids]

Ac is working fine, the house is cool, but water is leaking? Help

[@searspartsdirect]

If water leaks from the bottom of the evaporator, then the hole in the evaporator drain pan could be clogged. Clear the clog in the evaporator drain pan to fix this problem. If water leaks from the drain pipe then a loose drain pipe fitting or a cracked pipe could be causing the water leak. Find and fix the water leak in the drain pipe system. Post more details if you need more help fixing the water leak.

[@amerphartriple7320]

How do you get to the drain pan? My Lennox air handler is in a closet and lots of water has dripped into the holllow cubby that houses the a/c filter. My a/c was working fine so we didn't know something was wrong until the carpet was saturated in front of the a/c/ closet and a wall on the other wise had puddling coming from the bottom of the baseboard. The entire bottom of the cubby hole is saturated and already showing moldy black spots because we didn't see anything wrong a couple of months ago when changing the filter. I don't know what kind of tool is supposed to enable me to get the panel off. The top panel has no wires/pipes coming out of it, but the bottom one has all of them, so I don't know how I can even remove this panel even if I figure out how to get the "rivets" off to remove it, then not even be able to take it off completely bcause the cutouts on the panel have these pipes coming out of it top to bottom!?!

[@RzVids]

AMERPHAR TRIPLE you have to use water vac and suck out the clog from the outside unit

[@cardiojim]

Mine all of a sudden only works opposite of the intended purpose. It’s supposed to shut off the system when there is water and it floats up. If it goes up due to too much water then it stops the accumulation until you can clear the clog... you probably had same problem that it didn’t shut off the system. Did you replace the switch? Or were you able to fix it after clearing the drain??

[@runninaroudtown]

Should cold air be coming from the uncapped drain line.

[@searspartsdirect]

Typically the air conditioner is off when the float switch trips-that’s why you would be checking for water under the float switch. If the air conditioner starts running when you pull out the float switch, then cold air can flow through the drain line and out the opening for the float switch on some air conditioner models.

[@gingerbreadcp9162]

Looking forward to trying out this recommendation

[@5822huron]

use vinegar not bleach

[@timholmes1268]

Thomas Wyatt I use the shop vac inside and out... seems to works!

[@TyreeTravels]

Vinegar doesn't seem to work for me

[@floridagirl9064]

@@TyreeTravels me either! Is it humid @ your area

[@caligirl3000]

I cup of bleach you said?

[@searspartsdirect]

Yes. One cup of liquid bleach will keep the drain line clear in many air conditioners. Check the owner's manual for your particular model and follow the directions in the manual if they differ.

[@caligirl3000]

@@searspartsdirect ty for your response. Question: how often can I pour bleach to prevent clogging? It eventually was a part on the outside unit broken. Which caused the hot air & constant running without alternating. We got it replaced yesterday. Thank God. Living in Florida with this heat is torture. We can't afford our AC to break LOL.

[@searspartsdirect]

@@caligirl3000 We recommend that you pour bleach through the vent hole monthly to prevent the drain line from clogging.

[@thomaswerts2418]

I can't count how many of those calls I've been on. Sears tech# 39966

[@adrianroberts4174]

I can't locate that bloody thing

[@searspartsdirect]

Not all models of air conditioners use a float switch. Check the drain piping that carries water out of the evaporator drain pan. If you don’t find a float switch installed in that drain piping, then your model of air condition likely doesn’t use a float switch. If you need more help, give us more details about your air conditioner problem and include the model number of your air conditioner.

[@faridsalahutdin7157]

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