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[@bethhayes1]

Yes! Here in FL. My son uses a shop vac to regularly suction out the condensate drain. Fixes it every time!

[@roamiblu1833]

My dad has a shop vac! Thanks for this!

[@reelivin8112]

Like the content, just retired from hvac business of 40 years. Only 1 suggestion I noticed over the years, I would not use vinegar in the condensate for 2 reasons. 1 - it will eat thru the glue joints if used quarterly 2 - it acts as a solvent or etching liquid with copper piping/solder joints. Great information for the general public, I commend you for it.

[@charlesterrizzi8311]

Vinegar cannot eat the pvc glue, neither can bleach. Hell even muriatic acid won’t touch it. These are silly myths. Condensate lines can remove 4-9 gallons of water per day in the green grass states especially. A pint of bleach a quarter won’t do much

[@jimbroburrito9374]

Wow what an honor to be commenting to an HVAC vet! I just started my apprenticeship and ive already learned so much but ik theres still much to grasp. One question, what would be the best alternative to vinegar in a scenario where you would need to flush the pipes?

[@19K7635]

I thought that was bleach that would eat the joints?

[@ralphpagan3371]

Never use bleach or vinegar

[@Jay-vj1km]

Thanks for your advice. So what would you recommend? Just use plain water?

[@esarlls3]

Here in Houston, the condenser is in the attic and the main condensation drain line runs into the top of a vent stack. You might hear it dripping in the plumbing inside the wall while it's running but it won't be visible outside. If the main line is obstructed, the overflow pan will start filling. This typically drains out under the eave. If you see water dripping from a pipe under the eave it's time to check for obstructions upstairs.

[@williamd8886]

I have two units in the attic and I am a senior citizen. Today I bought a shop vac and there were some fine particles of yellow dust when I checked. Your video has convinced me that by doing this once a year will keep me from climbing ladders. Thank you!

[@diyhvacguy]

Yes it will!!

[@dgiacco]

Yes it will but do it about 3 times a year!! Also use algae tabs. I'm the president of my HOA here in SE Florida and I send out emails reminding all of my homeowners about this issue at the end of April.

[@williamd8886]

I live in Phoenix AZ and in August is the worst time of the year for us. Easy home project with the shop vac

[@dankelley9361]

Great information, a little maintenance on this condensate line can minimize a lot of downtime on your AC unit. They always get plugged up at the worst times!

[@munozinni]

6:09 Hola 👋 señor Dave I’m glad you made this video cause one big problem that I noticed when I was working in remodeling was that the drain pan in the attic the pvc pipe got clogged with some debris and the drain pan started collecting the water that can’t drain out and then the pan started dripping onto the ceiling and then water damage and then chaos 😫I had to go in the attic remove all the wet insulation and work around the AC guys then cut out the sheet rock ceiling dry out all the joists and put new insulation and install new Sheetrock tape and bed texture and paint and “ just like nothing ever happened “👀😳I hope your followers will check this to avoid the problem of a huge problem…Gracias!!! for helping us with your knowledge I hope you have a great day and a great weekend…Saludos!!!👋😃👋

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

This is a very big problem, it's caused by the condensate drain getting clogged. Configuration of the drain system and regular maintenance are crutial.

[@whochecksthis]

It is CRUCIAL that you have water safety switches in the pan and on the drain lines. Water damage is a huge mess.

[@johnduffy6546]

Excellent video that most people just plain don't know about. This is the kind of stuff that evrey home owner needs to know. Thank you for sharing

[@peckerpeter2078]

Older units don’t have an easy access panel to condensation coils or the pan. Taking P-trap cap off using funnel best option on longer runs pouring a warm mixed bleach gallon of water and then running a shop vac at the other end is best. My home 28 years old at the time was clogged very bad. What you just showed in video most never clean ever, it’s a good idea to do yearly.. Along with cleaning dryer vents with shop vac especially if you have long runs. Can use shop vac at exhaust end, and blower or air nozzle from inside dryer side running at the same time . That gets rid of a lot of blockage. People don’t realize if you don’t clean out your dryer vents the lint that gets caught in there (mainly because they screwed it together , and the screws are sticking so far in the vent it catches the lint )is a major cause of fires Over time. A good indication is it’s taking way too long to dry your clothes then it was taken before.

[@Ratlins9]

Thanks!, you’ve helped me so many times. My only regret is I don’t have an HVAC in town with your honesty.

[@diyhvacguy]

Thanks so much!! I truly appreciate followers like yourself. Where are you located? I’m always looking for trustworthy hvac contractors in different cities.

[@Ratlins9]

@@diyhvacguy Milford,Pennsylvania

[@CC-hv5hk]

Well go to the next town chep o.

[@georgechilders4297]

How about this, make sure your filtration doesn’t allow any bypass, check the return duct for leakage, check the cabinet for bypass. Do this and you will never have another clog. After all, the condensate is pretty much distilled water. However, for the most part this is good homeowner info.

[@mikejordan6036]

Im a Milwaukee Man and have the Same Shop vac. Best 100 dollars I ever spent.

[@irmafacundo7107]

Thank you just appreciate your honesty and making our HVAC more efficiently n helping my budget as a 75 year woman.thxs

[@Dbb27]

Thank you for a great video. I have 4 units and have started doing some of the cleaning myself. I really appreciate your saying not to put pressure through the lines as I was thinking why not do that instead of being on the receiving end and sucking it out. Definitely won’t do it. Really appreciate!

[@jorilea_jarrasept6583]

I use painters tape to seal the hose end to the drain pipe to suction. I also ziptie fine mesh screen over the drain pipe end to prevent insects from entering it.

[@martyb3783]

Water does not condensate, it condenses. Great video! Thanks for making it!

[@NotSoSimple741]

Here in the Midwest where we have basements, our AC condensate tube runs to the sump basin and eventually gets pumped outside the house. And my gravity fed tube actually backed up a few years ago causing water to pool on the floor. So it's always a good idea to periodically inspect that tube for proper drainage.

[@cu0ngpitt]

i had a clogged condensate drain with a lot of bends for my drain pipe and the vacuum method only got some of the gunk out. it was still clogged and my drain pan continued to overflow. i got the idea of pouring some chlorine into the pan and it started foaming a lot. after letting it sit for about 15 min, i came back and there was lots of gunk floating in the pan. i continued to wait and the clog eventually cleared itself. i now use those tabs you recommend and hope to never have to deal with a clogged condensate drain again.

[@USNveteran]

Thanks for the tip. I do the bleach thing every year both upstairs & downstairs a few ounces of bleach in a gallon of water in both drains. My reminder to do this is every year when I clean my electronic air cleaners I do this, never had a problem with my drains. FLY NAVY!!!

[@poolahpot]

what is a "few"??

[@USNveteran]

@@poolahpot I guess you are asking for my interpretation rather than asking google (a small number) so here's my take. One ounce is one, a couple is two, a few is three. Are you a lawyer or just planning to go to law school? FLY NAVY!!!

[@c50ge]

I agree with your method, straight bleach can be tough on the pump. By putting 1/2 gallon through the system treats the pump and all of the pipes

[@chuckbolik7060]

Hoo-yah !

[@rncine]

I could have used you last week. Here in Florida they put the units up in the attic and the condensers outside. 3 wks ago had my air guy check my units and change the filters, everything was fine. Then a week later my ceiling was leaking, seems this guy dislodged something in 1 of the units when changing the filter and caused a backup of the condensation overflowing in the pan and leaking into all the attic and ceiling! Now caused thousands of dollars of damage, he is fired.

[@ljprep6250]

Just had the HVAC tuneup 4 months ago and I got a cup of water and some slime out of the drain pipe. Deep sigh... I was very unhappy half a dozen years ago when the A/C stopped working on a 113F day. And I was very happy the next day when I ran across an HVAC guy at my chiro's office and bought a $15 cap from him which fixed my unit.

[@markme4]

A/C tune up ? All new spark plugs ?

[@JRNipper]

@@markme4 Plugs were fine, it was the points that were shot😊

[@markme4]

@@JRNipper Mine had a cracked distributor cap 😆

[@meatball6930]

Only one cup? In Florida if your pipe is clogged it will fill his shop vac with water and 2 cups of slime on a new unit after a year. You have to suck the line out twice a year in Florida and you will fill half a five gallon bucket.

[@MarieJackson-sp3be]

Thank you. I'm going to change my air filter right now.

[@jeffreyplumber1975]

Great Vid! I already kinew this but its a reminder to do mine again . So Cal 90 percent of homes drain into a wye branch tail piece at a sink , then we dump secondary over a window. Im in plumbing but facinated with hvac as well. I use warm water and bleach

[@Readerb86g]

I'm in Florida and had this issue about 3 years ago. Contractor came out and I saw the method first hand and no more than 3 months later, same issue. My AC is located with the pan about 4 feet above the ground level outside but the original install had the PVC pipe of about 4 feet horizontal before it angled down to the garage floor and then beneath the floor to the outside. Gravity had bowed the horizontal portion at least to the diameter of the pipe. I replaced the pipe just outside of the pan with a 90-degree elbow down, then some clear tubing to two 45's to horizontal. Then a tee with the ability to drain down as well as across to the original pipe near the floor. A valve beneath the tee, when open, causes the condensate to drop down from the tee and travel to a series of 5 gallon buckets in the garage. I get easily (during humid times) 50 gallons over about 2+ to 3 days. If I need to bug out for a few days I close the valve and that diverts the flow to the outside. A rare occasion. 750 gallons a month for plants and I have not had an issue since. Special case though since the pan elevation has to be high enough to allow for the water to drain by gravity into your buckets.

[@kenth.832]

Thank you the valuable info. I’ll be checking mine out soon. Thanks again!!

[@jorgeposadas1192]

Thankyou, very informative, now I got work to do.

[@willythehero88]

I got a new HVAC system installed approx. five years ago and the contractor specified that I pour a cup of bleach into the condensate drain upon each air filter change, which I do quarterly. Great video! Thanks.

[@markj9544]

I pour a cup of bleach in mine as well about once a month and then make sure I run it a few minutes later so it mixes with the water. Never a problem in five years.

[@scottmactavish9716]

That's ok, but bleach may cause issues with the PVC pipes and joints. My HVAC installer suggested white vinegar. It's just as acidic, and doesn't contain chlorine, the third letter in PVC. (Chloride)

[@jetah50]

odd. bleach usually corrodes the coils.

[@barrygrant2907]

Chlorine fumes can get to the coils and cause corrosion.

[@dgiacco]

Use algae tablets. Not BLEACH OR VINEGAR

[@zatomb2574]

Great vid. My basement ac is different but the basics still apply. Here are some differences. The p trap is the worst area 4 me imcluding buildup of dead bugs and wasps, probably comimg in via the furmace vent that doesn't have a screen yet. I pour diluted bleach there into the transparent p trap. Evidently this is a common spot to clog since the installers put in access for a u shaped brush to clean out the trap. Mine drains into the basement drain probably because of.cold winters and high efficiency furnace condensate.

[@lgrantnelson2863]

Reminds me of a company where I did facility maintenance. Twice I got a call saying it was raining in the computer room. Both times I ascertained it was the HVAC unit. I grabbed a portable air bottle and blew the line out. I got four hours for twenty minutes of work. They finally got the HVAC guys to regularly clean the drain.

[@mikemcdermott1026]

I was a painter in florida hospital 40 yrs i worked weekends in the ER THE same room would get flooded every so often ,tv every thing soaked the air handler the next floor would shut down and dump out water, when they had power bumps

[@karenstein8261]

When I ran my drain line, I used electrical PVC “sweep” elbows so I would be able, if necessary, to push a fish tape or small snake through to clear any clogs. As an alternative, I could use a vacuum to pull a string through, then use the string to pull a foam “mouse” through. So far there hasn’t been any problems with my drain. Proper planning prevents problems.

[@mikegrok]

a few things, I live on the gulf coast, and used to have frequent backups all along the condensate path. I haven't had a backup since last August. You need a P trap between the condensate pump and the AC. Without the P trap, air gets sucked up the condensate drain, which makes algae much quicker. There are stronger condensate pumps available. I live in a house with 8 foot ceilings, the pump is on the floor, it has to go over the rafters in the ceiling so 8.5 foot climb. The pump was rated for 9.5 feet. I got one that was rated for 12 feet. I think 1/25 HP to 1/18HP. The old pump would run continuously, and the AC would sometimes turn off due to the condensate pump not being able to keep up with the water flow. The new pump runs for 20 seconds every 5 minutes. While I was waiting for the HVAC tech to come and fix it the first time, I was emptying buckets. The 3.5 ton AC makes about 3 gallons an hour. I got a different probiotic that i got from lowes (in their fix and clean your own AC section) that I added last summer that seems to have completely solved the algae issue, no vinegar or bleach, it has been clear for 8 months. I used to blow it out with the air compressor (3/8 inch copper line) every other month.

[@KreemieNewgatt]

A condensate P-trap is often a code requirement

[@LeftCoastConservative]

Very nice service recommendations, appreciate your feedback each year Thank you.

[@scottmactavish9716]

4:59 "That's...impressive". In south Florida, it's "was ALL THAT in the pipes??" You can't comprehend how quickly "snot" builds up in HVAC drain lines.

[@Dbb27]

Lol exactly what I was thinking. I get big lumps like elephants snot coming out!

[@altennent156]

Thanks! Mine runs to my sump pump in the basement.

[@brucesimpson8579]

Same here.

[@quarklan]

Great info, going to try those PurCool tablets this spring and summer.

[@petem5904]

I couldn't fully clear my condensate line by vacuuming, blowing, flushung etc. Always backed up and shut the system down. Came across a link to pour muriatic acid in the condensate line, let it sit for 30 minutes, then flush it out with hot water, cleared the line perfectly. I was told condensate from your ac is not only water but a mixture of pollution it's discharging called Sima. It's like a film similar to a snake skin that was shed.

[@ptech88]

Man your right. I cant tell you how many hvac contractors have told me they hate you.

[@princessalaina4589]

I always use a shop vac connrcted to my a/c discharge pipe and run it for about 10 minutes, once a month. I also add 8 oz of NuLine condensate drain cleaner to the air handler every two months.

[@barrygrant2907]

I vacuum out the drain about twice a year here in S. FL. Nasty stuff always comes out.

[@stevenjakowski5585]

FYI, new systems have all aluminum evaporator coils. And if you use bleach (which is corrosive) you can damage it. This especially on electric air handlers because instead of pushing air through the evaporator coil on a gas furnace, the air is pulled through the evaporator coil. Which could potentially pull the bleach into the evaporator coil area. Best to use white vinegar only. Also you can disassemble your condensation pump for better cleaning. On this type of pump there's a clip on the side to remove the tray.

[@marsoelflaco5722]

The right tools and a little know-how makes all the difference.✌🏾

[@jbussell9]

I’ve found it easier to link a water hose, stick the end in the outside fitting of the condensate line, unkink the hose for about 2 seconds, pull it out and let the suction to the work. So easy anyone can do it and everyone has a hose but not everyone has a shop vac. Just be careful not to use too much water or you’ll overflow the line.

[@dgapp76]

I use a cheap hand held Harbor Freight transfer pump with hose connected to a rubber wedge to seal to the PVC pipe. You can push air and pull air. Very effective without using high pressure compressed air. Many homes I come across have what I call a "plumbers special" under the sink where the condensate tees into the sink drain before the trap. Many plumbers use a tee fitting where the sink drain tailpipe extends down thru the tee, restricting the flow of AC condensate. The trick is to cut that tailpipe back where both the sink drain and condensate drain have full flow. Then I connect the condensate drain back with a rubber coupling (if it's rigid PVC) for easier future accessibility. Also, using a quarter turn ball valve at the evaporator with a tee right after enables you to clear the drain line without cutting the pipe in the future.

[@mrBDeye]

Shop Vac works

[@colettejaques2559]

His way is easy....I can do it.

[@gregorymark6014]

Live in Houston area. Main A/C drain(s) frequently goes to just above the trap of a bathroom sink(s). I use the shop vac there, its often a pain to pull the drain hose off of the plumbing. Outside is the secondary drain(s). If dripping, primary is clogged. Ideally, if the primary drain and secondary drain are clogged, there is a switch on the pan that senses the water filling the pan and tells the A/C not to turn on at all. Secondary note: I have seen where the trap in the bathroom gets clogged with hair and gunk. The A/C drain is working properly and is draining to the sink trap. With the trap clogged the condensate can't get through the trap and backs-up into the sink and eventually the sink overflows from the condensate. Code shouldn't allow this design in my opinion.

[@newmonengineering]

So the hvac drain is connected to the plumbing sink drain? I have never heard of that situation. I would think that would not be allowed at all to be honest. The hvac drain is a slow drip vs the sink drain is a large volume of water flushing out. That would be concerning to me as well. If there is no code against that there should be for sure!

[@gregorymark6014]

I replied to this, did it not "take?" Search "ac drain under sink" and you should see a video the shows the plumbing.

[@para1324]

A professionals advice. Thank you very much. Respect sent. 🇺🇸

[@munozinni]

9:17 Wow We might try that my wife keeps the house clean and smelling good with esencial oil diffuser 😊…see you in the next video 👋😃👋

[@samkitty5894]

Few years ago I bought a new house. HVAC was in the crawl space. Couple of days after running A/C I noticed something wasn't right. Went into the crawl space and found HVAC flooded. When they installed the condensate line they didn't bother making sure it was plumbed correctly on the way out through the foundation. Instead of the line gradually sloping down, it was actually pointing up, causing water to flow backwards into the HVAC. Yes, I couldn't believe the stupidity...

[@diyhvacguy]

Wow, it doesn’t surprise me

[@hitekrednek66]

Great info sir. The a coil tab was something new to me and I like it. Gonna give that try. Great content my friend.

[@diyhvacguy]

Thanks sir! Thank you for your loyal support 👊🏼

[@Ronaldl2350]

Thanks for another great tip. I use my shop vac to clean the drain on a regular basis.

[@MaMa-qh4dy]

GREAT advice. Many thanks!!!

[@todd2456]

Dang, the siding on that poor house.

[@CC-hv5hk]

That house has bigger problems than the hvac system 😅

[@charlespaine987]

I did HVAC in an industrial facility (About 8 million sq feet or A/C floor space ,hundreds of units)every year we fought that battle. In machining areas oils and chemicals were troublesome. We were prohibited from using any of common evaporator tabs(air chemical contamination). Condensate pumps failed regularly .

[@MrRight-MAGA]

Good info brother. Going to subscribe to those filters.

[@brianzachary5618]

I like to block the vent pipe. Usually I use a piece of duct tape. Often the clog is upstream of the vent and the pipe at that point may remain clogged if the vent is open. Many units have a trap. I see the clog occur in the trap very often. The trap is upstream of the vent.

[@vics945]

Ty for the info… be blessed.

[@colettejaques2559]

Excellent video!! Im doing that now....thank you

[@shauste]

I just tried this and it worked for me. Nice tip!

[@diyhvacguy]

Awesome!!

[@anthonygrasso8620]

I used 2 shop vacs and I melted the plastic. One sucking and one blowing. Wasn’t working. My best approach that worked was a water hose. In Florida what came out was the same mineral deposits as what you would expect from a water heater. Which confused me. Cause I was like this is condensate not Florida hard water Great video…. For men. This will happen when you’re out of town and your lady calls you freaking out that water is all in the garage and you can’t immediately solve the problem.

[@Lepek29]

Thanks a lot for these tips.

[@all4onejerzyd.344]

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS VIDEO, AND ALL YOUR OTHER VIDEOS THEY HELPED TREMENDOUSLY... I just wanted to say if I knew this 2 years ago it would have been so much easier for me, because my unit is in the attic and I have a tight attic but it we had a leak up there and we thought it was the attic fan or something else , anyway I started to have a leak upstairs from the unit in the attic to the upstairs was coming down from the upstairs hallway ceiling and ruining one of the walls so I call someone I know, he got up in the attic and he used a air gun or some type of pressure gun I don't know what it's called in the plumbing industry?? But he told me to go out back to where all the gun comes out through the condescending pipe I guess and once he blew that are gun into the PVC pipe or the pipe in the attic I should have had a mark which pipe it was, but needless to say a bunch of Gunk came out from that pipe out back, the league stopped immediately. So thank you for making this video and all the videos you make keep making the great content.. IF YOU OR ANYBODY READING THE COMMENTS KNOW WHAT THAT ARE GUN IS CALLED OR THAT PRESSURE GUN TO GET PUT IN THE PIPE AND GET THE GUNK OUT IF ANYONE KNOWS WHAT THAT'S CALLED PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS THANK YOU DIY HVAC GUY APPRECIATE ALL THE VIDEOS...

[@MatthewSmith-cp3hu]

i flush monthly even during the winter easier to just keep up the habit monthly i use gallon hot water and a few drops of dawn

[@quintkemph973]

If your condensate drain plugs up your filter is bypassing air. Should have a space guard filter installed on your system. Dirt on the coil is dirt and dander and hair that your filter missed.

[@jcmsu2002]

Thank you for this excellent video. Thank you thank you

[@PhatBoyiee]

I had my ac guy tell me to pour cleaning vinegar down the pipe. Also to use compress air. On my pancake air compressor you can control the pressure so i set it to low.

[@crackerjack010101]

Bought a home where they’d used compressed air to blow a line out and blew out the vent in the attic, particulate and moisture all over the place, cost me a new blower motor and it randomly blew a fuse that “these never blow, that’s weird” sooo…I’d recommend against it. Blower motors in the units made these days have a computer on board and they run shy of $2k so not the old cheap fix it was at one time.

[@cocoabiscuits]

very good information! Thank you

[@NathanHarrison7]

Great video. Thank you so much. Subscribed.

[@loum.4377]

What a great channel You are an excellent teacher.

[@diyhvacguy]

Thank you so much

[@ThomasKuhar]

Instead of a rag, you can use a small plastic funnel to accommodate different size dameters.

[@joegonzalez5691]

Great videos, thanks! As a side note , I live in Komifornia and a lot of systems installed here the main condensation drain is drained into a nearby bathroom sink. It’s easy to find as there is a T fitting under the sink drain closest to the system. I used the same method on mine by just disconnected the line from the sink drain and sucking out the gunk. The secondary drain on my system drains to the outside and usually doesn’t drain out unless the main drain is plugged.

[@wannabetrucker7475]

hey joe i live in fascistbama and there's a lot of snot here, some of it even in the condensate line😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@zacattack4029]

Great info thank you for your help.

[@joesmith7427]

I like an electric air cleaner and UV-C lights in the duct work. Change the tubs 1x per yr. Keep the outside coil clean. For the cost of service, it pays to use a good a/c man. And he can add freon if u need it( this is very important- too little and the unit will never shut off!! 😊 the outside unit should be in the shade not the sun!! Just stand in the sun for 10 minutes and see how hot is?? Real hot!! Thats why u hire the a/c man to do the work!

[@fergferguson7370]

That house is hammered

[@MarkSmith-js2pu]

When 8 was an insurance adjuster, I’d get at least 1 claim a week from clogged ac lines. Many of the leaks started AFTER servicing.

[@RhettBrown]

Maybe somebody said it already, but a pool noodle really helps connect the vac to the drain line.

[@diyhvacguy]

Nice!! Maybe I’ll try that next time!

[@justinbrain]

Might be time to reconsider the design of that drain.

[@joemartino6976]

Good stuff. Thank you!

[@genemyersmyers6710]

All your videos are fantastic.

[@diyhvacguy]

Thank you so much 🙏🏻

[@ps603]

My HVAC people told me how to do this. They're good guys..

[@AbeFroman-zx5hs]

I take a shop vac to both condensation lines each spring.

[@randybird9979]

a lot of HVAC Contractors do really she it ty work

[@garyblackwell3643]

thanks for the information

[@billballoo7881]

I've always heard that an A/C doesn't create cold, it removes heat thereby leaving cold. However, your graphic at :46 shows the hot air being pulled in, passing over the cold coil and pumping cold air into the room. So it kind of does create cold by virtue of taking the warm air and cooling it.

[@ashtonarmstrong3082]

The refrigerant in the coil absorbs heat and takes it outside where the condenser pulls air through the coil outside, fan on top of the condenser expels the heat out the top of the unit. It’s pretty cool how if it’s 100 degrees outside it can still expel hotter air out the top of the condenser.

[@Bryan-Hensley]

There's no such thing as "cold". Technically it's lack of heat.

[@norcoauctions]

nice video. thanks for sharing. It's condensing and not condensating

[@DeepSound_Music]

Thx for the tip!

[@meatpockets]

Condo buildings have the same issue with in-wall HVAC. I would clean mine out every year but eventually it became an issue with other units not servicing and causing water damage to their neighbor below. The condo board decided to make everyone pay for HVAC tech to come out every year to clean it.

[@Stein0mite]

I had this issue and was able to use a vacuum to get the blockage out from within my utility closet. Pain in the a bc we live in Fl and the indoor humidity is higher

[@kavonbor]

I didn't even need to watch the entire video to know what this was going to be about. Last season I paid a contractor 400 to run my heat for an hour to "defrost" the coil and after he left the temperature never came down enough to cool my first level. I did a google search and learned a clogged condensate line could be the issue. I ran this by a friend in the HVAC business and he said it wasn't true. Ignoring him I took a shop vac and also utility wire to see if the pvc lines needed to be cleared and there it was, i pulled a bunch of crap out of the lines and water started pouring out of them. AC was nice and cool. Oh I almost forgot I was told by the contractor and my buddy the only way the coil could freeze up is if i ran the system with no air filter installed. LOL.

[@diyhvacguy]

Yikes, they didn’t know much or didn’t want to come and investigate.

[@michelemarch8270]

Thank You!

[@tammyschwarz6388]

Thank you!

[@harryharry3193]

thank you for showing bleach into pump res·er·voir. always worried about doing that.

[@davidlatino6163]

Good information thanks

[@PhD777]

Excellent informative video! 👍🏻🎅👍🏻

[@rogercook2292]

and ensure that condensate line (especially on roofpak units) has only 1 trap. I have been on service call where inadvertently there were 2 traps, creating a pressure zone in between and causing condensate to back up into roof unit.....oooops

[@keithpanco]

I'm more concerned about the siding.

[@diyhvacguy]

lol its a very old house

[@bigblue3568]

FilterBuy 20x25x1 MERV 8 $8.83 each vs Lowes/HomeDepot/Wally.... $4.32 choice is easy.

[@ASilverLining60]

Looks like the siding on that house could use a lot of maintenance as well.

[@MissMyMusicAddiction]

1:25 interesting. we have a basement. we do not have a pump. the drain lines go to a drilled hole in the floor, into the gravel substrate, and then eventually into the sump.

[@floid33556]

The vacuum method sometimes doesn’t work. Just put a little diluted muratic acid in the drain. It doesn’t react with pvc and dissolves everything.

[@mikeslater6246]

On the unit with a condensate pump, a P-trap would still be necessary to stop the back flow of air into the air handler which will stop your water from draining from that pan. The P-trap is designed to help maintain the flow of water out of the condensate pan in the unit because air coming up the drain pipe will prevent the water from exiting because of the negative pressure created by the air handler. The P-trap creates a water barrier that stops that backflow of air. Why do you not have a P-trap on the line to your condensate pump?

[@mikeslater6246]

One qualification to my original statement is the possibility of the fan preceding the cooling coil. My experience has always been the fan is after the coil so the P-trap would be required in that application but would not be required if air is being pushed through the coil instead of being pulled through the coil. And I'm guessing that is the arrangement on your system.

[@REXOB9]

Our condo was on the ground floor, and when the condensate line would get plugged, all the condensate from the upper floors would end up on our unit! No fun.

[@keything8487]

i was told bleach can mess up the aluminum coils in a hard piped system.....so i use hot water followed by abunch of vinegar.

[@Jay_Lis]

This is the problem I'm having!! I moved in last year, AC worked great. Now, it will work for a little while but then the air won't actually be cold and the unit freezes up. A lot of water in the pan. I cannot find the condensate drain on the outside of my house. I've looked and looked and looked. I don't see a pump near the handler like in your video. It's a 2nd floor air handler. This house was previously owned by hoarders and I'm doing the best I can repairing/maintaining things that have been neglected for years. The vents are gross, the handler is gross, it's all gross. I did change the filters every month last summer. I can't afford to bring anyone in. What do I do now? Any advice from anyone would be appreciated!