Clogged A/C Line in Palm Beach County ?
My drain line on my ac unit clogs about 1x per month. What now?
Below, we’ll share why this might be happening, and what you can do about it. Does your A/C leak water more often than you think is normal? Have you ever wondered why its leaking in the first place?
The problem is caused from the air conditioner not being cared for properly with routine maintenance. Let’s first describe where all that water is coming from first, and then explain why its ending up on your floor, and hopefully, its in the garage and not in the attic or in a closet.
Your A/C Unit is like a tall glass of ice water on a warm day. There’s always a puddle of water.
If you can imagine, the air conditioning unit inside your home, acts just like a huge glass of ice water that is left out on the countertop on a warm day. Warm, moist air comes in contact with the icy cold glass surface and moisture collects to condense, leaving a pool of water on the counter or table top.
Located in the garage, in the attic, or in a closet, the air handler has a large coil (heat exchange coil) that is fed a steady flow of ice cold fluids created by the air conditioning compressor unit located outside. A large blower fan moves large volumes of warmer air returned from the inside of the home, through those cold coils where the air quickly turns colder and is fed back into the home. That cold coil acts like that glass of ice water, where moisture collects and drips to the units drain pan below. All of that water has to drain somewhere, and in most cases, it drains onto the ground outside the home, usually via a 3/4″ PVC drain line.
To keep insects out, drain lines almost always have a U-shaped trap that is meant to fill with water. Being that they are always wet, they are also ideal breeding ground for algae which is fed by water, dander, bug fragments, bacteria and microscopic organic material. Mold spores can also be present and enter the same way, and more importantly, can proliferate if there is water and food available. As the moisture level in this jelly-like substance decreases, it thickens and becomes more dense. We often call this matter “Slime Mold“. If left untreated, it can continue to thicken, and as this occurs, it gives off a foul order that can permeate the home. Further evaporation leads to the matter solidifying. When this happens, the drain becomes blocked much more
often, which will caused continued leaking from the drain pan, and correcting the problem becomes more costly.
If these blockages can’t be removed by flushing the line with water, the next step is to use pressurized nitrogen. It that still doesn’t do the trick, the segment of the line has to be replaced as the damage has already been done.
How do I keep the A/C drain line flowing?
One of the easiest and cheapest ways of keeping the lines flowing, is to add Air Conditioner Pan Tablets, to the air conditioner pan, and drain lines. These tablets are simply Chorine tablets, which dissolve and kills the bacteria. They not only reduce bacteria, but will reduce fowl odors from forming too. Additionally, the drain line should be flushed to insure they are clean. These “pan tablets” are available at most hardware stores and cost only a few dollars for a pack of 6.
Berkun Air Can Help When You Are Unable
If you would rather us come and do this, Berkun Air of West Palm Beach would be glad to help maintain your air conditioning system to help keep it running freely for many more years.
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About Berkun Air
Founded in 1989, Jeff Berkun has run his business based on providing customers with outstanding service and expert advise. Berkun Air is one of the few air conditioning companies to be awarded an A+ Rating from the Palm Beach County Consumer Affairs Division.