Unclogging Your AC Drain Line in 4 Easy Steps

unclogging air conditioner drain line

The condensate line to your air conditioner does a lot to keep your unit working properly. When it gets clogged, the water backup can become a major problem. This can turn into a messy and costly issue.

Some of the problems that may arise from a clogged drain can include thousands of dollars in water damage, the possibility of house fire due to water leaking on electrical components and harmful contaminants like mold and bacteria growing in the drain line.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is that it’s fairly easy to unclog if you follow some simple steps.

If you’d rather have a professional deal with this situation, we invite you to call an experienced HVAC service technician at Gagne Heating & AC to help.

If you feel comfortable handling the problem on your own though, follow these four steps:

Step #1: Obtain a wet/dry vac

You will need this to suck out whatever obstruction has plugged up the line.

Step #2: Locate the main drain line

Once you’ve obtained a wet/dry vac, it’s time to find your main drain line. This should be located near the ground on the outside of your home. The main drain line is usually a PVC pipe that ¾ of an inch thick coming out of your home.

Step #3: Connect the wet/dry vac to the main drain line

Let the vac run for about three minutes and make sure the vac has a good seal on the hose for ample suction.

Step #4: Check the vac

Algae, insects and other nasty things are most likely to have caused your line to clog. Open up the vac and see what you were able to suck out.

If you experience any problems while cleaning out the line or you prefer an Atlanta HVAC professional to handle this for you, don’t hesitate to contact us today.