Be Sure to Check Your Condensate Line. Here’s Why.

Your condensate line plays an essential role in cooling your Franklinton, NC, home. If you don’t keep an eye on your drain line, debris and algae can build up and create a clog. The blockage causes water to back up in your AC system and spill out into your home. Unchecked water can cause severe damage to flooring and drywall. In our service area, that means a repair bill that could range from a couple hundred dollars to much higher. A clogged line can also damage your AC equipment.

Where Is My Condensate Line And What Does It Do?

As your air conditioning works to keep you fresh, it produces moisture as air passes over the evaporator coil. The moisture goes into a drain pan and travels through the condensate drain line to the outside. The line, typically a white CVP pipe, runs from your air handler to the outside of your home. Older homes may have copper or galvanized steel pipes. If the line is clear, the outside pipe should drip when your AC unit operates.

DIY Clearing Made Easy

A simple way to clear debris from your drain line is to hook a shop-vac to the outside pipe. Wrap cloth or duct tape around the connection, and turn on the vac. Five or six seconds should be enough time to suck out any debris.

Simple Solutions for A Clog

To keep your condensate line clear of debris, mold, and algae, pour one cup of vinegar down the line once or twice throughout the AC season. Pouring a cup of diluted bleach down the line in the spring also helps keep your line clean.

In the middle of a Franklinton summer, you want to have efficient air conditioning, and that means you need to pay attention to your drain line. To learn more about what’s included in our AC tune-ups, check out our HVAC maintenance services or call 919-246-5265.