Clear a condensate drain with Liquid Plumber Gel.
Clogged condensate drains can cause hundreds, or even thousands of dollars in damage to your home, says Alan Boleware, an air conditioning service technician. Installing a float switch on your air handler will prevent the coil pan from overflowing. A float switch detects water back-up and turns off the unit before the pan can overflow and spill out onto your floors. Float switches are relatively inexpensive, usually less than $100, and can save you thousands of dollars in water damage. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Find the condensate drain. It will be near your condenser (outside unit).
2. Check the ground around the drain for water. If you find very little water or no water, there is probably a clog.
3. Turn off the power to your air handler and condenser.
4. Open the panel on the air handler and examine the coil pan. Check for standing or over-flowing water.
5. Go outside to the condensate drain. Use a wet/dry vac to suck debris out of the tube. Make as tight a seal possible with a rag to fill in the gap between the small pvc pipe and the larger opening of the vacuum tube.
6. Go back to the air handler. Use an old toothbrush to clean the coil pan.
7. Pour 1/4 cup Liquid Plumber Gel into the pan using a funnel. Let it sit for five minutes. Water should begin to drain.
8. Pour 2 quarts of water into the pan. The water should drain easily to the outside pipe. Check the condensate drain for free-flowing water.
9. Replace panel to air handler. Turn on the power to both units. Restart the air conditioner.
Tags: condensate drain, float switch, Liquid Plumber, panel handler, thousands dollars
