Your Charlotte air conditioning system’s condensate drain line looks small and simple. It plays a vital function in the effective functioning of your whole system. Simply, the condensate line drains away and removes the water, from condensation, that’s created by the evaporator coil, draining it from the air handler to outside your house. Before we get started, if you have found yourself without AC, give our team a call for 24 hour AC repair in Charlotte and surrounding Metrolina.

How to Flush My AC Drain Line with Vinegar

You can unclog a clogged drain line, or perhaps clean it before it gets to that point, with a regular AC maintenance in Charlotte. Vinegar is one way of easily doing this.

By putting a quarter of a cup of distilled vinegar into your air conditioner’s drain line, the vinegar kills mold, mildew, algae, fungus and bacteria. It’ll clear buildups and clogs. You should clean a drain line once a month.

Here are the steps and an overview on how to clean your condensate line with vinegar and keep your cooling system working at peak efficiency.

1. Turn off your AC system. Turn off the system at the thermostat and the breaker.
2. Find the condensate drain line. It is typically a PVC pipe near the outdoor AC unit coming out of the wall of the house.
3. Find the drain line’s access point. Most lines have a T-shaped vent with a cap or cover to take off. Look inside for the clog or buildup
4. Flush the AC drain line with vinegar. Pour the ¼ cup of distilled vinegar in through the vent opening.
5. Let the vinegar sit for 30 minutes.
6. Flush it with water and see if it flows properly.

More Ideas to Flush a Drain Line

By Hand

The first thing to try is to simply reach into the pipe and try manually removing whatever’s in the line. Check the end, the open end, of the drain line and see if it’s all that’s clogged.

Hot Water and Dish Soap

Using basically the same idea and steps as with vinegar, you can try hot water and a moderate amount of dish soap for a safe and easy way of removing most clogs, dirt and gunk.

A Shop Vac and Water

You can try connecting a shop vac hose to the outside end of a drain pipe. If the hose doesn’t fit well, you can use duct tape or rags to create a better seal. Turn on the vacuum. Take water and a funnel, pouring the water down the access point opening. The vac should get the water and anything else that was in the drain line.

Call the Charlotte AC Pros

When your AC needs serviced, it can be best to leave it to the professionals. Get on our Charlotte maintenance packages to ensure you never miss air conditoner maintenance again.

Why the AC’s Drain Line Needs to be Clear

Your air conditioner’s drain line is a small but essential PVC pipe responsible for getting rid of condensation. It takes all the water created by the evaporator coil and drains it away out of your HVAC system and your home.

However, if this line is not correctly maintained, germs and algae can start to grow inside as well as block the drain. This might lead your drain pan to overflow, creating water damage in your house.

Nobody wants to squander their time or energy cleaning up after their drain line or some larger problem. That’s why it is essential you regularly take advantage of Charlotte air conditioning maintenance to keep it clean and clog-free.

Causes and Signs of a Clogged Drain Line

Due to the fact moisture is in your air conditioning’s drain line, it’s the perfect place for mold, algae, bacteria, and fungus to grow and thrive. Gradually, sludge and dirt can form in your condensate drain line. These particles can include mold, mildew, algae, bacteria, fungus and little plants. When a lot of accumulation builds up, the clog will end up being big and create an obstruction in the line, forcing water to back up into the air conditioning drain pan.

When that drain pan is too full, the excess water will overflow and pool into your house, creating water damage concerns that can lead to expensive repairs. Furthermore, incorrect or neglected cleaning of your condensate drain line can create higher humidity, awful smells and potentially serious and expensive issues with your whole air conditioning system.

A Clean AC is a Healthy AC

In between professional, expert maintenance visits, there are ways you can help keep your AC and Charlotte HVAC systems in good shape. It’s easier than you’d think. It’s also much less expensive and less of a headache to stay on schedule with routine maintenance and with scheduled pro maintenance. For example, just using vinegar to clean the drain line is one easy step you can handle.

The best way to keep your AC in peak performance all year round is with scheduled expert maintenance. Call South End Heating & Air today or browse the web to learn more and contact us.

At South End Plumbing, Heating, and Air we specialize in HVAC and Charlotte furnace repair, call us for a free consult. We’ll evaluate your system and help make recommendations for optimum value. After all, we want to keep you cool all summer long and warm in the winter. Just schedule a visit with one of our technicians to talk about how we can help with your heating needs. Would you like to learn more options our techs can help you with? Call today!