A/C drain line plugged, what to clear it with?

The condensation drip drain line for my central A/C appears to be plugged again, with whatever it is that grows is such places and resembles clear jelly. A few years back I installed a coupling and valve, so I could wash it out with the garden hose without flooding my drip-pan, and this included an inlet to pour a dilute solution of chlorine bleach into the system, to prevent such clogs. That was probably ten years ago, and I haven't done squat with it since, so it is plugged again. Tonight I tried to close the valve, and it jammed on me before completely closing. I called that good, and ran a shot of water through the hose to it and cleared out the portion downstream from the valve. Upstream from the valve still appears to be something of a problem however. Was going to pour more dilute chlorine bleacn into it, until wife reminded me that she spoke with one of the building engineers where she works (major bank in a large metropolitan area,

72 story building,) who told her to tell me to *never* pour chlorine bleach into the drip pan of my central A/C unit. So I poured some 3 percent (stuff you buy at the drugstore) hydrogen peroxide into it instead, thinking that bacteria are carbon-based life forms, and that H2O2 will turn such into CO2 and water if it gets the chance (thus the foam from hydrogen peroxide on a scraped knee.) It appears to be working, even if it's not a block-buster cleaning agent. So I come here, to ask the A/C gurus, what *should* I put into the drip pan to clear out bacteria or whatever it is that grows in there? I know this place is populated by people in the know, and I now seek your advice. The drip line is draining, slowly, and the valve still won't close completely. So, what would *you* do?

Many thanks in advance to the people I know are out there who are already familiar with central A/C and it's problems.

Dave

Reply to
Dave
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I'd disregard the other advice, and pour in the bleach like you should have been doing all along.

Hydrogen peroxide does not release CO2, it releases O2. Like when it foams, on a cut.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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72 story building,) who told her to tell me to *never* pour chlorine bleach into the drip pan of my central A/C unit. So I poured some 3 percent (stuff you buy at the drugstore) hydrogen peroxide into it instead, thinking that bacteria are carbon-based life forms, and that H2O2 will turn such into CO2 and water if it gets the chance (thus the foam from hydrogen peroxide on a scraped knee.) It appears to be working, even if it's not a block-buster cleaning agent. So I come here, to ask the A/C gurus, what *should* I put into the drip pan to clear out bacteria or whatever it is that grows in there? I know this place is populated by people in the know, and I now seek your advice. The drip line is draining, slowly, and the valve still won't close completely. So, what would *you* do?

Many thanks in advance to the people I know are out there who are already familiar with central A/C and it's problems.

Dave

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Hey, thanks for the reply. So, how dilute should I make the solution. Would a 10 percent bleach solution be strong enouch to do the job, but weak enough not to damage the galvanized drip pan? I don't remember what I used before, I just remember warnings not to make it too strong.

Many thanks.

Dave

Reply to
Dave

I've been using a solution of 1 part bleach, 3 parts water and running about a gallon of it through my condensate drain line forever (it may not be as efficient as the new systems but my AC was installed in 1973) I made an opening in my duct that allows me access to the drain pan. I pour the mixture in the drain pan and verify that it comes out the other end. I do this each year at the start of the season. Living in the NE the AC obviously doesn't get the same workout as in the hotter climate. MLD

Reply to
MLD

Last summer, I figured that the drain line for the A/C unit at $Dayjob was blocked when water started leaking out of the plenum and dripping onto things that shouldn't get wet (like the fan motor, etc).

The drain line is plumbed with 1/2" copper pipe that runs out and down the cabinet to the floor, and then a few feet where it stops at a floor drain.

We have a small compressor that is used to charge a 5-gallon steel air tank. I charged the tank to 100 psi, connected an air blow-gun to the tank, wrapped a small rag around the nozzle of the gun and shoved the nozzle-rag into the end of the copper line and pressed the trigger. When I removed the nozzle, a flood of water ran out of the tube as the condensate pan drained.

Problem solved.

No messing with chemicals, no taking-apart-of-the-plenum to access the condensate pan, etc.

Reply to
Home Guy

First, no amount of straight bleach will hurt anything. I dump a couple of cups of Clorox in the system each year. For a few hours the house smell like a hospital. The screams from the algae colonies aren't too bad.

Second, you can get a biocide that comes in a block about the size of a candy bar. You put it in the condensate area and it s-l-o-w-l-y releases a substance that posions algae (Kobolthorium-G, I think).

Reply to
HeyBub

In water reservoirs, algae in the lake, and green growth around the edges is killed by using copper chloride. Usually dispensed in beautiful blue crystals dropped into the lake.and then yes we drink that.

Reply to
Robert Macy

I've been told that is slime mold. White in color, in suspension in drinking water [like a contaminated bottle purchased at the store] itlooks like someone had a cold and spit in the water. If you have this in your A/C, you probably have a white jelly ring around the inside of all of your toilet tanks, too.

Bleach is great for instantly killing slime mold, making it break up, release, and fall off. Like a stream into the tank - BUT straight bleach is caustic, and the fumes released are caustic, so rinse afterwards with dilute bleach to 'neutralize' everything.

The concern of your wife's advisor is that fumes from breakdown into gas form will eat aluminum parts. But, a flash of bleach followed by rinsing will prevent that type of damage.

Don't know why valve does not close.

Reply to
Robert Macy

I remember 10% is the standard number.

Might be on the web some where.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Hey, thanks for the reply. So, how dilute should I make the solution. Would a 10 percent bleach solution be strong enouch to do the job, but weak enough not to damage the galvanized drip pan? I don't remember what I used before, I just remember warnings not to make it too strong.

Many thanks.

Dave

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I'll roger that! Brief contact, rinse well.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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The concern of your wife's advisor is that fumes from breakdown into gas form will eat aluminum parts. But, a flash of bleach followed by rinsing will prevent that type of damage.

Don't know why valve does not close.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Just how do all you people propose to get bleach into the condensate line in the first place?

A blast of compressed air (as I described previously) is the most ergonomic method - assuming you have a small tank handy (borrow, etc).

Reply to
Home Guy

From a call to Chlorox, cut at LEAST 4:1

Reply to
Robert Macy

If I get a stopped up drain line, I usually use the wet/dry shop vac. Take out the filter element of the vac so it will not get wet and then go to the outside of the house and hook up to the line and suck it out. I just wrap my hand around the gap between the hose of the vac and the smaller line. That is after I stick the smaller line about 6 inches to a foot in the larger line.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

The bleach will have to be poured inasmuch as bleach won't miracle itself into position.

I trust that answers your question.

Reply to
HeyBub

OUTSIDE the house?

In this part of the country, if a/c condensate is dripping outside the house that means the primary drain is clogged!

If the primary drain is not clogged, sucking on the overflow drain - the one going outside - does very little good at all.

Reply to
HeyBub

My central air (heat pump) has one drain line. The air handler is in a walk in basement. The yard has a lot of slope going away from the house. There is a deck that is about 10 feet off the ground and the drain pipe goes from a hole in the wall that is at ground level and out about 10 feet to the edge of the deck.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

What is this valve your talking about. I never looked into the drip pan. I got a pump I would like to bypass. Originally they fed into laundry tubs, old fashioned, where the water eats away at the cement like material. I dropped it to the floor drain.

Greg

Reply to
gregz

No, it doesn't.

How do you pour something into a line and have it run *UP* the line?

Most condensate lines run DOWN from the pan inside the furnace plenum.

Reply to
Home Guy

It's PVC pipe. Just cut it, remove a section, unclog it, clean it, bleach it, whatever and put it back together with a coupling. Geez.

Reply to
trader4

I don't see where the OP mentions the type of pipe.

If you're going to cut it, then put it back together, you're telling me that it's worth the time and effort to clean it with chemicals vs spending $2 for a new section of PVC?

And that's assuming the section you cut is the section containing the blockage.

And we don't even know if it's made with PVC vs copper in this case.

Reply to
Home Guy

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