Condensation

I have been finding water on the floor in my kitchen and utility areas for the last several mornings.

It has been terribly hot here for the last few weeks and the air conditioners have been running almost constantly.

Tonight I saw a water stain on the ceiling in the utility room and water was dripping from the light fixture. The light glove was filled with water. I think the drain for the condensation is stopped up and water is spilling unto the ceiling and unto the floor.

I have called the air conditioning company and they will be here in the morning, but until then I have both my air conditioners turned off.

Does anyone know of a quick and easy way to unstop the drain in the attic without the need to go up there.

The overflow pipe is accessible from outside down stairs. Is there any way I could unplug the stoppage from down on the ground?

Thanks,

Freckles

Reply to
Freckles
Loading thread data ...

Poke a wire up in there and hope the obstruction is right at the end.

You could have some bad news coming if the drain pan is bad.

Hope for a dirt dauber nest in the pipe.

Reply to
gfretwell

There are generally TWO drains. The primary drain goes to your sewage system, typically thru the vent. When that gets stopped up, usually due to algae growth, the condensate flows to a pan which dumps through a pipe to the outside. When this secondary pipe gets stopped up, the water has nowhere to go but your ceiling.

As a temporary fix, climb up a stool or ladder to the outside drain, put your lips on the pipe and blow (it doesn't take much blow-power).

Then stand way the hell back as a torrent will ensue.

The penultimate fix is to get up in the attic and blow out both drains. Then pour a cup of bleach down each to kill the algae.

The ultimate fix, then, is to add a fungicide tablet to the evaporator unit reservoir. This will slowly release a chemical to prevent further growth. For a season.

As an alternative, you can add a cup of bleach to the evaporator unit each A/C season to inhibit algae growth.

What the A/C guy is going to do is crawl up in your attic with a tank of compressed air and unclog both drains. He's then going to add a fungicide tablet to your evaporator unit. As a final step, he'll present a bill for $300.00.

Bottom line: If you see dripping outside, you're on your reserve 'chute.

Reply to
HeyBub

You sound like the voice of experience. In the Rochester NY area, we have cellars, and the furnace and AC are in the cellar. A few commercial places have ceiling AC. I was going to suggest wet and dry shopvac on the drain hose in the cellar.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

My Ac condenser has a hose to the outside, it has clogged, my pan has a cut off switch should everything clog, you should have a switch put in and test it every year so you dont spend alot fixing water damage. Have you looked at it, usualy unclogging a plugged up hose is easy, this, your filter, a clean AC coil, keeping drains clear and mold free are things that need regular checking by you, not every year or 2, so when is the last time the filter was changed and all checked?

Reply to
ransley

It should play "Song of the Sea" by Richard Rogers (the Victory at Sea song)

Reply to
gfretwell

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.