A central air conditioner‘s condensate drain line is crucial to its functioning. That’s why you need to perform routine maintenance to prevent it from clogging.

    We’ll talk about how to do that, but first, it’s important to understand how central air conditioning works.

    Watch the video at the top of the page to learn more.


    All About Air Conditioning

    In addition to cooling your home, an air conditioner removes moisture from the air. This process lowers the humidity level inside your house.

    Any excess condensed water is removed from the air conditioning unit through a small drain pipe that extends from the indoor air handler to outside your home. This drain pipe deposits the excess condensed water outside on the ground.

    Walk outside your home and look at the condensate drain line. At any given moment, especially during humid weather, you should see water dripping from it. That’s the drain line in action!

    Air conditioners keep the inside of your house cool and the humidity low.

    Now, if you don’t see the drain line dripping, chances are, your air conditioner is not draining. And that’s a problem.


    Unclogging a Condensate Drain Line

    Over time, algae, mold and mildew can build up inside the condensate drain line and form a clog. This causes water to back up and overflow inside the air conditioner unit and can be the reason why you end up with a frozen AC drain line.

    (Adobe Stock photos)

    Preventing this from happening couldn’t be more important, and fortunately, maintaining your air conditioner’s drain line couldn’t be easier!

    Just pour a cup of bleach in the drain line’s access opening near the indoor air conditioning unit. This will kill any algae, mold or mildew that has formed in the pipe.

    If the condensate drain line is clogged, you will need to use a wet-dry vacuum or a special pump to unclog the line.

    Related: What is an AC Vacuum Pump?

    Editorial Contributors
    avatar for Danny Lipford

    Danny Lipford

    Founder

    Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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