Keep Your Drain Lines Flowing
When you are cooling your home, both heat and moisture are removed from the warm humid air inside your home. The collected water is drained out of your system and removed from your home. A typical HVAC system has several ways to drain the water to prevent equipment malfunction from water buildup or damage to your home from leaks.
The primary way the water is removed is by the condensate drain line. Moisture builds up on the evaporator coil inside the indoor unit (usually located in the attic) and collects in a drip pan – also inside the indoor unit – and then flows out the condensate drain line.
Sometimes there is a blockage in the condensate drain line and the water will drip out of the indoor unit and into an overflow pan which is located underneath it. The overflow pan also has its own drain line to the outside of your home.
If there is buildup of water in the overflow pan, or if water is dripping out the overflow drain line, it indicates a clog or blockage with the primary condensate drain line and your drain line should be serviced.
How can I tell if I have a clog in my drain line?
If water is collecting in your overflow pan, it may indicate a clog in your condensate drain line. If the water continues to build up in the overflow pan, it may also indicate a clog in the overflow drain line.
Other symptoms of a clog include:
- Musty, moldy smell near your indoor unit or in air from the registers/vents
- Standing water or water damage near the indoor unit
- AC system is not working properly
- If Carolina Air installed your system, we wire the thermostat to go blank when the float switch trips due to water in the primary drain or the secondary drain pan.
What causes a blockage or clog?
The most common reason for a clog is a buildup of dirt, dust, rust, lint and other common debris in your drain line.
What can I do to clear a blockage?
If you suspect that you have a clog, we recommend that you contact us for service on your system.
Is there a DIY remedy?
Yes, Do-It-Yourselfers can use a Shop Vac to remove the water, by attaching the Vac to the terminal outlet of the primary and/or secondary drain line. Be advised that this does not always remove all the clog and a secondary clog may occur.
What can I do to prevent a clog?
By far, the easiest way to prevent a clog is to have a Service Agreement with Carolina Air. With a Service Agreement, we come out twice a year to service your system. We inspect and clean your drain lines.
How can I protect my home from leaking water?
We can install a float switch on your system. If too much water drips into the overflow pan, the float switch will shut down the system. It will stop dripping and prevent water from leaking out of the overflow pan and causing damage to your home.
The Best Fix for Drain Clogs
There are two ways that Carolina Air typically removes drain clogs from the system. The traditional method is to use a Shop Vac to pull the clog from the drain lines. While this usually works well, about 30% of the time we need to make a second visit because of latent clogs that get loosened but not removed with the first service. Unfortunately, the second visit results in an additional service charge.
We highly recommend service with Drain Solve as the best way to remove drain clogs. Drain Solve is an alkaline-based drain opener that we trap in the drain line for 30 minutes and flush out with water. It is effective 99% of the time, and there is no need for a second visit.
Cost of Shop Vac vs Drain Solve:
Shop Vac Service: $199.00 per visit.
Drain Solve Service: $238 if performed at the time of routine maintenance visit on Carolina Air installed equipment. $297 regular price. Drain Solve Service includes a one-year warranty should the pipe clog again.
We recommend service with Drain Solve
