✅ They sell a product at amazon that you pour into the drain pan every 6 months. amzn.to/2XJP8MG ✅ SUBSCRIBE: For more useful DIY home remodeling tips: bit.ly/2vj06cB
@@trishalimon4874 Bleach has never cleared clogged lines, and all it does is stink up the place. The only thing that clears out a logged line is the abrasive force of high pressure water or compressed air. the AC pros use compressed air. Once you get the clog out, pour in AC pan treatment liquid into the pan.
Thanks this worked for us! We had water coming from the same drain pipe onto the floor. I just popped one of the PVC elbow joints apart, cut the threads off a garden hose, wrapped duct tape around the tip to match the size of the pipe to keep it water tight, and finally ran the hose at full blast. We had the same mold and fungus come out the other end outside by the AC unit. You saved us alot of money thanks again!
Coupla hints. 1. The end of the drain should not rest on ground. Bugs and vegetation. Cut it back to where it's an inch above ground. 2. Suck on it w shop vac at beginning and end of season. 3. A shot of eco-friendly dish soap in the pan will inhibit mold. NO bleach.
Our HVAC system would not power on. After watching this, I removed the top of the white safety switch, and sure enough, there was water, and the HVAC came on immediately. Oh my gosh. This was so helpful. I'm so thankful that there are honest people in this world. Thank you so much!
Thank you! I don't know a thing about air conditioners, but saw about a gallon of water pooled outside by the drain line, and didn't know if that's how my mobile is plumbed, or had a clog going to the septic where the overflow drain was now being used so it didn't backup in the house. It's videos like these where we single female homeowners can diagnose and take care of things we're able to without incurring the $150 fees that I just cannot afford right now on a fixed income. You've been a huge blessing!! Thank you so much, and thank God He directed me to this video. One of the first to pop up.
It's all good to google information we had a clogged drain line n my friend happened to have an HVAC company. It took onf 5 minutes to unclog. He helped us and wouldn't take the money
So it was midnight tonight when we noticed the A/C wasn’t coming on. I went the HVAC route and nothing for over an hour on both ends. I then surrendered to UA-cam and came across this video. You solved my problem in less than 5 min! The drain was full of gunk and the HVAC air pressure wasn’t able to suction it out, but the water pressure sure did the trick. As I type this I feel the air in the house getting cooler! Thank you!
I installed a three-quarter inch ball valve where the PVC comes out of the air conditioning, that way I can close the valve and force water down the line in it doesn’t go back into my unit. Once I’m done I open the ball valve back up and I’m all set to go, thank you for your wonderful video.
JDP, Yes, we have seen people install these before, that is very useful, even for when the AC companies come to serve your unit, because they prefer to use compressed air rather than water to avoid leaks, but your ball valve method works for both air and water blow outs.
Super helpful!!! Cleaned out our A/C drainpipe with your modified hose suggestion and viola!! Drain was cleared of all the gunk and the A/C is running again. Thank you very much for posting the how to!!!
My drain line was completely blocked so I had my doubts that this would work. However, it worked like a charm! I had to create a bit of a seal with my hand around where the hose goes into the drain line, but as soon as the blockage gave way I felt it in the hose's water flow immediately and now everything is as it should be. Thanks Jeff!
Yes it was sort of funny she is hard-of-hearing and didn't know that I was already talking and filming at that moment. By the way a little sad ending for her she passed away back in March after falling down in her house she had a really badd fall last year where she was in the hospital for a few months and this time she fell down one last time and it was perminent. So now we have her immortalized in this is probably the last audio recording anybody has of her.
@@jeffostroff that's so sad! Originally I wrote girl until I saw her in the vid and updated the comment. Currently having a issue where my secondary drain line is dripping water out. No interior damage. I can't find where the primary is. So I watched this video.
I would like to remind everyone, that if you have a furnace/AC unit in the attic sitting inside the drip pan, please caulk silicone the corners of the pan. It's cheap metal rolled at the corners and most of the time, it's not a 100% seal. If your pan fills up with water, it will never trip the water sensor (because the water won't get high enough since it leaks at the bottom corner), and you'll wake up to a beautiful ceiling mural of dripping drywall.
This happened inside of my newly remodeled ceiling 😳. After tearing out the mushy drywall I’d just wasted $1500 on … found the leaky drip pan just leaking away.
You can use a wet vac as well on the outside condinsate line. This is needed at times when the A\C is upstairs and running a hose can flood the Attic. Attach the suction hose to the outside condinsate line and use tape or your hand to create a seal while vacuuming out the line.
I was wondering how to do this if your ac unit is in the attic. I had water dripping from my ceiling this past weekend and someone suggested doing this.
I'm an A/C service technician. I always add water mixed with a little bleach to drain lines and traps on every service or preventative maintenance call. Also, you DO have a trap. Where your line goes under the floor, and turns back up outside, that is actually a trap. It's not a trap that you would normally see on a system, or for that matter, it may not have been installed that way to create a trap, but it did create a trap of sorts. Also, if a system has the blower before the drain pan (A push thru coil), you don't have to have a trap. On the other hand, a system with the blower after the drain pan, (A pull thru coil), does require a drain trap.
Yes I always wondered why the trap that comes up outside out of the ground does not satisfy the city inspectors and I believe that is because of you look at the directions for installation from most AC manufacturers common they want the trump to be within a few inches of the outside of that drain Pan.
You earned a new subscriber today!! This same issue has happened in the past, but this time instead of calling a repairman, I fixed it all by myself! I had to angle the safety valve & that's when all the water started gushing out. Your tip about the waterhose helped too. AC is back up & running 😊 Thanks for this diy video!
Our float switch also was not tripped, but we had water everywhere. We don't have a hose or shopvac, so we tried compressed air. Surprisingly, it worked! Thank you.
When we moved in to the our new home the builder advised us to pour 1 cup of vinegar down the drain line every time we change the air filters to prevent the slime build up.
When my a/c shut off the first time, I was very upset (because it was August and insanely hot and humid), and I just had the a/c replaced due to another costly problem!). So I was beside myself having to spend yet more money I didn't have on a new unexpected repair! The a/c tech said to put 1/2 - 1 cup vinegar down that drain tube monthly, but as it got hotter in the Summer, it no longer worked and must have completely clogged! So I went looking for solutions other than hot water or vinegar, and this sounds like it will do the trick. I just need to find a piece of that vinyl tubing so that I can stick the end of the garden hose into it easily on a regular basis. Thank You so Much !!!!!
Excellent help. I had water everywhere next to my unit in the basment everytime I turned on the AC. I disconnect the tube and water poured out. I put a bucket underneath while I took the terminal portion of the tube into the yard and blew water through it. I reconnected the tube and turned on the AC and it was fine. It was just a matter of having a clog. Thanks!
Lol I purchased a new thermostat last night in Amazon and today your video fixed it. Thermostat was going black and coming back on and going black again and the pipe was full of water. I flushed with the water hose and everything looks just fine now. Thank you so much bro!
Omg my landlord made it sound so difficult to do this and it was never done. 3 years later I found this video and I unclogged my AC drain 🤗 thank you so much for making this video.
the landlord can be sued for that. it's their responsibility by law to fix these systems if they break. i'm not a litigious person but going 3 years with that issue is pretty serious. hope you had a window unit at least
Thank y ou for this tip. I know this video is old, but today walked into a utility room with about 1/4 inch of water.... I thought Hot water heater at first but after looking around found that water was seeping back up out of the cement where the ac drain goes into.. While I dont have an auto shut off, i wasnt fortunate to have easy access into that pipe, but using a snake camera i was able to locate where it was at... It was a few inches thick and 100% blocked so I couldnt just blast it out... I used a long bendable rod to get to it, jab it a few times to break it apart some, and then used high pressure from the hose to blow the rest out.. I appreciate the tip and it saved me $$ from calling someone out.
Does that work for clogs? I have a drain line that I can't access from the inside (line is inside of walled-off room that's only accessible through 1'x1' hatch)...so my only solutions are: (a) WetVac end of pipe like you did; or (b) pour cleaner through coils and hope it dissolves the clog
THANK YOU. MAN, first time homeowner issue. The house is old, the AC is about 15 years old, and I moved from Chicago IL to MS, so lots of firsts and changes, had the AC guy out a handful of times to fix my ACs (4 on this house, 4700sq ft) and then after the recent hurricane that hit LA, but we got the rain wall by the AL border, I thought it was seeping upwards from the foundation. Patched that, still happening. Then I thought it was seeping from the 2 of the 3 bathrooms upstairs. Drained them with the shopvac and turned them off. Still happening. THEN thought it was the AC, will try this.
@@jeffostroff It did. IT was exactly this issue. Thank you again. Edit: My drain pipe is then routed to a fish tank pump, again, not my doing, I'm guessing the fish tank pump is acting as the trap. Is that a normal setup?
Way to go guys! this was an awesome and very informative video. My my 2 year old Nest thermostat suddenly reported no power coming into the unit. Now it makes sense! The float valve shuts off power to the thermostat. I guess I'd have eventually figured it out, but it's over 100 degrees outside and my brain was shutting down. All I had to do was simply lift the float valve out of the tube and the unit instantly came on. We went ahead and poured some bleach down the ol' tube for good measure. This is Mike A. in Austin Texas.
So awesome!! Tysm! Totally worked! I had to cut the pipe and when I did, so much pressure and water squirting out! Put the hose nozzle on high and some stuff came out of the drain outside. Reconnected w a coupler and voila!! Like magic! :) On a side note, I change the filters every 3 months so I imagine this was never cleaned out prior to our ownership. Thanks again!
What filter? I'm new to owning a Central AC system. I lived in a condo for most of my adult life. Are you talking about the paper/metal/carbon 20"x30"x1" filters (obviously different for each intake size). OR is there a filter inside the metal housing that needs to also be swapped out? Since I replaced the 20x30x1 one with permanent filters that I vacuum out every month. Since I know when I looked inside my AC in the office/workout room closet in the master's wing of the house, there's also a weird metal filter that's installed on a 30-45 degree angle as well. Maybe 1/8th in thick. Kind of reminds me of the range filter above my cook top.
I was going psychotic the night before thanksgiving leak coming under my ac filter I saw your video And trace the pipe lines took your advice boom it works thanks bro ....it’s hard when you’re prep cooking and fixing ac same time
Probably a good idea to et it insulated, very few people do it. The overflow is required by code, so if drain pipe backs up, the rising water trips the float switch and shuts off the AC, preventing a flood
Brother you have saved me a ton of 💵 Thank you for taking the time to provide instructions on how to unclog my AC. We now have cool air flowing inside 😁
Great info! My late aunts AC is doing that, only problem is the her’s is inside a closet in the hallway so I don’t know if I can reach it, plus we had to have her windows nailed closed because of break ins so we’d need a long hose to get to the leaking unit. Maybe I’ll try the wet/dry vac trick some others have suggested.
Thank you for this. My thermo kept powering off. After looking outside at my drain line, there was a clog. Sprayed a hose up there to clear it ou, and the thermostat turned right on, saving me a service call.
Not only very helpful but it kept me listening! Some of this videos just the voice of the person talking make you wanna look for another video hehe! Well done dude! 💪
@@jeffostroff as soon as I finished watching the video, I pulled out the water hose...boom! Out went the gunk and no m ore water leaks in the garage.‼️
Almost spent $1900 on a new hot water tank, MM Comfort came out, said no it’s the ac unit. They said the drain pipe is clogged. Now we can do the rest ourselves and save a lot of money.Have to flush the pipe under the house and I think that is all we need to do except replace flooring in the house from the water damage. Nice to have a company we can trust, cost me a trip fee and an hour’s work. I’ll take it!
In my 1980s house on a slab, I believe my AC condensation drain goes under the slab and drains into the septic tank. The toilets, tub, and sinks are also routed that way. On your outside drain, a copper wire mesh stuffed in the end of the tube will allow water to flow, but also keep mice from crawling in.
Mine turns from pan to straight down, under house then outside. Theres a metal pipe right above the drain in the pan and such an angle I 1 never saw it 2 couldnt get a hose angled and hooked up. Had my son watch the inside pan while I sprayed drain from outside. After 15 minutes we finally got everything out! Thank you for the help!
Mine got clogged and i used an air compressor to unclogged, worked pretty good too, i didn’t want to use the water house because the a/c unit is located in the attic, but thanks for the help
I purchased a house last year, had allot of issues with this because the original drain went inside the wall, into the concrete foundation and exit the house. That wall we ended up opening up due to mold and saw the original drain where it entered the concrete was cracked. Whoever replaced the drain didn’t put enough of a slope on it and ended up coming back into the house. Redone the drain from pan to outside, put a shut off valve, P-Trap, vent line, put a spigot on the vent line so in future can attach a hose to it to flush it and then drilled a hole through the concrete wall for the drain to exit the house. Haven’t had any issues since. But did have to clean the coils due to dust as I forgot to replace the filter for a few months.
You can also pour a cap or 2 full of bleach in the pan by pulling the float switch off and pour the bleach through that. Works for me! Very informative video! Thanks!!
You can use a wire brush to clean out the remaining pipe near the unit. It's a special brush that is connected to a something that looks like a wire. The wire is firm and long!! Yes, it needs a trap! Good job!
@@jeffostroff There is a sensor that tells my ac to shut off if the water in the drain pan gets to a certain height. When that happens, I get the error code on my Nest and know that I have to suck water out of drain pan and then go out and suck it out of the drain to the yard. I’m new at this and have been paying the HVAC guy $100 every few months to come out and fix it. I change my filters every month because I have indoor bunnies - that really should be bald due to the amount of fur they shed. I decided to do it myself and bought a little shop vac. It wasn’t strong enough (2 hp) so I’m returning for a 5 hp. It really is easy to do and I should have been doing this instead of paying the guy. I didn’t know that you are able to purchase stuff to keep the drain pipe clean! So THANK YOU for that info and I just ordered some.
The only time I had a drain clog, I used a drain buster plunger filled with hot water and it worked straight away. Now I pour a cup or two of vinegar in the drain every month. No more clog.
Jeff thank you so much for the video. What should you do when the leak seems to be coming driectly from the plastic drain pan directly under the coils? How do you unblock that?
Thanks for the vid! I literally just got done fixing this same exact issue on mine. You saved me loads of time and money! I knew the line was getting clogged but stupid me neglected to take action. Today I see water all around my unit and the line is clogged to the brim. For some reason, the float valve was angled in such a way that it wouldn't trigger if water filled up. So I had to fix that too. Flooded the line and got lots of gunk out. Then I blew some compressed air in there for good measure. Also went ahead and changed the filter. Dumped a little vinegar in the drain pipe and she's purring like a kitten again.
@@jeffostroff dirt getting into drain line or into handler through the part where a filter would be? I ask because I am in Florida, it happens 2x a year too. Im trying no filter because even the thinnest seem to overwork the machine. But wondering if no filter adds to the drain pipe clog problem?? Tyia
If you notice in your video it shows a green sticker on your coil case. The manufacturer recommends a trap. The trap is necessary to let the water drain out of the pan Do to adverse airflow in the pan sometimes keeps the water from running out like it should.
Yup, I have shown that to many people before. 2 weeks ago I showed the sticker (red on on his) and how the installer never did the trap. On one of my flip condos last year we replaced the AC and I made sure my AC repair guys used a trap.
Thanks - opened my drain line today and it was solid - full of crud. Punched a hole in the crud with a fiberglass stick as far as I could reach in the tube and the hose in. Bada-Boom Bada-Big - clean! Just like that. So thanks for the how to.
Pull off the stop on-off sensor- blow pressure air into the pipe, should be enough to clear the pipe. After that add Clorox and water to clean up your pipes, put back the sensor on and you should be ok to run your unit for enlist three months.
I had this happen this weekend. I hooked my shop vac up to the pipe drain end outside and wrapped a towel around for better seal. It’s draining again. But I’m gonna flush with the hose too now for good measure if mine will separate like yours did.
I had the same problem in my old house and just recently our new house. I use a shop vac on the outside of the drain line and suck all that goop out. I found your video looking for something to place in the A-Coil tray to kill and prevent the algae from growing. I'll add clean the coils at least every year and stay on top of your filter changes.
@@jeffostroff I just saved myself a service call. BTW, there was no tigon tubing link. I had solid plastic piping all the way and no float either! So I took my hacksaw and cut out a link in the plastic tubing so now it looks like what you showed, and I'm going to flush it out after lunch. Lastly, that goop is a combination of mold and bacterial biofilm...take it from this Ph.D. microbiologist...and in all probability Legionella pneumophilia, the etiological agent of Legionnaires' Disease, is present in that goop, so DON'T touch it. THANKS again for the informative video.
@@rogerorcutt5830 Interesting you should point that out about the bacteria because many times in the past I have seen stories on legionnaires disease in its always traced to an air conditioner or and ice maker at a hotel.
Steady Stream is the only in-line AC condensate pump on the market today! When a clog occurs the water level sensor activates the pump and it clears the line. Fully automated with programmable timer.
Years ago before I got a new AC my old system had a clogged drain and when it was flushed from inside in the gunk from the drain pipe was the remains of a dead garden snake! So a screen on the end of the drain pipe would block them from slithering up into your drain pipe.
Good info, but my system is nothing like this one. On my A/C there is no way to access the drain line at the source. What I did, was use my wet/dry shop vac to vacuum the line at the termination point outside the house. Worked like a champ.
Yes a lot of people report using the sop vac method. In my Ac we have no access really, but we can sort of stick the bare end of the hose at a right angle into the pan and find that opening into the pipe, and give it a quick 2 second burst of water.
Hi. This was amazing video my mom ac unit is having a clog issue at her housemate how do I unclog it if its connected to sewage line. Because it's not a Poe outside like that.
✅ They sell a product at amazon that you pour into the drain pan every 6 months. amzn.to/2XJP8MG
✅ SUBSCRIBE: For more useful DIY home remodeling tips: bit.ly/2vj06cB
jeffostroff for a Clogged AC drain line, use a small amount of bleach. Should clear it in no time!!
@@trishalimon4874 Bleach has never cleared clogged lines, and all it does is stink up the place. The only thing that clears out a logged line is the abrasive force of high pressure water or compressed air. the AC pros use compressed air. Once you get the clog out, pour in AC pan treatment liquid into the pan.
Thanks this worked for us! We had water coming from the same drain pipe onto the floor. I just popped one of the PVC elbow joints apart, cut the threads off a garden hose, wrapped duct tape around the tip to match the size of the pipe to keep it water tight, and finally ran the hose at full blast. We had the same mold and fungus come out the other end outside by the AC unit. You saved us alot of money thanks again!
@@veronicapruim8347 That is awesome, I'm so glad to hear you were bale to get your line cleared using our video!
Coupla hints.
1. The end of the drain should not rest on ground. Bugs and vegetation. Cut it back to where it's an inch above ground.
2. Suck on it w shop vac at beginning and end of season.
3. A shot of eco-friendly dish soap in the pan will inhibit mold.
NO bleach.
Our HVAC system would not power on. After watching this, I removed the top of the white safety switch, and sure enough, there was water, and the HVAC came on immediately. Oh my gosh. This was so helpful. I'm so thankful that there are honest people in this world. Thank you so much!
Thank you! I don't know a thing about air conditioners, but saw about a gallon of water pooled outside by the drain line, and didn't know if that's how my mobile is plumbed, or had a clog going to the septic where the overflow drain was now being used so it didn't backup in the house. It's videos like these where we single female homeowners can diagnose and take care of things we're able to without incurring the $150 fees that I just cannot afford right now on a fixed income. You've been a huge blessing!! Thank you so much, and thank God He directed me to this video. One of the first to pop up.
That is great news and I'm glad to help out that's why I put these videos up to help you see save money from spending it on the plumbers
It's all good to google information we had a clogged drain line n my friend happened to have an HVAC company. It took onf 5 minutes to unclog. He helped us and wouldn't take the money
God is good indeed.
Years later and your video is still saving livelihoods! I just got my A/C to come back on thanks to your video!
Awesome I love that it's the gift that keeps on giving
So it was midnight tonight when we noticed the A/C wasn’t coming on. I went the HVAC route and nothing for over an hour on both ends. I then surrendered to UA-cam and came across this video. You solved my problem in less than 5 min! The drain was full of gunk and the HVAC air pressure wasn’t able to suction it out, but the water pressure sure did the trick. As I type this I feel the air in the house getting cooler! Thank you!
Awesome news Hernan, glad to rescue another one!
Fixed my HVAC pipe at midnight, with a long wooden spoon handle and a watering can! Thank you!!!!!!
Love those midnight repairs!
my air had been off 2 days, you helped me find the issue thanks!
Awesome glad to help out thanks for watching our video!
I installed a three-quarter inch ball valve where the PVC comes out of the air conditioning, that way I can close the valve and force water down the line in it doesn’t go back into my unit. Once I’m done I open the ball valve back up and I’m all set to go, thank you for your wonderful video.
JDP, Yes, we have seen people install these before, that is very useful, even for when the AC companies come to serve your unit, because they prefer to use compressed air rather than water to avoid leaks, but your ball valve method works for both air and water blow outs.
Your instructions saved me a visit for a professional and who knows how much money... Thank you!
Super helpful!!! Cleaned out our A/C drainpipe with your modified hose suggestion and viola!! Drain was cleared of all the gunk and the A/C is running again. Thank you very much for posting the how to!!!
My drain line was completely blocked so I had my doubts that this would work. However, it worked like a charm! I had to create a bit of a seal with my hand around where the hose goes into the drain line, but as soon as the blockage gave way I felt it in the hose's water flow immediately and now everything is as it should be. Thanks Jeff!
Michael, awesome, glad to hear of your success with our tips.
I like how the sweet old woman in the back keeps replying to him as if he's conversing with her and not the camera.
Yes it was sort of funny she is hard-of-hearing and didn't know that I was already talking and filming at that moment. By the way a little sad ending for her she passed away back in March after falling down in her house she had a really badd fall last year where she was in the hospital for a few months and this time she fell down one last time and it was perminent. So now we have her immortalized in this is probably the last audio recording anybody has of her.
@@jeffostroff that's so sad! Originally I wrote girl until I saw her in the vid and updated the comment. Currently having a issue where my secondary drain line is dripping water out. No interior damage. I can't find where the primary is. So I watched this video.
@@jeffostroff sorry
@@jeffostroff well that last sentence gave me some chills there
@@jeffostroff Sorry to hear that man
I would like to remind everyone, that if you have a furnace/AC unit in the attic sitting inside the drip pan, please caulk silicone the corners of the pan. It's cheap metal rolled at the corners and most of the time, it's not a 100% seal. If your pan fills up with water, it will never trip the water sensor (because the water won't get high enough since it leaks at the bottom corner), and you'll wake up to a beautiful ceiling mural of dripping drywall.
Good point thanks
Going thru that exact thing now
This happened inside of my newly remodeled ceiling 😳. After tearing out the mushy drywall I’d just wasted $1500 on … found the leaky drip pan just leaking away.
Thanks, did this tonight along with clearing the water pan out and I'm back in action.
Excellent tip, thank you very much!!!
You can use a wet vac as well on the outside condinsate line. This is needed at times when the A\C is upstairs and running a hose can flood the Attic. Attach the suction hose to the outside condinsate line and use tape or your hand to create a seal while vacuuming out the line.
Correct William! We just covered exactly what you said in another video we uploaded last week here: ua-cam.com/video/733SqRsF69U/v-deo.html
Thanks, never thought of that. Sustained a bit of water damage to flooring because I was to lazy to bring in water hose and clean line out.
I will try this trick i pour bleach but still drip movement
I was wondering how to do this if your ac unit is in the attic. I had water dripping from my ceiling this past weekend and someone suggested doing this.
Wet vac for attic unit!!
I'm an A/C service technician. I always add water mixed with a little bleach to drain lines and traps on every service or preventative maintenance call. Also, you DO have a trap. Where your line goes under the floor, and turns back up outside, that is actually a trap. It's not a trap that you would normally see on a system, or for that matter, it may not have been installed that way to create a trap, but it did create a trap of sorts. Also, if a system has the blower before the drain pan (A push thru coil), you don't have to have a trap. On the other hand, a system with the blower after the drain pan, (A pull thru coil), does require a drain trap.
Yes I always wondered why the trap that comes up outside out of the ground does not satisfy the city inspectors and I believe that is because of you look at the directions for installation from most AC manufacturers common they want the trump to be within a few inches of the outside of that drain Pan.
You are doing it wrong. Bleach will eat that pipe. Quit telling people this.
No. The trap needs to be immediately after the condensate pipe leaves the coil.
@@lerch400block It doesn't have to be. Mobile homes are usually under the trailer. As long as there's a trap, it doesn't matter where.
@lerch400block No it won't. You flush it with water and a small amount of bleach. Not straight bleach. I've done HVAC for 25 years.
You earned a new subscriber today!! This same issue has happened in the past, but this time instead of calling a repairman, I fixed it all by myself! I had to angle the safety valve & that's when all the water started gushing out. Your tip about the waterhose helped too. AC is back up & running 😊 Thanks for this diy video!
Our float switch also was not tripped, but we had water everywhere. We don't have a hose or shopvac, so we tried compressed air. Surprisingly, it worked! Thank you.
Yes that i what most AC repairs companies use, they don't want to risk leaks
When we moved in to the our new home the builder advised us to pour 1 cup of vinegar down the drain line every time we change the air filters to prevent the slime build up.
Same here. Seems to work!
When my a/c shut off the first time, I was very upset (because it was August and insanely hot and humid), and I just had the a/c replaced due to another costly problem!).
So I was beside myself having to spend yet more money I didn't have on a new unexpected repair!
The a/c tech said to put 1/2 - 1 cup vinegar down that drain tube monthly, but as it got hotter in the Summer, it no longer worked and must have completely clogged!
So I went looking for solutions other than hot water or vinegar, and this sounds like it will do the trick.
I just need to find a piece of that vinyl tubing so that I can stick the end of the garden hose into it easily on a regular basis.
Thank You so Much !!!!!
Excellent help. I had water everywhere next to my unit in the basment everytime I turned on the AC. I disconnect the tube and water poured out. I put a bucket underneath while I took the terminal portion of the tube into the yard and blew water through it. I reconnected the tube and turned on the AC and it was fine. It was just a matter of having a clog. Thanks!
Thank you, this video saved me a lot of money. I did the hose cleaning myself and it was gnarly. YOU RULE! Many blessings to you and your family.
Glad it helped
@@jeffostroff duuuude. You are the man. My AC is working perfectly now thanks to your video tutorial.
@@birdmansclambake a
Lol I purchased a new thermostat last night in Amazon and today your video fixed it. Thermostat was going black and coming back on and going black again and the pipe was full of water. I flushed with the water hose and everything looks just fine now. Thank you so much bro!
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!
Omg my landlord made it sound so difficult to do this and it was never done. 3 years later I found this video and I unclogged my AC drain 🤗 thank you so much for making this video.
Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video!
the landlord can be sued for that. it's their responsibility by law to fix these systems if they break. i'm not a litigious person but going 3 years with that issue is pretty serious. hope you had a window unit at least
Fixed my ac in my apartment at 10pm it went out!!!! Thank you so much!
Glad it helped!
Thank y ou for this tip. I know this video is old, but today walked into a utility room with about 1/4 inch of water.... I thought Hot water heater at first but after looking around found that water was seeping back up out of the cement where the ac drain goes into.. While I dont have an auto shut off, i wasnt fortunate to have easy access into that pipe, but using a snake camera i was able to locate where it was at... It was a few inches thick and 100% blocked so I couldnt just blast it out... I used a long bendable rod to get to it, jab it a few times to break it apart some, and then used high pressure from the hose to blow the rest out.. I appreciate the tip and it saved me $$ from calling someone out.
I used a wet/dry vac on the outside pipe for years and that worked great!!
Does that work for clogs? I have a drain line that I can't access from the inside (line is inside of walled-off room that's only accessible through 1'x1' hatch)...so my only solutions are: (a) WetVac end of pipe like you did; or (b) pour cleaner through coils and hope it dissolves the clog
@@kidzbop38isstraightfire92 is should work
@@officeroinker440 it did...it fixed my clog that the AC repair company blamed on dirty Evap coils
@@kidzbop38isstraightfire92 Nice! Glad it worked out. Yeah A/C company's will try and screw you even if they know it's a quick fix.
You saved us $100's of Dollars, it's truly as easy as you show it to be. Just getting ready to call a Professional and looked this up. Thank you,
Glad I could help thanks for watching Janice!
THANK YOU. MAN, first time homeowner issue. The house is old, the AC is about 15 years old, and I moved from Chicago IL to MS, so lots of firsts and changes, had the AC guy out a handful of times to fix my ACs (4 on this house, 4700sq ft) and then after the recent hurricane that hit LA, but we got the rain wall by the AL border, I thought it was seeping upwards from the foundation. Patched that, still happening. Then I thought it was seeping from the 2 of the 3 bathrooms upstairs. Drained them with the shopvac and turned them off. Still happening. THEN thought it was the AC, will try this.
Hope this works for you
@@jeffostroff It did. IT was exactly this issue. Thank you again. Edit: My drain pipe is then routed to a fish tank pump, again, not my doing, I'm guessing the fish tank pump is acting as the trap. Is that a normal setup?
Life saver! Thank you. I had to add a little bleach to mine but now I know how to maintain it myself. Without needing any help!
Great video! I just got my AC back on using your video. Thank you!
Just fixed mine thanks to this video! Keep up the good work, thank you!
Saved me a few minutes ago. Came from work and water nearly overfllow in living room. Did same thing and cleaned all clog. 🤜🤛
Way to go guys! this was an awesome and very informative video. My my 2 year old Nest thermostat suddenly reported no power coming into the unit. Now it makes sense! The float valve shuts off power to the thermostat. I guess I'd have eventually figured it out, but it's over 100 degrees outside and my brain was shutting down. All I had to do was simply lift the float valve out of the tube and the unit instantly came on. We went ahead and poured some bleach down the ol' tube for good measure. This is Mike A. in Austin Texas.
So awesome!! Tysm! Totally worked! I had to cut the pipe and when I did, so much pressure and water squirting out! Put the hose nozzle on high and some stuff came out of the drain outside. Reconnected w a coupler and voila!! Like magic! :) On a side note, I change the filters every 3 months so I imagine this was never cleaned out prior to our ownership. Thanks again!
Great job! We have another video showing you an easier method with a shop vac ua-cam.com/video/733SqRsF69U/v-deo.html
What filter? I'm new to owning a Central AC system. I lived in a condo for most of my adult life. Are you talking about the paper/metal/carbon 20"x30"x1" filters (obviously different for each intake size). OR is there a filter inside the metal housing that needs to also be swapped out? Since I replaced the 20x30x1 one with permanent filters that I vacuum out every month. Since I know when I looked inside my AC in the office/workout room closet in the master's wing of the house, there's also a weird metal filter that's installed on a 30-45 degree angle as well. Maybe 1/8th in thick. Kind of reminds me of the range filter above my cook top.
Thank you so much! This did the trick and now our A/C is running again. I owe you one! :-)
Glad it helped! Way to go Sarah
Thank you for the video. I was stuck with a similar situation water was backing up everywhere. This worked awesome and saved me an HVAC service call.
Great to hear!
I was going psychotic the night before thanksgiving leak coming under my ac filter I saw your video And trace the pipe lines took your advice boom it works thanks bro ....it’s hard when you’re prep cooking and fixing ac same time
Glad I could help Ziggy!
Thank you for being straight forward. I was able to fix my clog and go back to enjoying my weekend!
This helped us fix our issue so fast (and free). Thank you!
You're welcome!
Why is there a pipe insulator on the drip line? I didn't know about that overflow gadget. Most helpful video I've watched about this. Now to fix mine.
Probably a good idea to et it insulated, very few people do it. The overflow is required by code, so if drain pipe backs up, the rising water trips the float switch and shuts off the AC, preventing a flood
thanks Jeff!! Your video just saved me $200!!
You are welcome!
Brother you have saved me a ton of 💵 Thank you for taking the time to provide instructions on how to unclog my AC. We now have cool air flowing inside 😁
Glad it helped and thanks for watching!
Great info! My late aunts AC is doing that, only problem is the her’s is inside a closet in the hallway so I don’t know if I can reach it, plus we had to have her windows nailed closed because of break ins so we’d need a long hose to get to the leaking unit. Maybe I’ll try the wet/dry vac trick some others have suggested.
We have a video on that, very easy to do it
I just fixed mines!!! This is why I love youtube!! Thanks jeffostroff
Awesome glad it worked out for your!
Thank God for this video. My brother and I fix my mom AC together
This needs to go viral
OK start sharing it!🤲
Used this today and it worked great. Thanks for posting!
Way to go Matthew glad to hear this video still helping people 3 years later
Thank you for this. My thermo kept powering off. After looking outside at my drain line, there was a clog. Sprayed a hose up there to clear it ou, and the thermostat turned right on, saving me a service call.
Omg thank you. You saved us a big bill. Thanks again. It worked perfectly. There was so much slime. Yuck. Thanks
Glad I could help!
jeffostroff be blessed! Thank you.
Not only very helpful but it kept me listening! Some of this videos just the voice of the person talking make you wanna look for another video hehe! Well done dude! 💪
Glad it was helpful! thanks for watching Alvis
@@jeffostroff I subscribe to your channel dude! Looking forward for more videos! Stay safe!
you are awesome for helping this sweet, elderly lady...and for this solution! thanks! :)
You are welcome and you are awesome for watching our video thanks
Super helpful. Just had to unclog my ac line. Ty for posting! 😁😁
Thanks for this trick. I have been scratching my head to figure out how to clean our drain line. Thank you again.
Glad to help
@@jeffostroff as soon as I finished watching the video, I pulled out the water hose...boom!
Out went the gunk and no m ore water leaks in the garage.‼️
@@ChintuaAlozie awesome glad to help!
Saved me $700 today. Thank you!
Thank you, life saver! Middle of the night fix
Almost spent $1900 on a new hot water tank, MM Comfort came out, said no it’s the ac unit. They said the drain pipe is clogged. Now we can do the rest ourselves and save a lot of money.Have to flush the pipe under the house and I think that is all we need to do except replace flooring in the house from the water damage. Nice to have a company we can trust, cost me a trip fee and an hour’s work. I’ll take it!
In my 1980s house on a slab, I believe my AC condensation drain goes under the slab and drains into the septic tank. The toilets, tub, and sinks are also routed that way.
On your outside drain, a copper wire mesh stuffed in the end of the tube will allow water to flow, but also keep mice from crawling in.
Hell yeah, super informative. I like that you explained the various ways to clean it and what the different parts do. Thank you
Thanks Brian, I'm glad you liked it!
Mine turns from pan to straight down, under house then outside. Theres a metal pipe right above the drain in the pan and such an angle I 1 never saw it 2 couldnt get a hose angled and hooked up. Had my son watch the inside pan while I sprayed drain from outside. After 15 minutes we finally got everything out! Thank you for the help!
I have the same exact problem! I was really upset. This video saved me from so many headaches. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you... I fix mine thanks to this video 👍
Awesome Jose, way to go!
When my ac lines were clogged , I used a waterproof vacuum outside to get all the dirt and dirty water and it worked
Yes, this works for a lot of people. But also the hose if much better at using mechanical force to completely clean out the pipes.
jeffostroff if it gets dirty again I’ll be sure to us a hose thank you 😃
Same thing I did( vacuum) ...painters didnt cover ac intake, it helped yet still froze up.....
@@keripieffer5834 People love this vacuum trick.
We've tried that with our AC unit ... but it didn't work for us :(
Mine got clogged and i used an air compressor to unclogged, worked pretty good too, i didn’t want to use the water house because the a/c unit is located in the attic, but thanks for the help
AIr works too, as well as using a shop vac on the pipe outside the house
I know this is one year later but what kind of air compressor do I use??
I purchased a house last year, had allot of issues with this because the original drain went inside the wall, into the concrete foundation and exit the house. That wall we ended up opening up due to mold and saw the original drain where it entered the concrete was cracked. Whoever replaced the drain didn’t put enough of a slope on it and ended up coming back into the house. Redone the drain from pan to outside, put a shut off valve, P-Trap, vent line, put a spigot on the vent line so in future can attach a hose to it to flush it and then drilled a hole through the concrete wall for the drain to exit the house. Haven’t had any issues since. But did have to clean the coils due to dust as I forgot to replace the filter for a few months.
That would be a cool video to see!
Because of you I fixed it like a pro
08/26/24 ❤
You can also pour a cap or 2 full of bleach in the pan by pulling the float switch off and pour the bleach through that. Works for me! Very informative video! Thanks!!
Thanks for the info!
Thanks, this helped me today and your system here seems to look just like mine. Saved for future reference.
Thanks for the info, I have a popping noise coming out of my drain pipe that could be the reason why it's doing that could be collecting in the pipe
Be sure to let us know if our tips in this video helped you solve the problem in the end
Thank you!!!! This is the best video on this that I watched!!!
You can use a wire brush to clean out the remaining pipe near the unit. It's a special brush that is connected to a something that looks like a wire. The wire is firm and long!! Yes, it needs a trap! Good job!
Thanks for the info!
Great idea, I will drag the water hose inside my house and up to the attic
My Nest thermostat was giving me the E195 error. This fixed it. Thank you!
Hey that's awesome what does that error message mean?
@Jahmari Cover So what does that error mean?
@@jeffostroff No Power from Red Wire
@@jeffostroff There is a sensor that tells my ac to shut off if the water in the drain pan gets to a certain height. When that happens, I get the error code on my Nest and know that I have to suck water out of drain pan and then go out and suck it out of the drain to the yard. I’m new at this and have been paying the HVAC guy $100 every few months to come out and fix it. I change my filters every month because I have indoor bunnies - that really should be bald due to the amount of fur they shed. I decided to do it myself and bought a little shop vac. It wasn’t strong enough (2 hp) so I’m returning for a 5 hp. It really is easy to do and I should have been doing this instead of paying the guy. I didn’t know that you are able to purchase stuff to keep the drain pipe clean! So THANK YOU for that info and I just ordered some.
@@marcificht4013 Glad to hear that now you can save yourself the cost of the HVAC guys coming out. That's awesome!
The only time I had a drain clog, I used a drain buster plunger filled with hot water and it worked straight away. Now I pour a cup or two of vinegar in the drain every month. No more clog.
Thank you so much. You gave me the confidence to do this myself!
You can do it!
Awesome and informative video 👍 My folks AC unit started leaking water recently. I’ll give your recommendation a whirl 😁
Jeff thank you so much for the video. What should you do when the leak seems to be coming driectly from the plastic drain pan directly under the coils? How do you unblock that?
Thanks for the vid! I literally just got done fixing this same exact issue on mine. You saved me loads of time and money! I knew the line was getting clogged but stupid me neglected to take action. Today I see water all around my unit and the line is clogged to the brim. For some reason, the float valve was angled in such a way that it wouldn't trigger if water filled up. So I had to fix that too. Flooded the line and got lots of gunk out. Then I blew some compressed air in there for good measure. Also went ahead and changed the filter. Dumped a little vinegar in the drain pipe and she's purring like a kitten again.
Awesome I'm glad my video helped you out
And doesn’t happen every few years. Depends on humidity, indoor conditions, etc... Happens in se Florida about twice a year
If it happens twice a year for you, then you need better filters, or somehow a lot of dirt is getting inside your AC.
I live and Florida and def twice a year
@@jeffostroff dirt getting into drain line or into handler through the part where a filter would be? I ask because I am in Florida, it happens 2x a year too. Im trying no filter because even the thinnest seem to overwork the machine. But wondering if no filter adds to the drain pipe clog problem?? Tyia
I have been flushing for two days, and it still clogs
@@jeffostroffit’s algae that grows in the line. Putting a cup of vinegar down the drain line once a month can help prevent it from growing.
If you don't have compressed air, use a shopvac connected to any access point taken apart. 30 yrs. Refrigeration mechanic. Works most of the time.
We show that on another video
Great video, the explaination of the SAFETY-SWITCH was really what I needed.
Awesome glad to help out and thanks for watching Ricardo
If you notice in your video it shows a green sticker on your coil case.
The manufacturer recommends a trap. The trap is necessary to let the water drain out of the pan Do to adverse airflow in the pan sometimes keeps the water from running out like it should.
Yup, I have shown that to many people before. 2 weeks ago I showed the sticker (red on on his) and how the installer never did the trap. On one of my flip condos last year we replaced the AC and I made sure my AC repair guys used a trap.
Thanks - opened my drain line today and it was solid - full of crud. Punched a hole in the crud with a fiberglass stick as far as I could reach in the tube and the hose in. Bada-Boom Bada-Big - clean! Just like that. So thanks for the how to.
Nice work!
Thank you for sharing…. What I do…. Every month when I get my light bill… I flush my pipe line with bleach to keep lime and mold from building up
Good job Jeff that's how you do it. You do need a new ac unit outside possibly a new handler inside.
Pull off the stop on-off sensor- blow pressure air into the pipe, should be enough to clear the pipe. After that add Clorox and water to clean up your pipes, put back the sensor on and you should be ok to run your unit for enlist three months.
Did u pour in the bleach in the switch hole or other
I had this happen this weekend. I hooked my shop vac up to the pipe drain end outside and wrapped a towel around for better seal. It’s draining again. But I’m gonna flush with the hose too now for good measure if mine will separate like yours did.
I had the same problem in my old house and just recently our new house. I use a shop vac on the outside of the drain line and suck all that goop out. I found your video looking for something to place in the A-Coil tray to kill and prevent the algae from growing. I'll add clean the coils at least every year and stay on top of your filter changes.
That's really key is changing the filetrs
GREAT video, THANKS so much.. I didn't have a tigon tube in my line but I do now!
Roger, Awesome I'm glad our video was helpful for you
@@jeffostroff I just saved myself a service call. BTW, there was no tigon tubing link. I had solid plastic piping all the way and no float either! So I took my hacksaw and cut out a link in the plastic tubing so now it looks like what you showed, and I'm going to flush it out after lunch. Lastly, that goop is a combination of mold and bacterial biofilm...take it from this Ph.D. microbiologist...and in all probability Legionella pneumophilia, the etiological agent of Legionnaires' Disease, is present in that goop, so DON'T touch it. THANKS again for the informative video.
@@rogerorcutt5830 Interesting you should point that out about the bacteria because many times in the past I have seen stories on legionnaires disease in its always traced to an air conditioner or and ice maker at a hotel.
Steady Stream is the only in-line AC condensate pump on the market today! When a clog occurs the water level sensor activates the pump and it clears the line. Fully automated with programmable timer.
Dude you save this little lady $100’s of bucks!!!
On several occasions from other issues around her house too!
Are are a genius. It worked!
Awesome Daniele I'm glad it worked for you
It worked and saved me mucho money. Thanks
Glad it helped thanks for watching Britt!
Thanks it is helped me a lot I had leak in garage not any more because was the over flew sensor
Awesome! Those overflow sensors can be real life savers, they stop the AC when the pan overflows.
I like the way this guy explains things
Thanks so much! Blessings to the knowledge and understanding, much appreciated.
You are so welcome
Years ago before I got a new AC my old system had a clogged drain and when it was flushed from inside in the gunk from the drain pipe was the remains of a dead garden snake! So a screen on the end of the drain pipe would block them from slithering up into your drain pipe.
Great video!! it work..,Thank you for helping me save money.
No problem 👍 Glad to help Wilfred, thanks for watching
How come there is no condensation trap present? I can see at 5:21 that there's a label saying that it is required by the manufacturer.
Thx, just saved me a few days of sweating. 👍😎👍
Happy to help!
Good info, but my system is nothing like this one. On my A/C there is no way to access the drain line at the source. What I did, was use my wet/dry shop vac to vacuum the line at the termination point outside the house. Worked like a champ.
Yes a lot of people report using the sop vac method. In my Ac we have no access really, but we can sort of stick the bare end of the hose at a right angle into the pan and find that opening into the pipe, and give it a quick 2 second burst of water.
Hi. This was amazing video my mom ac unit is having a clog issue at her housemate how do I unclog it if its connected to sewage line. Because it's not a Poe outside like that.
Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video!