Cleaning AC Drain Line (Routinely) Using Vinegar
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- Опубліковано 8 сер 2020
- In this video, we walk you through the steps of how to routinely clean your AC drain line using vinegar. This once a month maintenance will clean your drain line of mold, mildew and algae and prevent buildup and leaks. We prefer vinegar over bleach because it is more gentle on your pipes and does the job!
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I had no idea that I needed to do this. My husband always took care of everything like this now that he has passed away. I have no idea of all the things I’m supposed to do. I thank you for this video.
Hi sorry to hear about your husband. Vinegar every month or 2 works great. If your AC ever shuts off and refuses to cool, or isn't cooling well enough, turn of your AC and use a shop vacuum to blow out this same line, and it'll blow out a buildup of nasty mildew gel that tends to cause a clog. This has happened to me a few times as a new homeowner and generally will happen every 4-5 months if the vinegar trick isn't done. Just something to keep in the back of your mind if your AC isn't keeping up. Super common issue, 5-minute fix, and it's free lol.
Sorry to hear the loss of your husband. I know it’s difficult learning to be on your own!
Same here for me! I had no clue how to maintain the air conditioner. I just did the vinegar trick and voila! it seems to be doing okay. (2024) tomorrow I will use the shop vac to suction out from the outside. It's not the only thing "going south on me"... let's just say I am in learning mode! Please know I empathize with you , I am truly sorry for your loss!
Love this. Short and to the point without eight minutes of dialogue of the WHY, which I already knew, which is why I was searching for a video of HOW to do it.
Best and most clear cut video on UA-cam so far, great job 👏🏼
It actually worked! My AC has been short cycling for a month and I was considering hiring a handy man but I wanted to fix it last minute before calling somebody and it actually worked and saved me some money. I can't thank you enough!
Thanks for this, always keep your stuff in check people. I wish there was easy guide for when you buy a house. Learning as things break/malfunction isn’t always the best, but glad that good maintenance and proper care can work wonders!
Hello from sugarland, we got a whole new HVAC system installed about a year ago. Just went up to do routine maintenance and noticed there was not a cap on top of the drain pipe, definitely will be adding one as there was dust and spider webs on top of it. Also when we bought our house, the last owner never did any maintenance and the old pipe was completely clogged with hard mold and dirt. The water was going to the overflow pipe because it was so clogged smh.
Routine maintenance is key ppl!!!!
Great video! Some of these videos go too fast and don't provide clear examples. Yours is the best.
Perfect video. Straight to the point and concise! Thank you.
Thanks for sharing very helpful.
Thank you. You saved me money I appreciate the amazing video.
This was just the video I was looking for! Thank you so much for this.
Just moved to Florida in June…so, I am learning g as we go lol! That being said, “My AC Guy” has been ripping me off knowing how clueless I am about AC maintenance, particularity the drain clean out. Got fed up with AC shutting down every 30 days so I found your video.: added the vinegar, waited about 5-10min and magic happened! Started draining like a champ! I will still blow the drain pipe out with compressed air to get rid of the nasty slime but using vinegar to prevent this from happened is priceless! Thanks for sharing!
Get a shopvac as well so you can suction from the outside. Florida is no joke. Just had to suction out mine today.
Can you explain more how to blow out the pipe with compressed air?
Same. I’m in Fl and they got me for 500$. Then the guy had the nerve to tell me I can buy the part on Amazon for 30$ 😫😫 and install it myself.
Native central Floridian here and I have used 2 cups distilled white vinegar let sit for a minute and flush with 2 cups boiling water once a month and change my AC filter when I do it. With allergies, changing filter once a month really makes a difference.
@@Lsmc7 awesome thank you for the suggestions!
I wish mine was in the garage .. thank you for this video
does this work with humidifier drain hoses too? as in the hose beneath the water out collection bowl that feeds into the drain line. my humidifire out drain hose is obviously clogged up. it was flooded when I removed the filter. when I removed the bottom bowl it had a lot of red shit in it that looked like dog food. I assume it as some kind of mold or insulation that rotted down to a mush.
Thanks for the info.
My drain line has a condensate pump. Are there any clean out chemicals that could harm it?
Thank you for the video , I just did this hopefully it works
Does this make an immediate different with the odor coming from the vents? How long do we give it to make sure it was effective or to do it again?
My furnace and ac use the same line that goes to a weepspace inside my basement .Is it still ok to use vinager in my house when it drains in the basement?.
I've read that you should pour some water after the vinegar has sat for 30 minutes, then turn your AC back on.
I've read that too. Pour warm water.
Great video
well we have 2 pipes and trying to figure out which one to clean. cant find any info on that or how to tell
Do all homes have an outdoor drain line ? Because I don’t see nothing outside my house
Is it bad if I did mine but did not turn it off? I also didn't flush with water. Tons of conflicting info...
Thanks a lot!
Works well. Thank you
What about the drain line cutoff switch? Our HVAC kept shutting off. Was the drain switch was stuck.
Dang I just did this with white vinegar but I didn’t wait to turn my AC back on. I poured a cup of white vinegar, wiped everything down, put the sensor back in and started the AC. Did I mess anything up by starting my AC too early?
I do this annually when I clean out my sink P traps. Your primary AC drain line likely drains into one of your sink drains. I undo that rubber tube and take a toothbrush and dig out all the gunk. Then pour the vinegar in the attic and wait for it to all drain out. Nasty job but feels good once done. Just did mine 20 minutes ago.
Thank you!
I am going to do some research on my unit and start doing this.
This is just a question and I'm just trying to learn how to best maintain our A/C unit. I was told to never use bleach, since it can actually rust out the coils in your unit. I work for a company that monitors vacation homes and rentals for owners, who are gone. I actually reported a problem with an A/C unit that was leaking and there was a substantial amount of rust coming out of the A/C. Do you know whether this is true or does anybody here know why rust was leaking out of the A/C? For the record, once I report an issue a lot of times, I don't know what caused the issue, our company does not disclose that information. Thanks
Good tutorial….what’s going on if occassionally you hear drips sounds from the floor registers?
My unit only have the line that goes out of the house and the one that has the overflow leveling thing. I do not see anything else. Don’t know where to pour the vinegar. Help!!! 😬
is it ok to use the concentrate 30% vingegar for ac?
I know your'e a fellow Texan, because I notice the Wurstfest cup and the HEB brand bleach! Great video!
Good observation! 😆
I’d even say near New Braunfels having that wurstfest cup
Long Live HEB! -Texan dragged to Florida
@@FoodShowFan what made you come out here? Florida is a cluster f! Only reason we stay here is because we have too many roots here.
Noticed the Wurstfest cup myself 😅
My Moms apt vents smell like Mildew and the Maintenance Man puts a tablet down them of some sort so they do not clog up but they still have a smell of mildew every time the air comes thru the vents I have told him and he has not even mentioned about the Drain line
Should the vinegar/water come out of the exterior drain port? I poured in about two cups and nothing came out of the exterior port.
Mine doesn't have a cap but a T. Is that the same thing?
Unfortunately my drain doesnt have a cap, how else can I get the vinegar into the line?
Thank you so much
Hi my a/c unit is located at my bedroom, can i spray vinegar directly to the evaporator during cleaning because the dirt that formed gummy gels, algae & molds can be found all over in the evaporator before it goes to the drain line and stuck.
Thanks & God bless
Andy
Hello Andy, I’m not sure what you mean. I would not spray if the evaporator is made of aluminum because it may rust. If it is made of pvc like the pipes, it should be fine.
@@ahealthierhouse1125 Hi appreciate your reply, the evaporator of my a/c tubing is made of copper my plan is to pour a cup of vinegar with warm water to some portion where molds is building up then wait for about 30mins then i start cleaning it with my pressure water. Can do that? Thanks God bless
@@ahealthierhouse1125 it seems like he’s asking about cleaning his A coil with vinegar…?
Can I use cleaning vinegar? Instead of distilled vinegar?
Will water still leak afterwards for a bit?
Hello from Cypress, TX
Thank you ❤
Thank you.
It didnt look like you had a vent after the p-trap on your drainline. After the p-trap there should be a tee with one side sticking up and a piece of pvc higher than the drain ports on the system without a cap. The p-trap will be filled with water so think of a straw with your finger on the end. The secondary drain that goes into the pan underneath should also have a p-trap
What do you do if the cap is stuck?
So you don't need to flush it out with hot water after the 30 minutes?
Do you really have to turn the unit off?
Our furnace A/c condensate drain line goes into our basement concrete floor right beside it. Every summer it clogs up. I take small wire and poke it down and around. That clears it. Would it be dirt, hair etc that collects in there ? Even though its not traveled by much except for doing laundry. My plumber friend said the water wouldn't have any contaminates in it.... any thoughts ?
Wherever there is water, algae grows. Algae gets thick overtime so even if the water coming out is clean, it will still grow algae up into the PVC pipe and gunk it up
@@amandaciesielski9731 Thanks for the info ! will pour some vinegar once and a while. Hamburg, NY
Mine didn't have a cap. And there is a large amount of airflow coming out of it. The unit was running though. I may try to do it when it's not running.
You're not supposed to pour anything down the pipe when the system is turned on, dummy. And after you pour in the vinegar (or bleach) you wait about 30 minutes before you turn the system back on.
Thanks! Is there a reason for waiting 30 mins before turning the unit back on?
Wait 30 minutes to let the vinegar work .
Why drain line is covered with insulation?
If my pvc pipe doesn't have a cap on it should I put one on. It looks exactly like your unit.
We recommend capping it so dust or debris won’t get inside the pipe.
@@ahealthierhouse1125 thank you!
I've been doing this and have the same Heinz vinegar and same cup from New Braunfels sitting next to my AC lol
Jesus
I have a very long drain pipe as my air handler is on the second floor too, and it zig zags south and then goes back north, then downstairs to a gooseneck. I used my shop vac last week as the a/c kept cutting off and there was standing water in the overflow pan underneath the handler. I dumped a whole bottle of vinegar down it. I waited. Then I dumped a lot of water down. It was good for about a week and tonight I had the same problem. So I just poured water down it as it's dark outside and I don't like it when I can't see out there. I sucked out the water, over a gallon, and the a/c came back on. I'll get some more vinegar in the morning to dump down it. I must have a clog in there. Some gunk came out when I put the water in. I guess the very long drain tube is not helping.
I’m in the same boat as you. I cleaned mine out with a drain snake. Did it from inside and outside as I couldn’t get it to reach the entire distance. Seemed to have helped. You can pick one up for under $30 at harbor freight. Also did the vinegar trick and picked up some AC solution from Home Depot.
@@smorris2993 are you saying you can pick up one of the drain snakes at Harbor Freight?
Cool beans easier than I thought!
I use cleaning vinegar (found with household cleaning products) because it is 20% more acidic than white vinegar. I use it every month. I've never had a clogged drain.
WHAT IF I CAN'T FIND THE AC HANDLER, WENT TO ATTIC, NONE, GARAGE, NONE..WENT OUTSIDE TO AC UNIT, NO HANDLER? WHERE IS IT, HELP
Thank you for your video I was looking for what I could do to clean ac line.
Isn’t it a bad design if people have to do this every month? If we can put a man on the moon, we can create an AC unit that is easier to maintain. Just sayin
Yes, but if you want to be in the 1% of people who's ac lasts an unusually long time, DO IT
@@MM-sq5pf my ac is from 03… running like a champ. I service it myself like 4x a year 🤷🏻♂️
We can put a man on the moon but we can't do preventative maintenance??
DOMINUS+ NEWS FLASH, MAN HAVE NEVER STEPPED FOOT ON THE MOON, IT WAS A HOAX, DONT BE DUMB
Wait a minute. We really put a man on the moon? Also, shouldn't we be in Mars by now?
I need to try this, my ac unit closet is starting to smell like mildew. The smell is spreading
Hello from Katy, Texas!!
👋 Thank you for watching!
What should I do if there is water backed up clogging the pipe? Still do the vinegar technique?
Just use shockvac the drain line which is locate outside your house. There's plenty of vdo here on youtube on how to achieve that task. GL
Try to blow the line out then the vinegar.
How do you blow the linenout
@@SaloeMusicair pump or lungs 😂
@@SaloeMusic shop vac, preferably from the bottom.
I'm AC company told me to do this a year ago. I ignored what they said. Last week they recommended a $1,300 mold removal job. I'm dumb.
my a/c unit calls for 1/4 cup vinegar every month.
I had any AC guy come out and drill holes in the cap where you poured the vinegar. Is that recommended?
If its an air handler than you need the cap. Since the blower is "above" if you were looking at it standing up. The blower sucks air through the coil. The cap prevents air from getting sucked into the drain preventing proper draining. A gas system blows through the coil so you want a little air to blow into the drain to help push the water out so no or vent cap on a gas system. If its a Trane air handler than it depends on the system as they've been moving the blower "below" the coil on some of their air handlers.
Before using vinegar make sure it pours into the drain and not into the pan with your evaporator coil. Vinegar and aluminum do not play well.
Good tip! 😊
Y’all from Texas hill country brand thanks so much from 409 area
can this be done with an apartment HVAC drainline?
I'd have the maint. gal do it quarterly if they dont already
2:46 -- I'm a little confused, how often should I do this? Every thirty days or a month? Which one is better?? **lol**
Think he said every month. My a/c says as a monthly maintenance.
My ac unit has 2 pipes and dont have a cover, which one do I pour the vinegar?
Mine has the same thing. In my case my AC guy told me which one to use. When I pour the vinegar I can smell it at the bottom, so maybe pour a little water in and have someone at the bottom to watch and see if it comes out the other end. I would verify with water before trying it with the vinegar!
I still wish I knew where the other pipe goes....
@@lizhewes6063 I asked on Reddit and they said fine in both, one is a drain and the other is an emergency drain that will only start carrying water if the primary drain clogs. But to be safe yeah, water first.
Are you supposed to see if it’s pouring out of the other end of the pipe?
great question! ..I would assume so, but then it seems like he would of advised to hv a bucket at the other end to catch the vinegar 🤔
Unfortunately, he didn't even show us the other *end* (maybe what he failed to show is that his drains underground?) 😖
@@delg1211would be nice to see, and if the vinegar is clean then why not use it with 🥗
What about the sludge in the drip pan it self?
Probley clean it out is my guess
Cool. I’m going to start on it tomorrow!
… yeeeaaaaahhhh … tomorrow
@@rebeccastabile4286he will! I'm sure. You got to trust him!
Should I pour warm water 30 minutes after? Also, my house didn't come with a lid to the drain!
You do not have to flush with water after. Your drain should come with a lid. You can buy one at Home Depot or Lowe’s. This will prevent dust from getting inside.
@@ahealthierhouse1125 how do I search up the lid? I typed in A/C drain pipe lid and nothing comes out. I called Lowes’s before I went and they were clueless. They said they don’t have such a thing, is it just a regular plastic pipe lid
Update: so I typed in plastic pipe lid and I do see it, what is the measurement though?
Yes it’s just a regular plastic pipe lid. The size depends on the size of your pipes.
@@ahealthierhouse1125 what size is yours? They look similar in most homes.
@@jbautista713 End Cap for ac lines. might be the name of the part..
Dont you need to flush it with water after 30 min or no???
No need to flush with water! Just vinegar alone will dissolve and flush out any mold or mildew.
@@ahealthierhouse1125 Thank You. That's the Answer I was looking for 🙏
any more new content?
Yooo shoutout to the wurstfest cup!
wow every month
i did this but the vinegar stays seems like i have a clog how do i fix it?
Same question here! I seem to still be able to see it in the pipe…
So, do you have to leave the unit off for 30 minutes after you pour the vinegar in?
HE JUST SAID YES
Is that a Wurstfest cup?!
Can I use cleaning vinegar?
We prefer normal distilled vinegar since it’s not as harsh but you can also use cleaning vinegar.
Either or are fine on the pvc
What if you do this when the AC is on?
I'm thinking the reason to let it sit for 30 minutes is so that the vinegar can attack any possible algae/mold build up. If the A/C is on, then condensation will clear out the vinegar instead of letting it sit and do it's work. If you have copper lines anywhere in the drain line, I'd refrain from using bleach. My system is copper under the house, but PVC up from the floor to the unit. Therefore I use vinegar. ~disclaimer: I'm a homeowner, not an HVAC tech.~
@@postingid3214 thanks for the response, and that makes sense...and thanks for the heads up with using vinegar, as my Lennox does have copper lines
Routine. But what when it is clogged?
Flush or suck out your drain line.
It's better to use a funnel.
My mom tried this and now the unit won’t cut back on. Any tips for me as I try to fix whatever she did?
Alex Chaney Was the ac drain line clogged to begin with? If it was initially clogged that might be why (check to see if drain pan is full). If not, check your thermostat or circuit breaker.
A Healthier House Hey thanks for the tip! No, it wasn’t clogged she was just doing maintenance but I checked the circuit breaker like you suggested and she blew a fuse. Quick replacement and she’s back up and running again. Thanks again!
I was told I have to pour a gallon of water in after the vinegar
I dont think you need to do a whole gallon. Just another cup of water after at least.
An HVAC guy told me to pour drano down there the 1st time and then follow up with vinegar monthly. I do not want to put anything as harsh as drano in there though.
HE WANTS TO MESS YOU UP SO HE CAN FIX IT, LOL
@@leelunk8235 that thought went through my mind.
I use cleaning vinegar
Ac must be turned off? For how long?
HE SAID 30 TO 45 MINS, DO IT IN THE MORNING
the Wurstfest cup lol
Thanks for the Video bud Ours is under the house and its a bitch too get too.
Can I use ammonia?
no use vinegar!
I don’t turn off the ac, I just wait until it shuts off at temp and pour it in.
But you have to wait 30 minutes for the vinegar to do it's magic. You gotta give it time.
ONE CUP? Every other site says 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar...
1/4 to 1 cup is typical. There is no set amount since it’s just used to flush buildup out of your pipes.
it cleaning ac drain only not PAN
Pou 2 gallons of hot water. Don't use vinegar