How to drain your Window Air conditioner without drilling.
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- Опубліковано 18 лип 2020
- I recently purchased a new air conditioner that was slinging water from the condenser fan, onto the siding of my building, causing a mess.
I placed some gauze carefully in the back of the unit, and it acted as a wick, removing excess water on humid days.
The design of these units, is to collect water in the hot condenser coil, and have the fan sling water into the coil, improving subcooling.
When the weather is humid, the condensation is collecting faster than it can be evaporated by the hot condenser, so it gets kicked out by the slinger ring in the fan.
I only use this method, because my apartment complex was not thrilled with having to pressure clean the wall recently.
hope this helps you out in some way. - Розваги
I will never understand why the manufacturers don't just put a drain hole in the bottom corner to begin with! Thanks for the gauze tip!
It's designed to have some puddle, fan blows it on the coils. Helps AC actually run cooler and more efficient and less energy.
But also results in tremendous mold and mildew build-up in high humidity areas.
@@morebeer7673 And what about the water noise moving around.
LG units use a sling fan that scoops up water that puddles in the cowel of the outside radiator. The water is then thrown against the radiator fins to help cool the unit. The unit will flood though if the unit isn't tilted downward on the outside about 5 degrees. It even shows in the instructions to always tilt the unit. For more modern units that don't have a drain hole on the rear of the unit the method shown in the video should work also.
@@uploadmefulMine has some water buildup in the back of it. Is this supposed to be there? Infuriatingly the unit doesn't have a drain hole so I can't easily drain it without drilling a hole in the back of it. Based on what you said I'm not sure I'm supposed to do that then.
Dude, this video is a year old and still a great life-hack.
Thanks a lot man. This is precisely the fix I needed. Same issue, too much water, no drain plugs.
hahahah just did this it worked.. there was a hole on the bottom but wasn’t draining 😂 maybe clogged but the cloth is working for now
@@samuelscizz Yeah, been thinking of drilling mine, but this looks easier, and less chance of hitting a wrong something inside the box.
@@JoeZyzyx Is it ok to drill a hole in the new ac's? I have mine in a wall so I can't do this hack.
@@butterflikissies Probably better not in that case, depends on how high on the wall and how far the outside part extends. It could cause algae and mold on outside of house wall.
@@JoeZyzyx My dad just came over and we pulled the AC unit out. He drilled two holes under the bottom. So I just wait and hope that the water doesnt come into my apartment! We also put a piece of wood in the front so it lays at an angle in the AC Sleeve in the wall.
My AC unit flooded after bad rains, I was going to drill a hole! 😂 Thank you! This video was SO helpful!
Clever man....You could call this Wicky Leaks.
🤣 Points! funny.
This tip worked great for my AC unit that was leaking inside the house! I used three strips of paper towels like another person suggested, gave it 15 minutes to take care of the accumulated water and it’s been running fine for over an hour without any further leaking. So glad I found this video, after considering having to do what another poster suggested - taking the entire housing off the unit. Ummm, no! Happy to fix it without needing hubby’s assistance. Thank you!
You sir, are a genius!
Thanks for a brilliant tip that made our A/C work beautifully!
We were in a heatwave with temps around 120° Our unit was not putting out cold air. I followed your instructions and voila-cold air!! It was actually that simple. You are a life saver!!
Thank you!
Such a great tip! It helped us empty our travel trailer wall ac while we were in vacations! Thank you so much.
Here for the second year straight. Worked like a charm both times. It got to 95+ for a week plus out here & this trick saves the day.
I used a used dryer sheet and it works just as good. Thanks for this video!
Possibly the best AC hack I’ve ever seen. Simple, yet effective.
We tried that with our little window unit. Works like a charm. Used paper clips to hold it in place in case it storms or is a windy day.
Just got our new AC yesterday..we used it last night and same situation occured..thanks for the info..really useful tips for us
This works perfect, I was worried I might need to leave a little water but I see that this works fine with yours so I’m good to go
Thank you. Just bought one and did not know there was no way to drain it and was thinking of drilling. Tried your method and it works like a charm. I live right on the Gulf of Mexico and my LGs drain 3 to 5 gallons a day in the hot humid Summer.
I have one LG AC with drain plug and I just pulled it out and water streamed out. The othe 4 units we have don’t have plugs and your tip works great thank you. You have perfect manicured bushes.
A big THANK YOU to the poster! I have a fan that is supposed to evaporate any condensation in my 2 new lg window air conditioners. Well guess what? It’s been humid out for a month and they are dripping all over the window ledges and leaving a huge trail of green. There is a drain hole with a rubber plug. I took the plug out to see if I could buy a fitting. Guess what? Nope, can’t find one that fits that particular hole (in a previous incarnation of this same ac, it had a drain hose connector, as shown in the manual! Wtheck?) I called lg, and its parent company…and they have the wrong info…No, it doesn’t take a 16mm. How do I know? I ordered one! They have ZERO correct information! I can’t believe they make this crap so hard for consumers. Ridiculous. PS, I used a cotton cording, as suggested by this gentleman in this video on my first floor ac, and it’s working, THANK YOU! Unfortunately, I have to figure out the second floor ac, as the water fall line hits another ledge. Working on that now. Again…this is ridiculous.
Okay, so I see a lot of the "window AC units are not supposed to drain" arguments. And while yes, they are designed to splash the water over the condenser coil to cool it, it only SLIGHTLY helps, and hurts a lot more in the long run. I collect and work on vintage air conditioners. Yes, the vintage ones have the same "slinger" on the fan as the new ones do. I have seen many units that are rusted out because the water constantly sitting in them, it rots the fins on the coils, it rots the pan, it rots the fan shroud and anything else metal inside. especially if no maintenance has been done on the unit and there is dirt or other debris as well. When restoring or servicing a unit, I always drill a drain hole in the pan from the inside out. This allows the water to drain out. Even on days where it is over 100 degrees outside, I have never had an issue with a unit overheating. It may SLIGHTLY reduce efficiency, but I have tested it and it is not much. I may test it and make a video on it in the future. Running a unit on a hot day with no water in the pan vs water in the pan does not make as much difference as they make it sound as far as pressure, power consumption, or the cooling output. If you run cool water directly from a hose over the coil, it does help reduce head pressure, and increase cooling, but a small amount of water in the pan which gets warm quite quickly does not make enough difference to justify the downsides of letting the water sit in it in my mind. Of course on a modern unit, something else will fail far before rust becomes an issue, so do what you want.
I'm still drilling mine because I have to store it away and I don't want water dripping everywhere 😂
Thank you for the explanation.
Thank you for this! I used wet wipes instead since I don't have a gauze at the moment. Worked pretty well.
Brilliant Idea.....I crammed a dishtowel in the bottom crevice and now its leaking like a sieve...I was Leary of drilling but this did the trick
Thank you!! I installed a new unit last month and now it is monsoon season so the rear coils were burbling with water. First I tried wet wipes but it blew over my head that those are designed to dissolve after so long. 🤦Paper towels worked just fine, got the water level low enough for the rattling to stop within 10min!
You’re truly a life saver man!
This is a Life Pro Tip, thank you buddy!
Hey bro! You're a life saver! Tried this on my AC and it works like a magic. More power to you! 🙏
Thank you very much for sharing this trick, it helped drain the excess water out of my Toshiba window air conditioner.
Just did this. The water is coming out so good. Thank you!!!!
Man, imagine my surprise when this worked?! Thank you! 💯
This video is number one to me best ac drainage video out there I did it and watched the water run out there
Genius! I just tried it on the air conditioner we just installed yesterday. My husband was going to drill into the bottom of it. I'm glad I saw your video 👍
Yay I'm glad it worked for you too! 😀
Great video I was wondering about how to drain it. And I thought about drilling a small hole in it. Thanks quick and very simple.
Been kicking around the idea as to how to get this thing to drain for the last 2 weeks now. Finally stumbled upon this video and is something i can actually manage and worked well! Will be using this hack more in the future
I was so worried and disappointed after getting brand new unit but not satisfied with its performance now i got the answer of all my worries .thanks man you're a hero 🙏 there was soooo much water in it and get instant relief from yours tip . Have a great life and health.
Thank you for sharing this brilliant idea. We tried and it works! 👍
You are truly amazing sir! I have the exact 6,000 BTU unit, but mine does have a drain plug on the front end of the unit, but I must say it does not drain well from the plug line, I used double paper towels, and works like a charm! It has most definitely made the unit quieter, and it is also perfect as I live in a brick building apartment, and the landlord does not want the condensation dripping on the brick, I am so grateful to have came across this video! Even though my has the drain plug, I would prefer or all drains plugs should be on the bottom of the unit and not on the front.
I have the same exact problem. Just pruchased an 8000 BTU with a nice size drain hole that water won't drain from. Got it leveled like instructions said. I have tried tilting the side up where the water pools to force it to drain hole, still nothing. Don't want to tilt it back like the old school way, which actually helps the water to drain better, but that way rust the coils. This paper wicking was brilliant.
Genius. This guy's got the goods. I'm gonna do it right now. Thank you very much.
GREAT work around! Thanks for posting!!!
THIS!! I couldn't believe it was that easy. YOU'RE AMAZING
Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad it helped!
i was having issues cause i dont think my ac has a drain this saved me... a brilliant idea ....thank you!
Just did it to mine and this trick works!! Thank you!!
Valdor Fox,... wow, good idea, and works in seconds. Two thumbs up.
Thank you for the idea, Was wondering how to drain the water, You are a lifesaver
You are amazing! Thank you so much!! My window ac started spitting out water and it was very noise! And I saw in the back it was filled with water, I did exactly what you said because thankfully I had the same gauze on hand at home and it worked BEAUTIFULLY!! Thank you once again!!
I'm glad that it worked for you too! Yay!
Modern window units use that water to help mitigate temperature transfer by letting the fan "slap" the water onto the condenser. With that said I do love the hack, simple and effective, am gonna steal this hack for my rain bucket that gets my entire porch wet!
No one uses google anymore..... Your are 100% correct.... the water is supposed to be in there.... its part of the design to cool the condenser and fins
Just tried this gauze wick trick, worked instantly, thanx bud
Great tip I just bought a 15k unit and its sometimes here been triple digits here in texas summer. I need my ac to drain better this i a great tip as my other unit dripped into my sill and was not going outside . This is great tip glad I found this video.
Thanks for the video this worked perfectly never though a simple paper towel would do the trick, saved me a lot of time& work i was going to remove unit drill holes ect , but you the Man thanks again!!
I'm glad it worked for you!
Over time you may find paper towels don't wick the water as well, which is why i switched to gauze which is a bit more porous.
this is genuinely a brilliant solution.
This is a life saverrr. Was about to go back to the shop where I got my unit from. I guess that wouldnt help since theyll probably replace the same unit with a self evaporating ac. This remedy does the trick! Thank you!
You're welcome! Glad it helped!
Anong ginamit niya sir? Diko ma intimfihan masyado e
Sir you are a genius!!! Saved my time and work! Great life hack👍
Thanks for this tip, helped me out tonight, no power from Ida, window unit has been only thing cooling us down, but started spitting water tonight. Good temporary fix until I can work on it during the daylight
Wishing you the best. If you do drill a drain hole, be sure to steer clear of the refrigerant lines.
@@Boxfan2008definitely, I think I'm going to just take it apart and clean it good, thinking some debris is inside the tray area. Have power back so may try and mess with it tomorrow
This tip worked like a charm!!!! Thank you 😊
Thank you so much for your video! I learned the hard way when years ago I drilled a hole and must have hit the line carrying the coolant which resulted in $300 down the drain. Since then I have tried to buy units that came with drain holes but they appear to recently become extinct. I have been eyeing an AC that has a lot of reviews complaining about the water accumulating. I could not get myself to buy it until I saw your video. Thank you so much!
In order to hit the highest energy star efficiency ratings, they intentionally keep a little bit of water in the pan that is flung onto the cooling fins. As this evaporates off the fins it provides additional "free" cooling without using any extra energy.
@@BoopSnoot It also backs up too far and rots the window sill.
@@JoeZyzyx If it's a GE,you got that freaking right,leaks down window sill down the lower wall & floor & carpet under it ...had this new unit almost 7 months,never had this kind of problem with any unit but this one...its still leaking almost 2 months now...I have 2 tall garbage cans under it,side by side...I have ended up over time doing the pan tablets in the a/c 7 times...still no luck,keeps me busy about 3 to 4 times a day siphoning trash cans into 2 jugs and dumping in the sink drain...so aggravating...I can't buy another one...and it is leaning just the right amount on the outside...what is the freaking lousy problem...I want answers,I can't afford this garbage GE a/c...I've even tried this cloth in the hole,sure water is coming out of it good but still coming inside too...it never stops...
@@wandastevens3183 Yes, it's GE.
Thank you so much!! It worked for me. I used a pamper baby wipe since it’s almost cloth like and strong lol and cut it into shorter strips and placed 3 strips one in each corner and one in the middle and it helped drain faster all the water my ac had and this water was also causing it to drip inside. Amazing hack! Thank you!! 🤗🥰
Yay im glad it worked for you too!
That's good to know! I don't have a baby in my house but I do have a ton of puppy pads and will try that next!
This is the best hack ever.. I can sleep peacefully now.. God bless you man ..
I'm glad it worked for you too! 😃
Thank you! We just bought a large Toshiba window A/C for our living room. After a couple of days, I could hear water trickling when I turned it off. I peaked inside and saw water collecting in the bottom, even though I made sure it was tilted back. I looked in the manual, it said nothing about the drain hole. I just inserted a gauze patch, worked well! I couldn't use a fork though, the space between the casing and the condenser is too small for this particular AC, but I found a smaller tool to use. Why they don't have a drain hole in the proper place is beyond me.
Thank you for this tip! i almost drill my AC because water is splashing everywhere....
You Sir are an absolute Legend!
Thanks a bunch! I live in Montreal and its humid as hell in summer! I was worried about the water sounds. Now my AC is draining the water out, hopefully one gauze is enough. I might add more tomorrow... Not only is it humid, but it rains a lot too.
You life saver! I thought I had done something wrong. I spent like half an hour looking for some hidden condensation plug thinking maybe they put something in for shipping. Why on EARTH would there not be a built-in drain hole?!?
I probably already would have drilled a hole if I didn't forget my drill bits at work but now I will try this first.
*Great and Easy to instal **Fastly.Cool** Low noisy*
Thanks so much for a clear and quick fix!
This just saved me so much time. Thank you!!
Thank You🙏🏻 So Much Sharing this wonderful tip Very Helpful
wow gauze works very well great idea 💡
My upstairs neighbor’s AC unit is directly above mine and drips directly onto my AC unit keeping my unit’s pan overflowing at all times. The constant sloshing noise is so loud and keeps me up at night! The drain “holes” are so small that I can’t even fit a toothpick in them, only allowing one little drop per minute, so I’m going to give this a try! Thanks for the tip!!
You are literally the smartest man who has ever lived
Thanks for this tip! I tried other materials first such as cotton T-shirt strips, terry cloth towel strips, paper towel strips. Nothing works as well as thick gauze pads. They just need changed monthly.
Humid climates will grow serious amounts of mold and bacteria concoctions in the water in just a few weeks. Not only does it smell nasty, it's not healthy. This crud will mix with airborne debris such as bugs, pollen, dust, dirt, weeds and tree seeds, grass clippings, etc, which will also sling with the water and will clog the coils. So much for that small efficiency gain!
You only need to use the gauze solution for a year, then the warranty runs out (on most consumer units). After the warranty is up, just remove the screws on the sides, and bend the metal a little out of your way to get a lay of the land in the pan. Then carefully drill some 1/4" holes in the deepest part of the pan, perhaps in the corners, as far away from the coils and pipes as you can see. If you cannot see where you are drilling from all sides, don't drill there! You do not want to poke into a pipe or any part of the coil. Not only is this dangerous, it will ruin your unit instantly.
Worked like a charm, thank you! 🙏🏾
I thought there was something wrong with my brand new AC and I was worried because it was a real b**** getting it in. Thankfully, I watched this video 24 times and now I know exactly what to do to help drain that water out. Thank you
Great video, I will be doing this tomorrow. Thank you.
Lord! This is really smart. Thank you
Thanks so much for your video, this is what I was looking for, a quick and easy way to remove the water 💧👍🏻
will this work if your ac has a drain hole?
because mine drain but it goes down the side of the house and into the downstairs neighbors window
Absolutely worked. Thank you
THANKS IT DEFINITELY WORKED ..SAVED ME MONEY ..THANKS SO MUCH
Very ingenious!!! You even could have used the long side of that gauze...but it doesn't matter. Way you have it works very well.
I can't believe it worked thanks so much 👊
I have the same ac and I just did that and it worked. Appreciate it.
This worked! Thanks for this sir. 😊
Just got it today, and will update if I need to. Works really well and it very easy to install. Instructions for the side panels are unclear though.
Genius brother! Thanks
Bloody Brilliant! So simple.
Wow that worked really well. Thanks for the tip.
You're very welcome I'm glad it worked :)
If the gauze doesn't last long, something else you could use is wicking rope, usually sold for watering plants when the owner is on vacation.
It worked perfectly, thank you so much 😊
It worked!! Thanks so much!
I cant wait to try this out. I was ready to buy a new ac!
My air conditioner is already put in my bedroom window can’t access the back without pulling it all apart
@@andrearunning4681 Get a ladder. This trick is worth it.
Love this. It has rained on and off for a week straight, and in between rain its humid as satan's armpit and hot as hell. My poor window AC was doing fine until this. Now its dripping inside and outside, despite being tilted back the appropriate amount, because it's just overfull of water. Hopefully this will help drain all that excess and get it back to normal.
I silicon glued a piece of plexiglass over my top AC vent for the same reason in Florida. Just can't see a good enough reason for 5-6 feet of rain per year coming through those top openings. Maybe just that will suffice for your situation.
Omg wow, I have had this problem with a couple of my AC units this is a great idea very simple I'm going to have to try this thank you!! Update I had to return to thank you so very much for making this video I had no idea that it would work this well you have solved my AC problem and I am very grateful this is a wonderful little hack that makes a big difference!!!!! Thanks again
This video was very helpful. And it worked !
Your are unbelievable..
Really excellent help..
Thank you so much this worked perfectly YOUR AWESOME!!
I just fixed it. Thanks for the information brother🙏👌👌👌👍👍👍👍
Wow that wicked faster than I expected.
what a great idea !! Thank you! I will be doing this!
omfg you are amazing! i was getting a bad smell coming from my window ac unit, and it was stagnant water in the trey. little spraying of vinegar and the wicking and no more smell! you rock:)
This is amazing! Thank you!!!!!
I think manufacturer should at least have a drain hole with rubber plug or something to give buyer the option whether they want to drain the water or leave water inside for splashing the coil with the fan... consumer paid for the item so it is up to them how they like their AC operate.. :)
Every window unit has a drain opening, it’s up to you to install the correct drain plug. It’s a $2 fitting available at any hardware store.
The manual says they designed those new ones to keep the motor cool does it remove all or half or some of the water
@@JudyZimShadHomesteader that is a evap only, you shouldn’t need to drain it. What is the issue?
I have a fan that is supposed to evaporate any condensation in my 2 new lg window air conditioners. Well guess what? It’s been humid out for a month and they are dripping all over the window ledges and leaving a huge trail of green. There is a drain hole with a rubber plug. I took the plug out to see if I could buy a fitting. Guess what? Nope, can’t find one that fits that particular hole (in a previous incarnation of this same ac, it had a drain hose connector, as shown in the manual! Wtheck?) I called lg, and its parent company…and they have the wrong info…No, it doesn’t take a 16mm. How do I know? I ordered one! They have ZERO correct information! I can’t believe they make this crap so hard for consumers. Ridiculous. PS, I used a cotton cording, as suggested by this gentleman in this video on my first floor ac, and it’s working, THANK YOU! Unfortunately, I have to figure out the second floor ac, as the water fall line hits another ledge. Working on that now. Again…this is ridiculous.
@@TheGreenEyedGirl Drill a hole and install a condensate drain fitting where the plug is.
Excellent idea. It works.
Appreciate your tip, I’m doing this same method in 2024, thank you 😊
It works!!! Awesome thank you!
Thanks. It worked like a charm.