Comments on: Air Conditioner Hack

by: Sean

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 03:34:58 +0000

For future refrence that condensate pipe should have a trap on it. This traps allows water to drain even when the A/C is on. When the A/C is on there is negative pressure inside the airhandler. Without a trap it will suck the water up not allowing it to drain from the pan.

by: Lee

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:40:19 +0000

Interesting that somebody else in Phoenix had a problem with a too-short drip pan. I’ve got a soggy bedroom ceiling since my primary drain plugged and the drip pan is too short.

by: Tony

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:40:50 +0000

My secondary overflow was flowing from day one on my newly constructed house.
I finally checked out my unit (after 2 plus years) and discovered that the installer didn’t put any slope to the pipe coming out of the unit. In fact, the pipe was sloping in the wrong direction entirely. All condensation was moving out of the secondary overflow to the side of my house because it couldn’t escape the primary.

by: Rich

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:25:49 +0000

A great technique is to find where it is supposed to be dripping and hold a shopvac (cleared for wet use) on the output and it will suck out the algae and free the obstruction.

by: dan

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:20:17 +0000

Anyone know of a source for clear PVC pipe insert and/or retrofit to my current PVC drain pipe arrangement that I could install to clean out gooseneck with a baby bottle brush or the like? A neighbor told me their new AC/Furnace installer put one in. I had clogged gooseneck drain from condensation unit yesterday, gallons of watter on the floor that could not get throught the drain pipe. After shop vac time and taking cover off AC condenser unit, I found a flexible plastic pipe, fit it a few inches into top of drain and blew it clear enough to drain. But this took a long time. These days there has to be a simpler solution. Thanks

by: Lee

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 23:37:53 +0000

Our second floor condo unit is not condensing/dripping outside. The water sits inside in the pan and does not drip out. We end up going downstairs and using a shop vac to suck out the sitting water. We also tried using those algae tablets and liquid, but none has pushed the condensation downstairs. Maybe there is a clogged pipe somewhere? Does anyone have a recommendation? Is it safe to use a snake to try to unclog an a/c pipe, and if yes, where should we snake it from (outside)?

by: Mark

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 02:41:07 +0000

If you look at the picture, you’ll see that I cut into my pipe and installed an elbow joint for just that purose. I blew the line out before I put the elbow in, so the air could only go one way.

Don’t worry too much about cutting your line if it is PVC. It’s easy to reconnect with a short sleeve and PVC cement.

by: dameon

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 20:07:16 +0000

i have a primary drain clog. do you know of a way to blow it out with out cutting the pipe. the primary drain has a t connection from the unit to the drain pipe. when i blow it out it takes the path of least resistance, back into the unit. not down the clogged pipe. i have a co2 charged device to blow it out. thanks dameon

by: Mark

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 22:32:27 +0000

Great tip. Shawn. I’ll look for some for next time I change my filters.

by: Shawn

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:30:10 +0000

I recently had my inside and outside AC units replaced. I have one main condensation drain that goes outside the house. Under the inside AC unit the service company used a product called “MASTIC” to protect the sheet rock, 2×4’s, etc. People looking to repair their pans may want to use this product since is a liquid pliable substance that will dry hard like an epoxy and waterproof whatever you want to protect.

Searches on the internet indicate you can get it in gallon size containers fairly cheap. I’m looking at using this product now to seal some cabinets under my sinks just in case the pipes leak.