Tip three-Condensation Leaks

OK,  so the rain has finally let up and the hot Texas weather is finally here again ,and should be for good ,so that means your Air Conditioner is going to be needed full time again .

It seems that condensation line blockage and overflows are the biggest issues I get this time of year, so I thought I would share some tips on prevention so you will know for next year .

If you did not know already, your Air Conditioner produces over 20 gallons of water a day minimum and up to 40 gallons depending on the humidity and how low you set your thermostat .This is due to the fact that your A/C is a dehumidifier and removes a lot of moisture from the air in your home and dumps it into a line coming off your indoor unit, also known as a air-handler or fan coil, and down a small white PVC waterline going into a drain in your home.  In some cases you have two condensate lines and two drain pans,one for normal use and one as an emergency back up.

The main pan, when working normally, drains out the main line but can become stopped up one or more times a year when they get clogged with either debris,sludge,or dry residue left after non -use times in the fall/winter.

If this line becomes stopped up, your pan will over flow into either an emergency pan ,if you have one,a back up line or in worst cases, if you do not have these in your system, right onto your ceiling or floor.

In the case that your unit has the backup pan and/or line then you will see water dripping outside from a small hole in your gable somewhere or out near your foundation .

If you see this water dripping, it means your main line is stopped up and you need to call a professional to come blow out your line.

Here are a few tips to help prevent your line from getting clogged. You can do this yourself in some cases if the builder or contractor who installed your unit built a "T" after your P-Trap or somewhere in your drain line .

If they did, then you can carefully find the open end of the "T" and take a small funnel and place it in the "T" and mix a 50/50 solution of bleach and water then just pour a cup down this line once a month all year or at least during the off season months when your not using your A/C to prevent scale buildup and dry-out of your line.

*Please be extra careful if the area your working in is carpeted as to not spill the bleach mix on your carpet since it WILL bleach your carpet.*

Secondly if this is something you can not do or do not want to do yourself, you can have a professional come out and perform a once or twice a year maintenance to your system which will include blowing these lines out and if you want for a small fee they can add a "t" to your system and show you how to do it .