{"id":105,"date":"2018-06-15T10:52:27","date_gmt":"2018-06-15T15:52:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/?p=105"},"modified":"2019-11-14T09:34:52","modified_gmt":"2019-11-14T15:34:52","slug":"clean-condensate-lines-to-prevent-mold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/maintenance\/clean-condensate-lines-to-prevent-mold\/","title":{"rendered":"Clean Condensate Lines to Prevent Mold"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Foul odors coming from your cooling system are more than an unwelcome inconvenience \u2013 they can be downright dangerous.\u00a0 Air conditioner smells are most often caused by\u00a0mold and mildew\u00a0growing somewhere within the system.\u00a0 In this post, we\u2019ll look at how your HVAC system can harbor mold and be responsible for circulating musty odors.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Clean Condensate Lines to Prevent Mold\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8AVPEe3EiYg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Air conditioners work primarily by dehumidifying the air.\u00a0 The water drawn out of the air drips from the evaporator coils into a condensation pan (or drip pan) under the HVAC air handling unit. Drip pans are the perfect environments for mold and algae growth, which then can clog the drain lines.\u00a0 If the moisture is unable to flow out of the system, the water backs up and can overflow the drip pan, causing water damage in your home as well as causing your air conditioner to shut off. \u00a0In fact, a clogged condensate drain line is the second leading cause of AC failures.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Regular Maintenance is Essential<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As part of regular spring\/summer HVAC maintenance, the evaporator coil and condensation lines are cleaned.\u00a0 Having your system\u2019s evaporator coil cleaned not only works to reduce smell, but the procedure will also improve the efficiency of your air conditioner. The mold, mildew, and dirt deposited on your coil will reduce airflow through the system, lowering its efficiency, and causing your HVAC to fail sooner.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Clean Condensate Pan &amp; Drain Lines<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>But even if you\u2019ve had your system cleaned at the beginning of the season, the condensate drain line could still become clogged during the course of use.\u00a0 So, it is important to check the condensate pan and drain lines monthly throughout the air conditioning season.\u00a0 Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Find the condensate pan \u2013 usually a metal or hard plastic pan about 3 inches deep \u2013 sitting below the HVAC\u2019s air handling unit. In some cases, you may need to remove a metal panel to access it. The condensate pan should be nearly dry.\u00a0 If it has significant rust all over, or is rusted out in sections, it must be replaced. Plus, signs of rust means there has been water backing up in the pan regularly, which is not a good sign.<\/li>\n<li>If the condensate pan has standing water in it or if there is water on the floor nearby, there is a problem with the condensation drain lines.\u00a0 If your HVAC unit is in the attic, you might see water coming through the ceiling!\u00a0 If this is the case, turn the HVAC unit off at the electrical switch and at the thermostat. Using rags or a wet\/dry vacuum, remove all the water from the drip pan and around the unit.\u00a0 Then clean the pan with a mild dish soap or 10% bleach solution.<\/li>\n<li>The drip pan connects to the condensate drain line, which carries water out of the home.\u00a0 Locate where the drain line exits outside the house.\u00a0 Be sure there are no obstructions, that the drain line is not buried under dirt or landscaping, and that you can see whether it is dripping.<\/li>\n<li>If no moisture is exiting outdoors even while the system is running or when the condensate pan is full of water, then the drain line is clogged. You may need to use a long, flexible rubber tube through the line \u2013 from each end \u2013 to dislodge the clog.\u00a0 Another option is to connect the wet\/dry vac to the outlet, and use your hands to make a \u201cseal\u201d around the drain line in order to draw the clog out, or use an AC drain sucker kit.<\/li>\n<li>With the system turned off, flush out the drain using distilled vinegar, hot water with mild dish soap, or a 10% bleach solution. Leave the solution to soak for up to 30 minutes, then rinse the lines with clean water. Be sure you can see the water exiting freely out of the exterior condensate line.<\/li>\n<li>Special cases: If the drain line does not have a direct downward slope allowing it to make use of gravity to help the water exit, you may need to have a small pump added to help push the water out.\u00a0 If there is a reservoir which holds water until it exits, you may need to add a mild bleach solution, condensate drain line cleaner, or anti-algae tablets to the reservoir on a regular basis to prevent the growth of mold and algae.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If you care about the quality of the air you and your family breathes every day \u2013 and want to prolong your HVAC investment \u2013 be sure to get your HVAC serviced regularly, and keep that condensation pan and drain clear! If you\u2019re not comfortable with any of the steps listed above, call on Interstate AC service at (615) 832-8500. Rest assured, we\u2019re here to help!<\/p>\n<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-105-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/clean-cond-drain-to-prevent-mold.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/clean-cond-drain-to-prevent-mold.mp3\">https:\/\/interstateac.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/clean-cond-drain-to-prevent-mold.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Foul odors coming from your cooling system are more than an unwelcome inconvenience \u2013 they can be downright dangerous.\u00a0 Air conditioner smells are most often caused by\u00a0mold and mildew\u00a0growing somewhere within the system.\u00a0 In this post, we\u2019ll look at how your HVAC system can harbor mold and be responsible for circulating musty odors. Air conditioners&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Clean Condensate Lines to Prevent Mold - Interstate AC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/interstateac.com\/maintenance\/clean-condensate-lines-to-prevent-mold\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Clean Condensate Lines to Prevent Mold - Interstate AC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Foul odors coming from your cooling system are more than an unwelcome inconvenience \u2013 they can be downright dangerous.\u00a0 Air conditioner smells are most often caused by\u00a0mold and mildew\u00a0growing somewhere within the system.\u00a0 In this post, we\u2019ll look at how your HVAC system can harbor mold and be responsible for circulating musty odors. 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