Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredguy123
The typical maintenance service that HVAC companies do will not prevent a system failure. The main things to do are to replace the filter and to ensure that the condensate drain is flowing freely by adding hot water every month or so. I do these things myself and never pay for routine maintenance.
|
Cleaning your AC condensate line(s) is a lot easier if you modify the PVC plumbing line near the air handler(s). You add a shutoff switch and a connection for a garden hose. The condensate line is blown out with the water pressure from the garden hose. The PVC shutoff switch prevents the garden hose water from going into your air handler, and forces the water to exit through the condensate line outside your home.
There are several YouTube videos that demonstrate how to modify the PVC condensate line. I bought the parts from Lowe’s, which was drastically cheaper than buying the module from EBay.
I have two air handlers in my garage. I also have a sink in my garage. The next time I flush out my condensate lines, I think I’ll connect a hose from the garage sink to the condensate line connection port. Maybe flushing out the lines with pressurized hot water would be more effective that using pressurized cold water.
If I don’t clean out my condensate lines, then after about one year, one of the condensate lines gets clogged, and the AC quits working because the clogged condensate line triggers a shutoff relay to active, which shuts down the AC system. Cleaning the condensate line about every 3 to 6 months prevents the failures. I find it a lot easier to hook up a hose to the condensate lines than to pour a bucket of hot water into a funnel into the condensate line. The hose eliminates the hassle of carrying a heavy bucket of hot water up the ladder in the garage.
https://youtu.be/-EnyXGBIOH0