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Originally Posted by jrref
Just FYI, anything acidic or bleach or anything corrosive is NOT supposed to be put down the condensate line because it can damage the air handler coil over time. I know many do this but it's not necessary. Just plain hot water will be fine.
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That theory anticipates evaporation from the vinegar in the line making its way back up to the evaporator coil in enough concentration to cause corrosion.
Not all manufacturers and service companies believe there is a significant chance of this happening.
- A small amount of white vinegar (1/4 cup) is more likely to mix with the water in the line than it is to evaporate and come back up
- In normal operation, there will be be a significant amount of condensation flowing down the line further diluting the vinegar or pushing it out entirely
- The volume of air flowing through the evaporator coils is immensely larger than any vinegar fumes that might come back up the drain line.
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Over time your condensate line can get "sludge" buildup of inorganic and organic material. The only thing that's going to flush that out is water and a vaccume on the outside if it gets clogged. There are special "tablets" you can get from Amazon to put in your condensate drain pan that will also work. When you get HVAC service they are supposed to put this additive in the drain pan or condensate line to prevent the growth of mold, etc..
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The tablets help prevent growth in the pan itself and might help in the line. Certainly, the tablets will prevent anything from growing in the pan and running into the line.
Note that there are warning against using bleach-based tablets as they could cause corrosion.
The idea behind using vinegar is to lower the pH of the water in the line to kill any "sludge" and keep it from coming back.
Hot water will also help to kill growth in the line. The chlorine in our water might have a beneficial effect as well. Just doing something is a lot better than doing nothing and hoping for the best.