How to Fix a Leaking Air Conditioner

Central Heating and Air Conditioning is composed of two separate components, the outside Condenser (with the fan) and an air handler in your ceiling or in your garage. Your air conditioner not only cools your home, but also removes humidity from the air. This water condenses on metal coils inside your air handler and drips down into a drain pan. The AC condensate drain line lets water flow from the drain pan to somewhere outside close to the ground typically right near your outside unit. Over time this drain line gets clogged with algae and other muck. Once clogged the drain pan can overflow leaking water onto your ceiling and potentially cause thousands of dollars in damage.

Your course of action as a Homeowner? Unclog that drain line!!!

Options:

1. Drag a garden hose over to your drain line. Turn on the water and hold the hose tightly to the end of the drain. Hold the end of the hose to the opening of the drain as tightly as you can for about ten seconds. Then watch the water that drains out. Was it clear, or was there chunks of pink/brown/green slime? If it was clear, you haven't popped the clog loose and need to repeat. You will generally be soaked from head to toe by the time you release the clog using this method. You can prevent clogs by doing this once a month as preventive maintenance.

2. Find a Shop-Vac. Make sure to plug it into a GFI outlet because we will be dealing with water of course. Somehow get the hose of the vacuum to make a nice tight seal on the end of the drain line, if it's not air tight, you won't be sucking anything out.Turn on the vacuum and... wait. If you hear any gurgling or water moving, turn the vacuum off and look inside, did you get any gunk out? No? Repeat.

3. The Drain Pump. Implemented by an Air Conditioning technician with 23 years of experience that was fed up with those two other options. No garden hose, no extension cords, no electricity. It's as simple as pumping up a bike tire. It comes with all the fittings to make a nice tight seal on any size drain line, and is so easy to pump that a four-year-old can do it. Check out our videos, we can prove it.