Air conditioning drain plugged

I have poked a wire down the drain hose as far as she would go and still have a clog. Worries me cause it's running over and drawing into bilge.

Thinking of getting shop vac out of storage tomorrow, drawing water out of pan and then trying to blow the line out.

Any tricks or shortcuts for plugged hoses?

Boiling water? That's what James Hamilton did that just recently had this problem.

N4712 said:

Boiling water? That's what James Hamilton did that just recently had this problem.

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Ok. Good idea. Anything to try and keep from spending more moola!

Bleach might work if the clog is mold.

Later,
Dan

dannc said:

Bleach might work if the clog is mold.

Later,
Dan

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10-4 on the mold. Thanks!

Greetings,
Mr. frg. Try sucking the hose out first. If you blow, you may detach the hose somewhere inaccessible.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr. frg. Try sucking the hose out first. If you blow, you may detach the hose somewhere inaccessible.

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Ok will do

Get a few different size hose barbs and attach them to a water hose with a female/female connector. Insert the hose barb into he drain line and slowly turn on the water, gradually increasing the pressure until the clog is forced out. Good luck.

hmason said:

Get a few different size hose barbs and attach them to a water hose with a female/female connector. Insert the hose barb into he drain line and slowly turn on the water, gradually increasing the pressure until the clog is forced out. Good luck.

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Excellent

dannc said:

Bleach might work if the clog is mold.

Later,
Dan

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Mold in Air conditioner drains is a common problem in FL on land homes. Adding bleach every year to the pan normally controls the problem but more slowly than blowing it out.

I use this a lot to unclog the drain lines:

FilterAce - GG-1 Gallo Gun - Clear drain lines

Then clean your pan and add these to keep the drain clean:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003N5AS60/ref=pd_aw_sim_hpc_3?refRID=0SSNWDPK7G9S2YWYZB59

Here's something for y'all to rag me on but it never clogs and it hangs over far enough to not drip on the caprail . Cheeeeeeeezy. I want to get a marine air someday but not at the top of the list . Tell then y'all have fun pickin at this .

Wet vac from the end that drains in to the sump or bilge. Then vac the drain pan and area at the a/c. Make sure the drain line is downhill and has no low areas as this will trap water and clog with algae. I enlarged the hose to 5/8 from 3/8 to stop the low areas and dips.

Tell then y'all have fun pickin at this .

Its only jealousy,

No thru hull , no condensate drain , and half the cost of an antique marine setup.

When it dies get sa Mini Split and be 50 years ahead!

Capt.Bill11 said:

I use this a lot to unclog the drain lines:

FilterAce - GG-1 Gallo Gun - Clear drain lines

Then clean your pan and add these to keep the drain clean:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003N5AS60/ref=pd_aw_sim_hpc_3?refRID=0SSNWDPK7G9S2YWYZB59

Click to expand...

I had one similar to this for sewer lines when we had the farm. Worked well.

"And BOOM goes the dynamite" ?

Pack Mule said:

Here's something for y'all to rag me on but it never clogs and it hangs over far enough to not drip on the caprail . Cheeeeeeeezy. I want to get a marine air someday but not at the top of the list . Tell then y'all have fun pickin at this .

Click to expand...

I like it. Simple. Cheap.

I had just replaced my aft shower head. Didn't use the hose that came with it but hung onto it.

This morning, just for grins, I tried it on the drain pan hose just to see if the screw threads matched. And they did.

I then duck taped the other end to the outlet of my shop vac. Let her blow for a while and it seemed to move air.

Air is on so we will see how it goes.

Fr. George's Note for noobs like me: Hang on to most everything. Adapt, overcome, save that money for well earned refreshments after doing the job yourself!

Pack Mule said:

Here's something for y'all to rag me on but it never clogs and it hangs over far enough to not drip on the caprail . Cheeeeeeeezy. I want to get a marine air someday but not at the top of the list . Tell then y'all have fun pickin at this .

Click to expand...

In cooler damp climates the marine air systems see considerable duty as heaters as opposed to chillers. Hard to see an RV unit working right on larger vessels with many different rooms.

In some cases Hydrogen peroxide seems to work better on mold than bleach. Part of the reason I like and use it is the bubbling action - I think it breaks the residue free and makes it easier to completely flush away.

Here is a note Re: above from a mold removal site...

Mold Removal with Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide kills mold as it is anti-fungal as well as anti-viral and anti-bacterial. Hydrogen peroxide is a good alternative to chlorine bleach because it is safe to use and doesn't damage the environment, nor does it leave behind toxic residue or produce toxic fumes like chlorine bleach does. You can buy hydrogen peroxide from drug stores for around one dollar for a bottle of 3% concentration.

Hydrogen peroxide kills mold effectively on many materials such as clothes, floors, bathroom fixtures, walls and items such as kitchen appliances. Since hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent it may also help fade the stain mold leaves behind. Spot test hydrogen peroxide on the material you're going to be cleaning to make sure it won't fade the material's colors.

How to Kill Mold with Hydrogen Peroxide

To kill mold pour 3% concentration hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle.

Spray the moldy surface completely so that the moldy areas are saturated with hydrogen peroxide.

Leave the surface to sit for 10 minutes while the hydrogen peroxide kills the mold.

Then scrub the area to make sure to remove all the mold and mold stains.

Finally wipe the surface down to remove residual mold and spores.

You can also use vinegar with hydrogen peroxide during the cleaning to more effectively remove the mold. Afterwards store the spray bottle in a dark place since light diminishes hydrogen peroxide's effectiveness.

Bacchus said:

In some cases Hydrogen peroxide seems to work better on mold than bleach. Part of the reason I like and use it is the bubbling action - I think it breaks the residue free and makes it easier to completely flush away.

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I am wondering how effective this is when there is already water in the pan. That seems to be the usual case when you realize you a drain plugged up with water overflowing the pan. It seems like a decent preventive measure if there is a dry pan.

frgeorgeh said:

Any tricks or shortcuts for plugged hoses?

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Descaling products like Rydlyme, Barnacle Buster, or Triton Marine Green (something like that) would maybe have some effect. Simple vinegar might be easy enough. The hose barb/water pressure idea works.

Some of the same tricks work for the AC's water pump lines, too.

-Chris

Donsan said:

I am wondering how effective this is when there is already water in the pan. That seems to be the usual case when you realize you a drain plugged up with water overflowing the pan. It seems like a decent preventive measure if there is a dry pan.

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Agree - Haven't been in that situation but I think I'd employ the wet/dry shop vac to "drain" the pan and then use the H2O2.

We always try to keep a couple qts of H2O2 around as it also works wonders on clothes, carpets, cushions, etc for red wine or blood spills/stains...
and lord knows we spill our wine every now and again

We add a cup of water with 2 tbl spoons of bleach each month here in FL. Better to keep it clear than have to clear it.

I tried spa chlorine crystals but that only made it smell like chlorine all the time.

stu