After a summer of heavy usage, there’s a good chance that now is the time that something will go wrong with your cooling system. We find that at this time of year, we often respond to AC service calls that could’ve been prevented with a little maintenance on an air conditioner’s condensate drain.

When air conditioners are in use, they’re constantly pulling moisture from the air—and that water has to go somewhere. In a properly installed AC, condensation flows down into a collector pan under the coil and is sometimes connected to a household sewer line.

Problems can occur when there’s a leak or blockage somewhere in the condensate drain line. Since many homeowners never check the line or collector pan, they only notice there’s a problem after serious damage has occurred to the system.

If there’s a tear in the condensate line or no drainage from the collector pan, water can leak into your home. In addition to property damage from standing water, standing water is the perfect breeding ground for mould and mildew. Once mould spores take hold in the condensate line, it’s easy for the mould to spread to the evaporator coil and then be distributed throughout the whole home.

A complete system shutdown can be a sign of a severe leak in the condensate drain. Many HVAC systems have an overflow sensor that will cut power to the unit if water backs up from the drain. If the sensor is tripped, a certified air conditioner technician will need to be called to open the air handler and unblock the drain line to release the overflow water. Often, the blockage occurs after a bacteria build-up in a condensate line that hasn’t been properly maintained.

Regularly cleaning the condensate drain line will help ensure it won’t get blocked, and a quick visual inspection can help prevent leaks and water damage.

Having trouble with your condensate drain line?

Schedule an appointment for air conditioning maintenance and our technicians will clean and inspect the drain as needed and guide you through what steps to take in the future.

Fahrhall Home Comfort Specialists provides our customers with reliable cooling, plumbing and air quality service and installation.