Every air conditioner, whether it be a window or central unit, dehumidifies the air as a byproduct of their cooling method. During the dehumidification process, your air conditioner is removing moisture from the air and draining it through a condensate drain. Over time, this drain can become clogged with various things such as dirt and debris. You will have to clean it out every so often and luckily, there are various ways to clean out an air conditioner condensate drain. The two most popular methods are pouring white vinegar or bleach down the line to clear clogs. However, there is a time and a unit for each cleaning method and using the wrong method can potentially damage the unit.
Window Units
Using the bleach cleaning method to clear clogs in the condensation drain on window-mounted air conditioners can potentially cause damage. Window air conditioning units drain their condensation from the bottom of the case, which is just outside your window. Pouring bleach into a drain on a unit above decorative plants or your lawn will kill anything it gets on. More importantly, bleach can damage vinyl siding/shingles.
Odor
You know the odor that Bleach and vinegar both have because they are characteristic odors. They may not be the most pleasant chemicals to smell, so you will need to wash out your drain with water a few times to remove the odor. Bleach vapor can be harmful if it is inhaled, whereas vinegar is more annoying than a danger. Vinegar is definitely the easier of the two to rinse out of the drain line.
Bleach vs. Vinegar
Bleach should not be used for drain lines that are made of PVC or ABS plastic. Chlorine bleach eats away at not only the line but the glue and cement joining the line to the fittings and the condensation pan. If your drain line is PVC, use only white distilled vinegar for clearing clogs and debris, especially during the winter. A disturbing fact most people don’t realize is that mold, mildew, and algae will grow in your air conditioner condensation drain year-round. During the summer months, you can use bleach to clear out your drain line because the constant flow of condensation that comes from an operating unit will wash out any bleach residue. If you use bleach to clean a drain on a nonoperating unit will leave residual bleach, which will damage the drain pan and line as we stated before. Using vinegar for preventative maintenance throughout the year will keep not only keep your drain clean and clear, but it also will not damage your line.
If you’re in need of preventative maintenance, tune-ups, or diagnosis of your air conditioning unit in Pinellas, Hillsborough, or Pasco counties; call Cool Depot Air today!
Thank you for your advice on how to clean out your condensation on algie during non use. I used Vinegar to clean my A/C, and it backed up the algie during change to filter. I called in my professional A/C installers, and was asked how did I clean it out? I told them as I’m telling you, I used Vinegar to clean with mixture of both water. Then I was told that this idea would NOT keep any algie away. So now I’m doing the same idea water and bleach. I use more water added to my cups. I don’t use an excessive amount of bleach. I use about two caps of bleach mixed to a cup of water. I take really good care of my A/C unit. Costly!
Thank you for your advice on how to clean an A/C unit when not in much use.
Amazing guide on how to clean an AC. I actually may certainly be returning for more reading. Thanks a lot!
Thank you for the tips.
After reading your customers explanation, it was exactly the same with me once. Vinegar is Not strong enough to flush debris out like Bleach is. Unfortunately, Professionals who are in this field actually have not done any testing on an A/C clean-out drain pan.
Always test your New Machinery to have an accurate showing of clean. Make sure all Mechanical items can use 50/50 Water/Bleach without hurting the little much needed Family Member!
I change my Filter when I began to get that agile smell. Nasty odor!
Vinegar is Not strong enough to flush debris out like Bleach is. Thank you for the tips. Amazing guide on how to clean an AC.
Great Blog! As a consequence of their cooling mechanism, every air conditioner, whether window or central, dehumidifies the air. Your air conditioner removes moisture from the air and drains it through a condensate drain during the dehumidification process. Thank you.
For many years the recommendation for cleaning the drain line has been to use bleach or white vinegar with hot water as a cleaning solution. These two chemicals work well in clearing the pipe. The ratio is 50/50. Repeating this several times should remove a small blockage.
Be sure to use a minimum of 2 cups once or twice per year. Be advised, however, some newer units no longer recommend bleach or vinegar due to oxidation/degradation concerns. In these cases, boiling water is recommended.
Thanks awesome Article