Blog / Your Guide to Keeping Your Ac Functioning Optimally

May 15, 2021| By Admin

Your Guide to Keeping Your Ac Functioning Optimally

While some of us just seem to love fixing and sorting out things all by ourselves, there exist some who love breaking things, too! Whichever of these two categories you might fall into, there is a third category of people as well- these people just love to keep things going as much as possible. We’ve been talking about cleaning your AC’s indoor and outdoor units, air filters, ductwork, and so on. This time, however, let’s not dig deep into fixing an issue- let’s talk about keeping your AC functioning optimally all Summer long. And, if you personally don’t mind getting your hands dirty sometimes, then maybe you, too, can develop the love to keep it functioning optimally.

First, regardless of whether you have one or two condensate drains, following are the steps to keep them draining properly. However, before you start doing anything else, remember to turn the power of your air conditioning system off. Don’t just use the thermostat to turn it to “off” mode, but also shut down the circuit breaker or power connection to both the indoor and outdoor units. This will ensure to keep the entire cooling system turned off while you perform the steps mentioned below. And, more importantly, this will prevent you from any injuries if you accidentally touch a wire or a terminal inside the units.

1. Use a wet/dry vacuum to get clog cleared out, if you’re dealing with a clogged line. These clogs in a condensate drain line of a central cooling system are usually caused by a build-up of moulds and algae, and other microbial growth. A wet/dry vacuum can easily pull such obstructions out of the pipe. However, remember that once this line is clear, the chances of algae and mould build-up in the drain pan increase, which may now be able to easily flow in through the cleared pipe, resulting in more clogs within a short time.
2. Clean up the drain pan. Well, the drain pan will obviously be wet- but it should be free from standing water. If water gets puddled up in the drain pan, then there is definitely some sort of a problem with the drain. The first step mentioned above almost always solves this issue. The wet/dry vacuum is also helpful here at the indoor unit, although, depending on its location, it may sometimes be more difficult to be accessed with a wet/dry vacuum. You can use rags if you need, to clean out the pan, along with a mild mixture of water and dishwashing soap. Be very careful, however, when you work around the indoor coil, since the metal fins on it are very fragile and delicate- even a slight bump on them can result in damage.
3. Now, getting back to the drain line, simply using the wet/dry vacuum to remove whatever was obstructing it doesn’t mean the job is done and it’s cleaned. The cause of the clog will return faster again if you leave it as it is. To clean the drain line, you can try one of these methods, depending on whichever suits you best-
   • distilled vinegar (apple cider vinegar won’t work as well as white vinegar since it has sediments in it),
   • hydrogen peroxide, or
   • warm water,
     -mixed with a drop or two of dishwashing soap. Pour your preferred solution into the drain line through the vertical vent tube that is likely near the fan coil unit. After letting it stand for about half an hour, wash it out with water. Here, you might want to ask someone to help you by watching the water come out from the other end of the drain pipe. When it starts to come out all clear, you know you’re done with it.
4. And, well, if you don’t have a wet/dry vacuum, you can try using a clothes hanger made of wire to push into the drain line and see if that frees up the blockage causing the clog. This, however, will only work if the blockage is somewhere within the first bend of the drain line. If you can get yourself an air compressor, then you can also try blowing out the line to clear the clog. If you still can’t get past the clog, then you will want to call in your preferred company for AC repair in Dubai.

So now, with a clean drain line and clean drain pan, let’s take a look at a few details of your drain line to make sure everything is running well and good:

Firstly, you must ensure that the drain pan in or under the indoor unit is at a slight angle sloping down towards the drain line. Otherwise, there will almost always be a slight build-up of water in the pan, leading to much faster return of the algae blockage.

Secondly, make sure that there is a drain trap (also known as a P-trap, S-trap, or U-trap) just as the drain pipe comes out of the indoor unit. If not, and also if the drain line does not have air blowing out of it, then there’s certainly a problem that calls for AC servicing. A drain trap is required to overcome the suction of the air that’s being pulled in through the pipe. It allows the water to drain out, even when there’s a slight suction pressure from the blower fan in the air handler unit.

And lastly, ensure that the drain pan safety switch is working properly. This might be mounted on the pan, or in some newer systems, it might be a device attached to the drain line. The main thing is that, if the drain gets clogged, then this switch will shut down the central cooling system to prevent a potential disaster which could be resulting from the condensation water that builds up and starts pouring into your house from the fan coil.

If you need any help with your AC, our highly skilled and knowledgeable technicians will ensure that you receive the most appropriate and lasting solution to it- whether what’s needed is a simple tune-up, a complete clean-up, or a complete replacement. Contact us for any kind of ac duct cleaning, maintenance and servicing, any time. We never compromise on our well trained, experienced, and reliable technicians, who are always on time, and dedicated to ensuring you’re delighted with our services, every time.

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