Imagine this experience. You own a two-story house, and one day you walk into the upstairs bedroom and you see water dripping from the ceiling and the sheetrock on one wall looks decidedly soggy. You are stunned because there’s no plumbing in the attic and there have been no recent rain storms, so where is the water coming from? The homeowner was surprised to learn it came from his 2nd floor air handler in the attic.
Dixie Electric, Plumbing & Air wants to make sure you are educated about how and why this can happen and how to prevent it. It’s all about the condensate line on your A/C, which is responsible for removing condensation moisture. Think for a moment what it feels like when you walk out of your air-conditioned home into Alabama’s summer heat. The humidity is like a slap in the face.
Your air conditioner removes much of the moisture to make your home comfortable. We’re not talking a few drops of water here. Your A/C will remove as much as 20 gallons of water every day in our humid climate. The water goes into the air conditioner drip pan where it flows into the condensate drain line, which carries the water outside either by gravity, or in some cases a condensate pump.
Over time dirt, hair, and algae can build up inside the drain line eventually causing a clog. Now the water dripping from the A/C cooling coil in your air handler has no place to go. Those gallons of water can quickly cause damage to your home until someone unclogs the air conditioner drain pipe. Depending on the location and severity of the clog, you may want to call in the HVAC experts for Montgomery, AL and the surrounding area, Dixie Electric, Plumbing & Air.
Homeowners can help prevent the line from getting clogged with some simple preventive maintenance. Once a year, pour a few tablespoons of bleach into the condensate line. It’s easy to access as it’s usually a white PVC pipe connected to the air handler.
Technology can also prevent water damage. Many systems now have an automatic device in the drain pan that the air handler sits in. When it senses water in the pan, the A/C is automatically shut down. If you don’t have one we urge you to contact Dixie to have one installed. It’s a small investment that prevents serious water damage to your home.
If you have questions or concerns about the condensate draining system on your air conditioner, don’t hesitate to call Dixie Electric, Plumbing and Air because when you call Dixie, it’s done.
