Once you've poured your vinegar into the AC drain line, give it some time to work its magic and clean out the pipe. Once the vinegar has sat for about 30 minutes, flush the pipe with water. If the drain line doesn't flush fully, you can repeat the process until all blockages are removed.
Carefully pour the vinegar-water mixture into the AC drain line. Ensure that the solution reaches as far as possible down the line. Let it sit for about 30 minutes to allow the vinegar to break down any buildup.
Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain. Pour 1/2 cup of vinegar into the drain slowly. Immediately cover the drain with a clean cloth or drain plug to enhance the effectiveness of the foaming action. Let the baking soda and vinegar mixture sit for about 30 minutes to an hour, then remove the cloth or drain plug.
You can also try pouring a ¼ of a cup of white distilled vinegar (hydrogen peroxide or hot water and a bit of dish soap will also work) down the drain line access and let it sit for 30 minutes. That will help break down the clog and make it easier to vacuum out.
All right, so in summary, don't use bleach; use vinegar. That helps with any mildew growth—keeps you running clean. It's not going to actually clean your A/C drain, but it can prevent some backups.
It will kill any bacteria or mold present in your drain line, just like vinegar will. Pour one cup of bleach down your drain line every month to help keep it free from clogs. One cup of bleach is the cheapest and easiest way to unclog the drain line in your AC.
Simple fixes like minor sink clogs can be resolved in mere minutes with quick fixes like a plunger or boiling water. A tougher clog that needs methods like a drain snake or the vinegar and baking soda trick might take anywhere from fifteen minutes to half an hour.
Pour one-half cup table salt down the drain, followed by boiling water. Or try a cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar—let it bubble, wait 15 minutes, then pour boiling water down the drain. You can also try a cup of baking soda and a half-cup of salt; let it sit for several hours, then flush with boiling water.
Mixing baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid) causes a chemical reaction that produces a salt (sodium acetate) and water, as well as carbon dioxide gas. In this demonstration, baking soda is placed in a balloon that is attached to a flask holding vinegar.
One of the main reasons why cleaning drains with baking soda and vinegar is not effective is that the chemical reaction between the two ingredients is simply not meant to dissolve tough clogs. The fizzing reaction and gas created may help loosen some small blockages.
Yes, vinegar mixed with water is often used to perform DIY cleaning on AC coils at home. However, vinegar is usually effective only against lighter dirt build-ups. Nevertheless, you can keep your coils in good shape by mixing white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spraying the mixture onto the coils.
If the drain line gets blocked, you may experience reduced cooling efficiency, water leakage, frozen coils, Mold and mildew growth, and even a shutdown of your entire air conditioning system.
You can use a wet/dry vacuum to remove the slime and other debris, and you can finish the job by flushing the line with a cleaning solution. Cleaning or replacing your AC filters regularly and having a pro clean your evaporator coils may stop AC drain slime from happening.
When a drain clog is ignored, the consequences can be serious. Left unchecked, a clogged drain can lead to a variety of plumbing problems, from reduced water pressure to flooding and sewage backups.
Let Sit for Half an Hour
Once the vinegar has sat for about 30 minutes, flush the pipe with water. If the drain line doesn't flush fully, you can repeat the process until all blockages are removed.
You can prevent a clogged AC drain by performing routine cleaning. By pouring a ¼ cup of vinegar into your AC's drain line, you will kill any mold, algae, mildew, and other forms of bacteria or fungi, preventing it from forming a buildup and causing a clog. Repeat this monthly for the best results.
The easiest way to clean drain lines is with a bit of bleach or vinegar. It only takes 5-10 minutes to clean your system and remove any mold or mildew, and when you're done you will be able to use your AC system even better than before!
This will lead to standing water appearing around your indoor unit. If you notice this standing water right away, you can clean it up and get to work on trying to unclog an AC drain line. But if you don't, it could do water damage and allow mold to grow all around your AC unit.
Flush Condensate Drain Line
The repair cost to have the drain line flushed runs between $75 to $250.