Quick Tip: Easy AC Unit Maintenance To Avoid Costly Repairs

One of the most common yet easily avoidable issues homeowners encounter is when an AC drain pan located in the attic overflows with water, damaging the ceilings and possibly the flooring below.  In this blog post we discuss why this happens, and the easy maintenance that anyone can perform to avoid it.

In the attic you’ll have the HVAC (i.e. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) unit. When the AC is running, the evaporator coils get cold and condenses (like a glass of iced tea).  There is a pan installed inside to catch the condensation, and then there's a drainage pipe that lets the water drain out of the pan and either into the home's plumbing pipes or directly outside of the house.

Over time, mold, mildew and sludge can build up in the drainage line, eventually blocking it.  All you have to do to prevent this is pour 1 cup of bleach in the primary line at least semi-annually, and this will clean it out. In Houston, since It’s warm year-round and we run the AC in every season, it’s a good idea to flush the line even 3 times a year, twice in the warmer months, and once in the fall/winter. 

Also, another factor that will contribute to too much condensation building up in the HVAC unit is dirty air filters. When air filters are dirty, air intake into the HVAC is restricted, thereby causing it to work harder and run longer to cool the home than it needs to. Therefore, having clean air filters by remembering to change them out regularly helps the unit run more smoothly, efficiently, and prevent large amounts of condensation from building up.