Cleaning AC Drain Line (Routinely) Using Vinegar 

I had no idea that I needed to do this. My husband always took care of everything like this now that he has passed away. I have no idea of all the things I’m supposed to do. I thank you for this video.

Love this. Short and to the point without eight minutes of dialogue of the WHY, which I already knew, which is why I was searching for a video of HOW to do it.

Best and most clear cut video on RU-vid so far, great job 👏🏼

Thanks for this, always keep your stuff in check people. I wish there was easy guide for when you buy a house. Learning as things break/malfunction isn’t always the best, but glad that good maintenance and proper care can work wonders!

It actually worked! My AC has been short cycling for a month and I was considering hiring a handy man but I wanted to fix it last minute before calling somebody and it actually worked and saved me some money. I can't thank you enough!

Thanks for sharing very helpful.

Thank you. You saved me money I appreciate the amazing video.

Just moved to Florida in June…so, I am learning g as we go lol! That being said, “My AC Guy” has been ripping me off knowing how clueless I am about AC maintenance, particularity the drain clean out. Got fed up with AC shutting down every 30 days so I found your video.: added the vinegar, waited about 5-10min and magic happened! Started draining like a champ! I will still blow the drain pipe out with compressed air to get rid of the nasty slime but using vinegar to prevent this from happened is priceless! Thanks for sharing!

Perfect video. Straight to the point and concise! Thank you.

Hello from sugarland, we got a whole new HVAC system installed about a year ago. Just went up to do routine maintenance and noticed there was not a cap on top of the drain pipe, definitely will be adding one as there was dust and spider webs on top of it. Also when we bought our house, the last owner never did any maintenance and the old pipe was completely clogged with hard mold and dirt. The water was going to the overflow pipe because it was so clogged smh. Routine maintenance is key ppl!!!!

Great video! Some of these videos go too fast and don't provide clear examples. Yours is the best.

This was just the video I was looking for! Thank you so much for this.

Thank you for the video , I just did this hopefully it works

I wish mine was in the garage .. thank you for this video

I've read that you should pour some water after the vinegar has sat for 30 minutes, then turn your AC back on.

Thanks for the info.

I know your'e a fellow Texan, because I notice the Wurstfest cup and the HEB brand bleach! Great video!

Works well. Thank you

Thanks a lot!

does this work with humidifier drain hoses too? as in the hose beneath the water out collection bowl that feeds into the drain line. my humidifire out drain hose is obviously clogged up. it was flooded when I removed the filter. when I removed the bottom bowl it had a lot of red shit in it that looked like dog food. I assume it as some kind of mold or insulation that rotted down to a mush.

Thank you!

I am going to do some research on my unit and start doing this.

Great video

My drain line has a condensate pump. Are there any clean out chemicals that could harm it?

I do this annually when I clean out my sink P traps. Your primary AC drain line likely drains into one of your sink drains. I undo that rubber tube and take a toothbrush and dig out all the gunk. Then pour the vinegar in the attic and wait for it to all drain out. Nasty job but feels good once done. Just did mine 20 minutes ago.

Thank you so much

Thank you ❤

Thank you.

My furnace and ac use the same line that goes to a weepspace inside my basement .Is it still ok to use vinager in my house when it drains in the basement?.

Is it bad if I did mine but did not turn it off? I also didn't flush with water. Tons of conflicting info...

Hello from Cypress, TX

well we have 2 pipes and trying to figure out which one to clean. cant find any info on that or how to tell

Does this make an immediate different with the odor coming from the vents? How long do we give it to make sure it was effective or to do it again?

I've been doing this and have the same Heinz vinegar and same cup from New Braunfels sitting next to my AC lol

Thank you for your video I was looking for what I could do to clean ac line.

It didnt look like you had a vent after the p-trap on your drainline. After the p-trap there should be a tee with one side sticking up and a piece of pvc higher than the drain ports on the system without a cap. The p-trap will be filled with water so think of a straw with your finger on the end. The secondary drain that goes into the pan underneath should also have a p-trap

is it ok to use the concentrate 30% vingegar for ac?

Mine didn't have a cap. And there is a large amount of airflow coming out of it. The unit was running though. I may try to do it when it's not running.

Mine doesn't have a cap but a T. Is that the same thing?

Do all homes have an outdoor drain line ? Because I don’t see nothing outside my house

My Moms apt vents smell like Mildew and the Maintenance Man puts a tablet down them of some sort so they do not clog up but they still have a smell of mildew every time the air comes thru the vents I have told him and he has not even mentioned about the Drain line

Good tutorial….what’s going on if occassionally you hear drips sounds from the floor registers?

I use cleaning vinegar (found with household cleaning products) because it is 20% more acidic than white vinegar. I use it every month. I've never had a clogged drain.

Cool beans easier than I thought!

My unit only have the line that goes out of the house and the one that has the overflow leveling thing. I do not see anything else. Don’t know where to pour the vinegar. Help!!! 😬

What about the drain line cutoff switch? Our HVAC kept shutting off. Was the drain switch was stuck.

Unfortunately my drain doesnt have a cap, how else can I get the vinegar into the line?

Dang I just did this with white vinegar but I didn’t wait to turn my AC back on. I poured a cup of white vinegar, wiped everything down, put the sensor back in and started the AC. Did I mess anything up by starting my AC too early?

Before using vinegar make sure it pours into the drain and not into the pan with your evaporator coil. Vinegar and aluminum do not play well.

This is just a question and I'm just trying to learn how to best maintain our A/C unit. I was told to never use bleach, since it can actually rust out the coils in your unit. I work for a company that monitors vacation homes and rentals for owners, who are gone. I actually reported a problem with an A/C unit that was leaking and there was a substantial amount of rust coming out of the A/C. Do you know whether this is true or does anybody here know why rust was leaking out of the A/C? For the record, once I report an issue a lot of times, I don't know what caused the issue, our company does not disclose that information. Thanks

Hi my a/c unit is located at my bedroom, can i spray vinegar directly to the evaporator during cleaning because the dirt that formed gummy gels, algae & molds can be found all over in the evaporator before it goes to the drain line and stuck. Thanks & God bless Andy

Will water still leak afterwards for a bit?

Can I use cleaning vinegar? Instead of distilled vinegar?

What do you do if the cap is stuck?

So you don't need to flush it out with hot water after the 30 minutes?

Should the vinegar/water come out of the exterior drain port? I poured in about two cups and nothing came out of the exterior port.

I have a very long drain pipe as my air handler is on the second floor too, and it zig zags south and then goes back north, then downstairs to a gooseneck. I used my shop vac last week as the a/c kept cutting off and there was standing water in the overflow pan underneath the handler. I dumped a whole bottle of vinegar down it. I waited. Then I dumped a lot of water down. It was good for about a week and tonight I had the same problem. So I just poured water down it as it's dark outside and I don't like it when I can't see out there. I sucked out the water, over a gallon, and the a/c came back on. I'll get some more vinegar in the morning to dump down it. I must have a clog in there. Some gunk came out when I put the water in. I guess the very long drain tube is not helping.

Y’all from Texas hill country brand thanks so much from 409 area

Hello from Katy, Texas!!

Why drain line is covered with insulation?

Cool. I’m going to start on it tomorrow!

Do you really have to turn the unit off?

If my pvc pipe doesn't have a cap on it should I put one on. It looks exactly like your unit.

my a/c unit calls for 1/4 cup vinegar every month.

Thanks! Is there a reason for waiting 30 mins before turning the unit back on?

Our furnace A/c condensate drain line goes into our basement concrete floor right beside it. Every summer it clogs up. I take small wire and poke it down and around. That clears it. Would it be dirt, hair etc that collects in there ? Even though its not traveled by much except for doing laundry. My plumber friend said the water wouldn't have any contaminates in it.... any thoughts ?

I'm AC company told me to do this a year ago. I ignored what they said. Last week they recommended a $1,300 mold removal job. I'm dumb.

Isn’t it a bad design if people have to do this every month? If we can put a man on the moon, we can create an AC unit that is easier to maintain. Just sayin

What should I do if there is water backed up clogging the pipe? Still do the vinegar technique?

can this be done with an apartment HVAC drainline?

wow every month

I need to try this, my ac unit closet is starting to smell like mildew. The smell is spreading

My ac unit has 2 pipes and dont have a cover, which one do I pour the vinegar?

What about the sludge in the drip pan it self?

Are you supposed to see if it’s pouring out of the other end of the pipe?

It's better to use a funnel.

any more new content?

I had any AC guy come out and drill holes in the cap where you poured the vinegar. Is that recommended?

Yooo shoutout to the wurstfest cup!

Dont you need to flush it with water after 30 min or no???

Routine. But what when it is clogged?

2:46 -- I'm a little confused, how often should I do this? Every thirty days or a month? Which one is better?? **lol**

Should I pour warm water 30 minutes after? Also, my house didn't come with a lid to the drain!

i did this but the vinegar stays seems like i have a clog how do i fix it?

What if you do this when the AC is on?

I was told I have to pour a gallon of water in after the vinegar

I use cleaning vinegar

Can I use cleaning vinegar?

Is that a Wurstfest cup?!

So, do you have to leave the unit off for 30 minutes after you pour the vinegar in?

An HVAC guy told me to pour drano down there the 1st time and then follow up with vinegar monthly. I do not want to put anything as harsh as drano in there though.

My mom tried this and now the unit won’t cut back on. Any tips for me as I try to fix whatever she did?

I don’t turn off the ac, I just wait until it shuts off at temp and pour it in.

it cleaning ac drain only not PAN

Ac must be turned off? For how long?

Can I use ammonia?

the Wurstfest cup lol

Pou 2 gallons of hot water. Don't use vinegar

Thanks for the Video bud Ours is under the house and its a bitch too get too.

Not the Wurstfest cup 😮