Condensation from my AC runs into a pipe than runs down into concrete into the ground. It is clogged, help!!?

Question

The house is only 4 years old and my plumber seems stumped. I need a new one. He says to periodically pour warm water and bleach, but in the mean-time the water continues to back up. I'm afraid to use drano because I'm not clear on whether or not that's safe.

Answer 1

Do you have access to the pipe?

It is possible to cut the pipe with a hacksaw and blow it out with compressed air, CO2 or Nitrogen, or vacuum it with a strong shop vac. Reconnect the pipe with a straight coupler. Leave the top or one side un-glued so that you can clean it out in the future.

Answer 2

because no person reported it i wanted to characteristic that there is no longer something incorrect with draining the condensate in to the sewer. yet as you recognize there's a super project with undesirable or open sewer line plumbing, or worse; leaking plumbing. It does not count that the relationship is for an a/c. The water and the relationship mandatory must be coming from a sink, a condensing furnance, washer, or in spite of. I merely wanted to entice the excellence that that's a plumbing project no longer an A/C project. And definite the water might properly be pumped exterior with the addition of a condensate pump yet why upload yet another gadget which could positioned on out once you have a drain available? you need to make confident they restoration the plumbing. sturdy success.

Answer 3

cut the pipe off at the concrete splice in another pipe on the furnace side hopefully you can run the pipe to a drain if not cut the pipe about 6 inched from the concrete and try snacking out the line the clog is probably dirt and doubt full if Drano will work you could pore Drano down the pipe it won't heart when you get it unplugged splice another piece of pipe in that area

Answer 4

Best way to solve the problem permanently is to install a condensate pump and discharge the water outside. Draining into the floor can back up due to heavy rainfall, dirt clogging the stone under the slab where the drain enters.If your handy remove the drain and run a long masonry drill bit through the hole and drill it deeper and that will also help unclog the stone if it is a drainage issue. Pumps are availability at most home improvement stores.

Answer 5

Some city codes require A/C drain lines to run into the septic or sewer, if it goes into the slab it may not have ever been connected. Find out what your city codes are. If you can just run a new line from your air-handler/coil outside. Do not pour bleach down your line or any kind of drain cleaner, the suction from line can cause that cleaner to wash back into the coil corroding the metal, maybe causing a freon leak in the future.

Answer 6

I believe that you should re-connect a new pipe to give the condensation a good, free flow and somewhere that you KNOW where it ends up.

Pouring chemicals down it doesn't seem like a good idea, not only because of it backing up into your system, but you also might contaminate the ground underneath the concrete, and eventually spreading it to the natural eco-system.

Answer 7

Get a wet vac and suck out the clog,then on a weekly basis add a cup of bleach down the pipe.You can also suck out the drip pan to the ac,and put the ac chlorine tablets in the pan.There are pros and cons to the tablets though.....they can rust out the drip pan.

Answer 8

cut the 3/4 pipe.and redirect ,it around the con create
never pour bleach down there,
it can poison all sort of things includeing your own water supply

Answer 9

is it a floor drain? you can use a small electric pressure washer and a drain cleaner attachment it would cost about $150 but cheaper than plumber Roto rooter grantees results but you can do it your self with pressure washer