Step 1. Turn off your air conditioner. To avoid shock or electrical damage, switch your air conditioner to “OFF” on your thermostat as well as at the circuit breaker panel.
Step 2. Locate the drain pipe. If you live in a single-family home, it’ll be located outside, where the condenser unit sits. If you live in a building, it could be located in the same closet as the furnace. It’s a PVC pipe with a plastic cap.
Step 3. Remove the cap from the pipe. You won’t need tools for this. Pulling it off with your hands will suffice.
Step 4. Check to see if there is any debris stuck in the drain. Visually inspect the drain line for any debris that may be causing the blockage. If it’s too dark, shine a flashlight on it.
Step 5. Remove any visible debris and retest for proper drainage. Manually remove any visible debris, be careful not to accidentally push it further down.
Step 6. Pour in Vinegar. Once the debris is removed, slowly pour one cup of distilled white vinegar into the pipe.
Step 7. Replace the drain cap. Wait half an hour before turning on your air conditioner again.
Please do note that this is a simple way of cleaning a condensate drain line if you regularly provide it with maintenance.
If it’s been years and you’ve never cleaned your AC drain line before, you may need a more aggressive method to remove a clog, such as a wet/dry vacuum.
Materials
Wet/dry vacuum
DIY vac (a plastic tube that fits the wet/dry vacuum on one end and the AC drain line on the other)
Step 8. Remove the drain cap. Gain access to the AC drain line by removing the system’s access cap or unscrewing the PVC pipe.
Step 9. Use a wet/dry vacuum. Once you have the line open, use the wet/dry vacuum to remove the clog and any trapped water along with it.
