Q: The drainpipe for the condensation from my air conditioner seems to be stopped up. The pipe goes straight down into the concrete slab that my house is built on. Is there some cleaner I can pour into the pipe that will unplug it?
A: Before adding a strong chemical to the drain, you need to discover if it goes to a sewer or to a yard drain. Chemicals in the yard can kill grass and shrubs and might be hazardous to children and animals.
If the pipe is large enough, use a drain snake (a twisted wire rope available at home stores). If the pipe is too small for a snake, consider rerouting the condensate to the outside of the home through a new PVC pipe. Installation is easy because there is no "water pressure" inside the pipe, therefore the pipe joints do not need to be glued together. If the drain is not near an outside wall, you can purchase a condensate lift pump from a furnace dealer.
The pump is activated when the built-in reservoir is full of condensate water. Attached to the pump is a flexible plastic hose that can be drained to almost any other drain inside the home. Because the pump is not a part of the condensate system, the drainage end of the hose can empty to a sewer without the need for an air gap or an air break. However, if the hose is connected to a sanitary sewer, the hose should be elevated above the point where it connects to the sewer to prevent backflow from the sewer to the pump.
Close off and seal the unused pipe in the floor in case it is connected to the sewer system. Check on other fixtures in the home to make sure they drain properly. A blocked sewer will require a qualified plumber.
(Dwight Barnett is a certified master inspector with the American Society of Home Inspectors. Write to him with home-improvement questions at PO Box 268, Evansville, IN 47702 or send him e-mail at d.barnett@insightbb.com.)
Resources Independent Home Inspectors of North America
Independent Home Inspectors of North America
E-mail:
ihina@attbi.com
Website:
www.independentinspectors.org
National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc.
National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc.
E-mail:
info@nahi.org
Website:
www.nahi.org
American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)
To locate an American Society of Home Inspectors inspector near you, call or visit the website of ASHI.
American Society of Home Inspectors
Website:
www.ashi.org
