Every year my drain line clogs up with some sort of slime. The line is fed by two units that combine somewhere in the wall down to a small line behind a bathroom sink. Can someone recommend a product that can help keep this line flowing that won't harm the evap coils in case backup occurs again? Trying to avoid bleach or vinegar, etc. Thank you.
Safe HVAC drain line cleaner?
- Thread starter QwikKota
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CleanSump
Site Donor 2026
My BIL who sells commercial units told me to put a couple of pennies in the pan near where it drains. Seems to kill whatever was growing in mine.
I use bleach pour directly into lines.
Trying to picture how a backup could occur or cause issues if it's not already blocked.
Since bleach ages swiftly and loses potency
I usually finish off my bleach jug every 6 months and buy fresh.
I also spray bleach on basement shower monthly to keep the pink and gray at bay.
Trying to picture how a backup could occur or cause issues if it's not already blocked.
Since bleach ages swiftly and loses potency
I usually finish off my bleach jug every 6 months and buy fresh.
I also spray bleach on basement shower monthly to keep the pink and gray at bay.
Instant power hvac condensate cleaner or IFlow extreme cleaner. Both are hvac safe.
Inked
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Used something similar when I had a Heat Pump. Worked well.
All HVAC installers locally call for 2 cups of bleach to be added once a month.
I find a big shop vac aggressively applied to the drain outlet works wonders also.
I like the penny suggestion though. Copper is a good algaecide. Just need to find a penny that is real copper.
I like the penny suggestion though. Copper is a good algaecide. Just need to find a penny that is real copper.
If you can't find a suitable penny, Harbor Frieght sells a copper washer kit. Many fit common drain plugs. Just set a couple aside for your HVAC needs.
https://www.harborfreight.com/80-piece-copper-washer-assortment-67526.html
https://www.harborfreight.com/80-piece-copper-washer-assortment-67526.html
Shop vac and add citric acid from above to slosh it while using the vac. I tried pouring things down a slimy drain line and it won't do much until I take the shop vac out and suck out of that. Even without citric acid the shop vac literally unclog everything inside.
My HVAC service company recommended Green Gobbler to me four years ago. It's an enzymatic product, like what people use for septic tank maintenance. It does a good job of keeping the kitchen drains running smoothly and odor free, too. I dump about a half cup into the condensate drain line when I change the air filters.
Actually, this is a good unexpected post.
Maybe even more effective, not knowing how much copper is in pennies anymore.
Get a short length of copper wiring and strip it down to the copper. Enough copper in the system will kill bacteria.
On our last house that had two units what I did was from outside the house with my hand, hold the garden hose up against the pipe and reverse flush it but not too long, so it would overflow the pan up in the attic, then the water would rush down the pipe and take out whatever junk was in it
We had two drain lines one for each unit.
That’s all that took for 16 years.
We are now going on our third year in our new coastal home and come to think of it. I never flushed anything yet.
However, if I don’t use the above method, I would just probably pour a couple caps of bleach in the plastic pipe up in the attic, but not in the pan.
I might have to rethink that with a nice thick piece of copper though
Kestas
Staff member
Any scrap copper should work... copper pipes, stripped electrical wire, etc.
Modern pennies are zinc, electroplated with a .004" layer of copper. For that matter, zinc is also an algaecide.
I tried those and it plugged up the lines in quick order! Those are just for the pan, not the main drain lines to the sink.
Sorry if I did not make myself clear. These are not the overflow lines. These are the condensate lines inside the attic that drain to the plumbing system.
The overflow pan, under the unit, that shouldn't ever see water unless something's wrong?
Yes. The nominal line is what is clogged. Those pellets definitely don't go down the drain pipe. Ask me how I know.
The tablets are supposed to be placed inside the evaporator unit's condensate collection pan, not inside the PVC drain line.
I drop them in my drain line trap, as well as the pan. It dissolves immediately when in contact with water. Never a problem.
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