I drink bleach! Please help me!

Since this article was written in 2009, some HVAC manufacturers now recommend using vinegar instead of bleach to maintain condensation drain line.  Please check with your HVAC contractor or manufacturer for recommendations.

As an owner, you are responsible for any water leaks or overflows caused by your drain line.

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This is an attempt at humor.  But .... we are also serious!

Drinking bleach might sound strange.  But your air conditioner loves it!

The bleach kills mold and other beasties that want to live rent free in your AC.  If you don’t give your AC a drink of bleach every now and then, the mold causes your AC to fill up with water.  This makes your AC very unhappy!!  It does NOT like water.

Besides making your air cooler, the AC takes water out of the air.  This water has to go somewhere.  And that’s down a drain tube that’s not much bigger than the water tube going to your refrigerator.

Your AC wants to get rid of the water so it can keep working and making you cool.  If too much mold gets in the drain tube, your AC gets fed up.  It quits working and throws a tantrum that includes getting your carpet wet.

How do you feed your AC’s bleach craving?  Look inside the closet where your heater is.  It’s actually part of your air conditioner too.

In this closet you should see a white plastic plug with a blue twist off top.  Every month, you should pour a cup of bleach followed by a cup of water down this tube.  Then, just twist the blue top back onto the white tube.

Make a note to do this when you pay your mortgage and your assessment.  Your AC will stay healthy and happy and reward you with a very cool summer.

Your pocketbook will be healthier and happier too.  Your utility bills will be lower because your AC won’t have to work as hard keeping you cool.  After straining for so long, your AC will finally throw the tantrum we just talked about.

When your AC stops up and gets your carpet wet, the water can keep on going into your neighbor’s home below you.  This can mean replacing sheet rock, carpet and furniture.

Maintaining your air conditioner like this is so easy that not doing it is negligence.  Not doing this is kind of like hitting a parked car when you’re driving down the street!  Negligence means you can get a bill for your neighbor’s sheet rock, carpet, and maybe even furniture when your AC’s drain tube backs up and causes water damage.  That would make your pocketbook very unhappy.

Condominium living means more than just being a good citizen.  It means being a good neighbor and treating those close to you just like you want to be treated.  When you realize we’re all in this together, that becomes pretty easy!