The importance of keeping your AC condensation drain pipe clean can’t be stressed enough, that is because when it is uncleaned and unmaintained then needed repairs are more frequent. Regular maintenance of air conditioners is very important because it helps increase cooling efficiency and reduces the need for repairs. Even small simple tasks, such as keeping your air conditioner condensation drain pipe clean, can effectively prevent expensive problems down the road.
While it is a passive and seemingly unimportant part of an air conditioner, the AC condensate drain commonly gets overlooked until it gets clogged and problems develop. How it works is simple, it is basically used to drain the moisture that develops inside your air conditioner. If moisture cannot drain, it builds up around the evaporator coils and can cause a lot of problems that can be expensive to fix.
Below are problems that happen when the condensation drain pipe is uncleaned and unmaintained:
Formation of ice – a clogged condensation drain pipe prevents moisture from draining properly, and as moisture builds up inside the unit, the condensation coil will turn it into ice. If not resolved, ice will lead to major air conditioning problems.
Property damage – as moisture builds up inside the unit, it will leak out around your air conditioner, down the wall and onto the floor. This creates a damp environment that will result in the formation of toxic mould, mildew and algae. If left unchecked, considerable water damage to walls and flooring will occur.
Loss of cooling efficiency – when clogged, the condensation drain pipe will cause an air conditioner to be less efficient at cooling spaces. To compensate people will set the temperature lower, but over time this puts more wear on the air conditioner and will result in costly repairs.
Air conditioner damage – when moisture cannot drain properly and builds up inside your air conditioner, it can get into critical components and cause them damage. If left unchecked, it can lead to the breakdown of your air conditioner.
Increased indoor humidity levels – as moisture is prevented from draining, it builds up inside rooms, and if not noticed or resolved it can result in increased humidity levels indoors. Not only will mould and mildew grow around your air conditioner when moisture runs down your walls and builds up on the floor, but high levels of humidity promotes bacterial buildup throughout buildings.
To avoid problems caused by a clogged condensation drain pipe, then it is advised to have your air conditioner serviced regularly by Cool Factor air conditioning experts.