AC Drain Line Clogs and High Humidity

house in humid climate

It’s Not Just the Heat, It’s Also the Humidity

Summer is On Its Way

Summer is on its way along with high temperatures and increased humidity in the air. Did you know that humidity can make your air conditioner work harder than usual? This is especially true in places like Louisiana and Florida. In parts of Texas, particularly in the Houston area, the levels of humidity increase significantly during the summer months.

The rise in humidity can cause your AC to work twice as hard to cool your home. Your unit also has to work harder to take the additional moisture out of the air. With all of that extra effort our AC puts in to maintain a comfortable indoor environment, the drain pipe can get a buildup of sludge and mold.

Why? Well, most of us don’t realize that air conditioners are designed to produce condensation — extracting humidity from indoor air makes it cool more efficiently and feel more comfortable. A full-size central A/C generates a daily average of around 25 gallons of condensation!

Help Your AC

So be prepared if you live in a high humidity area so that your AC runs smoothly through the hot summer months. Don’t forget to keep the condensate drain line clean.  Drip pan overflows happen when the plastic tube that conveys condensate to a household drain clogs, usually from mold or algae. If your A/C incorporates an overflow safety sensor, power to the unit will probably be cut off, too, which will help prevent damage.

You can get more information on overflow sensors by watching this YouTube video.

You can also visit Water Guard to learn about AC overflow sensors.

Doing a little maintenance will help keep your home and family cool this summer.

– Steve

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