On Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:29:59 -0500, "Dave" wrote:


"Pete C." wrote in message
nster.com...

Dave wrote:

We have some kind of clearish, gel-like stuff growing in our drip line,
and
I really don't think bleach is the best thing to be dumping in my yard.
Thinking if I just change the Ph a little for a while, like with vinegar
or
maybe even a couple pots of (cooled) tea, it might eliminate the problem.
What do others use?

To be fair, the guy who works on our unit says he uses bleach every
couple
months, but his drip line goes to the sewer and mine doesn't. My wife
mentioned the bleach idea to a building engineer where she works (40
story
block-wide building in downtown Houston) and he got really serious,
saying
don't ever put chlorine bleacn in anything like a drip line. It will eat
up
anything it comes in contact with. Now, I know that chlorine is highly
reactive, but is schedule 40 PVC really that fragile? If I had to I
could
catch the drip for a couple days...

Dave (who is uncertain at this point.)

Thanks

Yes, use *properly diluted* bleach to sanitize the condensate line from
your A/C evaporator / air handler unit. Use a pipe snake to clean the
built up gunk out of the line first. If your condensate line runs
outside and you are concerned about killing the grass, put a bucket
under the line when you do the sanitizer flush. Properly diluted bleach
sanitizer will definitely not harm PVC pipes.

Aah. Diluted bleach solution. That sounds more plausible. The A/C guy we
have been using just said to pour some bleach into where the line joins with
the condensor unit. Sooo... At what ratio should I dilute standard Clorox
bleach to get properly diluted bleach solution? Should I look for a
particular Ph?

Many, many thanks.

Dave

I was spraying on a bleach solution to kill whatever was growing in my
picket fence, the part that gets little sunlight (and some of the
pickets were 25 years old)**. It didnt' seem to be working so I tried
again with either 1:1 mixtuer or maybe plain bleach. Of course I was
aiming at the pickets, but it didn't seem to do any harm to the grass
it dripped on.

**But it worked. The pickets are good now, have another 10 years in
them or more.