I have been finding water on the floor in my kitchen and utility areas for
the last several mornings.

It has been terribly hot here for the last few weeks and the air
conditioners have been running almost constantly.

Tonight I saw a water stain on the ceiling in the utility room and water was
dripping from the light fixture. The light glove was filled with water. I
think the drain for the condensation is stopped up and water is spilling
unto the ceiling and unto the floor.

I have called the air conditioning company and they will be here in the
morning, but until then I have both my air conditioners turned off.

Does anyone know of a quick and easy way to unstop the drain in the attic
without the need to go up there.

The overflow pipe is accessible from outside down stairs. Is there any way I
could unplug the stoppage from down on the ground?

Thanks,

Freckles

Freckles wrote:
I have been finding water on the floor in my kitchen and utility
areas for the last several mornings.

It has been terribly hot here for the last few weeks and the air
conditioners have been running almost constantly.

Tonight I saw a water stain on the ceiling in the utility room and
water was dripping from the light fixture. The light glove was filled
with water. I think the drain for the condensation is stopped up and
water is spilling unto the ceiling and unto the floor.

I have called the air conditioning company and they will be here in
the morning, but until then I have both my air conditioners turned
off.
Does anyone know of a quick and easy way to unstop the drain in the
attic without the need to go up there.

The overflow pipe is accessible from outside down stairs. Is there
any way I could unplug the stoppage from down on the ground?


There are generally TWO drains. The primary drain goes to your sewage
system, typically thru the vent. When that gets stopped up, usually due to
algae growth, the condensate flows to a pan which dumps through a pipe to
the outside. When this secondary pipe gets stopped up, the water has nowhere
to go but your ceiling.

As a temporary fix, climb up a stool or ladder to the outside drain, put
your lips on the pipe and blow (it doesn't take much blow-power).

Then stand way the hell back as a torrent will ensue.

The penultimate fix is to get up in the attic and blow out both drains. Then
pour a cup of bleach down each to kill the algae.

The ultimate fix, then, is to add a fungicide tablet to the evaporator unit
reservoir. This will slowly release a chemical to prevent further growth.
For a season.

As an alternative, you can add a cup of bleach to the evaporator unit each
A/C season to inhibit algae growth.

What the A/C guy is going to do is crawl up in your attic with a tank of
compressed air and unclog both drains. He's then going to add a fungicide
tablet to your evaporator unit. As a final step, he'll present a bill for
$300.00.

Bottom line: If you see dripping outside, you're on your reserve 'chute.

You sound like the voice of experience. In the Rochester NY
area, we have cellars, and the furnace and AC are in the
cellar. A few commercial places have ceiling AC. I was going
to suggest wet and dry shopvac on the drain hose in the
cellar.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"HeyBub" wrote in message
m...

There are generally TWO drains. The primary drain goes to
your sewage
system, typically thru the vent. When that gets stopped up,
usually due to
algae growth, the condensate flows to a pan which dumps
through a pipe to
the outside. When this secondary pipe gets stopped up, the
water has nowhere
to go but your ceiling.

As a temporary fix, climb up a stool or ladder to the
outside drain, put
your lips on the pipe and blow (it doesn't take much
blow-power).

Then stand way the hell back as a torrent will ensue.

The penultimate fix is to get up in the attic and blow out
both drains. Then
pour a cup of bleach down each to kill the algae.

The ultimate fix, then, is to add a fungicide tablet to the
evaporator unit
reservoir. This will slowly release a chemical to prevent
further growth.
For a season.

As an alternative, you can add a cup of bleach to the
evaporator unit each
A/C season to inhibit algae growth.

What the A/C guy is going to do is crawl up in your attic
with a tank of
compressed air and unclog both drains. He's then going to
add a fungicide
tablet to your evaporator unit. As a final step, he'll
present a bill for
$300.00.

Bottom line: If you see dripping outside, you're on your
reserve 'chute.

On Jul 21, 6:50*pm, "Freckles" wrote:
I have been finding water on the floor in my kitchen and utility areas for
the last several mornings.

It has been terribly hot here for the last few weeks and the air
conditioners have been running almost constantly.

Tonight I saw a water stain on the ceiling in the utility room and water was
dripping from the light fixture. The light glove was filled with water. I
think the drain for the condensation is stopped up and water is spilling
unto the ceiling and unto the floor.

I have called the air conditioning company and they will be here in the
morning, but until then I have both my air conditioners turned off.

Does anyone know of a quick and easy way to unstop the drain in the attic
without the need to go up there.

The overflow pipe is accessible from outside down stairs. Is there any way I
could unplug the stoppage from down on the ground?

Thanks,

Freckles

My Ac condenser has a hose to the outside, it has clogged, my pan has
a cut off switch should everything clog, you should have a switch put
in and test it every year so you dont spend alot fixing water damage.
Have you looked at it, usualy unclogging a plugged up hose is easy,
this, your filter, a clean AC coil, keeping drains clear and mold free
are things that need regular checking by you, not every year or 2, so
when is the last time the filter was changed and all checked?

ransley wrote:
On Jul 21, 6:50 pm, "Freckles" wrote:
I have been finding water on the floor in my kitchen and utility
areas for the last several mornings.

It has been terribly hot here for the last few weeks and the air
conditioners have been running almost constantly.

Tonight I saw a water stain on the ceiling in the utility room and
water was dripping from the light fixture. The light glove was
filled with water. I think the drain for the condensation is stopped
up and water is spilling unto the ceiling and unto the floor.

I have called the air conditioning company and they will be here in
the morning, but until then I have both my air conditioners turned
off.

Does anyone know of a quick and easy way to unstop the drain in the
attic without the need to go up there.

The overflow pipe is accessible from outside down stairs. Is there
any way I could unplug the stoppage from down on the ground?

Thanks,

Freckles

My Ac condenser has a hose to the outside, it has clogged, my pan has
a cut off switch should everything clog, you should have a switch put
in and test it every year so you dont spend alot fixing water damage.
Have you looked at it, usualy unclogging a plugged up hose is easy,
this, your filter, a clean AC coil, keeping drains clear and mold free
are things that need regular checking by you, not every year or 2, so
when is the last time the filter was changed and all checked?

Good point about the switch. Perhaps easier is an alarm like one of these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=92334

I got one and it has a switch: Alarm/Music. I tested the "music" setting and
it played Beethoven's Bagatelle in A Minor ("Fur Elise"). Oh well.

Reminds me of the best of Asimov's Lecherous Limericks:

There was a gal from Carolina,
Who placed fiddle strings 'cross her vagina,
With certain sized cocks,
What was sex became Bach's
Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor