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

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.

"Pete C." wrote in message
ster.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

On Jun 29, 3:23*pm, "Pete C." wrote:
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.

Why not just flush it with a water hose instead of using a snake that
most people don't even own? Works for me, and that is the way it is
done when I have my AC serviced.

On Jun 29, 3:29*pm, "Dave" wrote:
"Pete C." wrote in message

ster.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 just poor a small amount of bleach in mine and then flush it with a
water hose. Not really rocket science.

"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?


Just for fun, pour 1/2 cup bleach on some grass where it won't bother
you. Pour 1/2 cup vinegar on a nearby spot. I don't *know* what
will happen, but my money is on neither will kill the grass-- but I
think it is more likely that the vinegar will.

Chlorine kills real simple organisms like algae-- it isn't so bad for
more complex things like grass.

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...

If what you have is PVC, the 'building engineer' is nuts. [or every
bottle of bleach would say 'don't use if your drain is PVC] If
there is rubber somewhere he *might* have a point, but I doubt it.

Jim

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.)


Are you sure?

Many times there are TWO drip lines: The regular one goes to the sainitary
stack so the condensate ends up in the sewer. Then there's a second line
from the pan under the evaporator unit that fills when the first line
becomes clogged.

You should clean both.

There are also biocide tablets you can drop in the evaporator to kill algae
for an extend period.

Me? I just dump a cup of bleach right out of the bottle into the evaporator
unit tray. I don't care if it kills the grass - any grass worth a hoot will
grow back.

On Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:55:33 -0400, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:

If what you have is PVC, the 'building engineer' is nuts. [or every
bottle of bleach would say 'don't use if your drain is PVC] If
there is rubber somewhere he *might* have a point, but I doubt it.

My lawn irrigation is 3/4 PVC. Municipal water has Chlorine. Same with
pool plumbing. They ain't dead yet :-/

Dave wrote:

"Pete C." wrote in message
ster.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

The dilution details are printed on the label of the bleach bottle. 3/4
cup bleach to 1 gal water is the strongest solution listed and is
certainly diluted enough not to harm PVC pipe or even a galvanized
condensate drip pan.

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

I've poured straight bleach in the plastic pan to get rid of an odor it
had. No problem, just rinse it good with lot's of water after first
letting it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. (the evaporator was lifted 1/2"
sitting on a couple plastic bottle caps, because bleach is really tough
on aluminum) The spot in the yard where it comes out will die so if you
like, catch the bleach in something. Once it's dilluted with water from
rinsing, it won't hurt anything. I have since found a nozzle with a
valve for the garden hose that fits into the drain hole. Now and then
it gets a good flush using the garden hose at full force.

Jim Elbrecht wrote:

"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?


Just for fun, pour 1/2 cup bleach on some grass where it won't bother
you. Pour 1/2 cup vinegar on a nearby spot. I don't *know* what
will happen, but my money is on neither will kill the grass-- but I
think it is more likely that the vinegar will.

Chlorine kills real simple organisms like algae-- it isn't so bad for
more complex things like grass.

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...

If what you have is PVC, the 'building engineer' is nuts. [or every
bottle of bleach would say 'don't use if your drain is PVC] If
there is rubber somewhere he *might* have a point, but I doubt it.

Agree. The real problem is if someone pours undiluted bleach into a
galvanized steel condensate pan, it will corrode and eat the galvanizing
(zinc) and start the pan rusting badly.

Oren wrote:
On Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:55:33 -0400, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:

If what you have is PVC, the 'building engineer' is nuts. [or every
bottle of bleach would say 'don't use if your drain is PVC] If
there is rubber somewhere he *might* have a point, but I doubt it.

My lawn irrigation is 3/4 PVC. Municipal water has Chlorine. Same with
pool plumbing. They ain't dead yet

chloramine is usually used instead of chlorine now.

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

Dave wrote:

"Pete C." wrote in message
ster.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

The dilution details are printed on the label of the bleach bottle. 3/4
cup bleach to 1 gal water is the strongest solution listed and is
certainly diluted enough not to harm PVC pipe or even a galvanized
condensate drip pan.

Well I will be damned. The lable does indeed have such instructions. Thank
you Pete. I do appreciate your patience and persistance. Now I just have
to install the fitting that will let me introduce the bleach solution. But
you have helped dispell some myths and misgivings which were based on
unsound reasoning.

Take it easy...

On Jun 29, 2:04*pm, "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

Yea right never use bleach the "building engineer" moron says, Tell
that to everyone that uses bleach in drains and never have and never
will have an issue, and kill the grass, so you think vinegar is
better, just use the bleach it kills what living in there.

ransley wrote:
On Jun 29, 2:04 pm, "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

Yea right never use bleach the "building engineer" moron says, Tell
that to everyone that uses bleach in drains and never have and never
will have an issue, and kill the grass, so you think vinegar is
better, just use the bleach it kills what living in there.

You don't NEED much. Isn't the formula for purifying water with bleach
something like 8 drops per gallon? ("A pint per drop and you're ready to
hop")

I just slather a cup or so and call it good. (The outside cats who drink
from the overflow pipe go "Yuk!")

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.

Or, the weeds will take over the dead grass zone. No problem.

I've never had a problem with bleach.

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


"HeyBub" wrote in message
m...

Me? I just dump a cup of bleach right out of the bottle into the
evaporator
unit tray. I don't care if it kills the grass - any grass worth a hoot
will
grow back.

SNIP


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

The dilution details are printed on the label of the bleach bottle. 3/4
cup bleach to 1 gal water is the strongest solution listed and is
certainly diluted enough not to harm PVC pipe or even a galvanized
condensate drip pan.

Well I will be damned. The lable does indeed have such instructions.
Thank you Pete. I do appreciate your patience and persistance. Now I
just have to install the fitting that will let me introduce the bleach
solution. But you have helped dispell some myths and misgivings which
were based on unsound reasoning.

Take it easy...


I've had my A/C system since 1973......Fortunately, I have access to the
condensate drip pan via what was previously the location of a humidifier.
At the beginning of every summer season I remove the cover plate and pour a
mixture of bleach and water in the pan ....don't ask since I never measure
it........well, maybe it's approx a 3 parts water/1 part bleach....... I
use at least 3-4 qts and/or keep pouring until I see a steady, fast drip out
the (outdoor) drain line. Based on the "never had a problem" results, it
does the job.
MLD

On 6/29/2010 2:04 PM, 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


The gel is probably yeast. I see it in restaurant ice machines when I
clean them, if you bake your own bread on occasion that may be the
source. Ask your HVAC repairman if he could install a time release
detergent/biocide pad/strip in the evaporator drain pan. It will release
the chemicals slowly over a long period of time keeping the drain clear
and any odor down. Here's an example:

http://www.appliancepartscompany.com...oductid=355990

TDD

"The Daring Dufas" wrote in message
...
On 6/29/2010 2:04 PM, 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


The gel is probably yeast. I see it in restaurant ice machines when I
clean them, if you bake your own bread on occasion that may be the source.
Ask your HVAC repairman if he could install a time release
detergent/biocide pad/strip in the evaporator drain pan. It will release
the chemicals slowly over a long period of time keeping the drain clear
and any odor down. Here's an example:

http://www.appliancepartscompany.com...oductid=355990

TDD


Why thank you, Daring one. That makes sense, as we bake bread all the time.
Yeast. Gives me a whole different perspective... Makes me think of
triclosan (sp?) which is the active ingredient in Lysol and anti-bacterial
Palmolive. Whole different perspective indeed. Was wondering why the
bleach didn't seem to cut the stuff, or at least not like I expected. Of
course, chlorine is a biocide too, but still. No detergent. All kinds of
ideas now. And I will definetely ask for such a strip/pad from the guy who
is coming to look at it. Thank you very, very much.

Dave

On 6/30/2010 9:14 PM, Dave wrote:
"The Daring wrote in message
...
On 6/29/2010 2:04 PM, 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


The gel is probably yeast. I see it in restaurant ice machines when I
clean them, if you bake your own bread on occasion that may be the source.
Ask your HVAC repairman if he could install a time release
detergent/biocide pad/strip in the evaporator drain pan. It will release
the chemicals slowly over a long period of time keeping the drain clear
and any odor down. Here's an example:

http://www.appliancepartscompany.com...oductid=355990

TDD


Why thank you, Daring one. That makes sense, as we bake bread all the time.
Yeast. Gives me a whole different perspective... Makes me think of
triclosan (sp?) which is the active ingredient in Lysol and anti-bacterial
Palmolive. Whole different perspective indeed. Was wondering why the
bleach didn't seem to cut the stuff, or at least not like I expected. Of
course, chlorine is a biocide too, but still. No detergent. All kinds of
ideas now. And I will definetely ask for such a strip/pad from the guy who
is coming to look at it. Thank you very, very much.

Dave



Me and my friends use the strips and tablets all the time. Some of the
manufacturers produce strips that contain a rubbery compound covered
with woven Nylon or polyester that looks something like a sock. The
strips are installed in the bottom of the condensate pan as far from
the drain as you can get it, the strip will last longer because it's not
under water and won't block the drain. The tiny amount of chemical
leaching from the pad/strip is all that's needed to keep the condensate
flowing through the trap and drain line. It's also effective if your
system has an electric condensate pump.

TDD

In article merica,
Dave wrote:
...snipped...
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.)
...snipped...

I wouldn't worry about the bleach damaging the drip line. After all, it
is sold in plastic bottles.


--
Often wrong, never in doubt.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar. org

"Larry W" wrote in message
...
In article merica,
Dave wrote:
...snipped...
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.)
...snipped...

I wouldn't worry about the bleach damaging the drip line. After all, it
is sold in plastic bottles.


--
Often wrong, never in doubt.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar. org

Good point.