AC driplines are a problem for almost every homeowner in SW Florida—seasonal or permanent!  So, we were not surprised when it happened to us–again.

Because we are trained Home Watch professionals we know the importance of keeping your AC running and your humidity in control.  We subscribe to an HVAC service to have our Air Conditioner serviced every six months, we change the AC air filter every 90 days and we add “pan tablets”, a professional pan cleaning aid to our internal drip pan every 60 days.  And it still happens– A CLOGGED DRIP LINE.

As indoor air circulates through the evaporator coil of your AC, dust, dirt and other airborne particles are trapped by the moisture being remove from the home by the AC.  Build-up of this debris is carried off as the condensate drains off of the coil.  Over time, it becomes trapped in your condensate drain line, causing the line to block. As water continues to collect in the line, there is a float in your AC that will shut the AC off. If the float malfunctions, water collects in your drip pan and if THAT float fails when the pan gets full you have the potential for water spilling into your home. 

Well, it happened to us this Sunday morning.  We heard dripping coming from the location of the AC closet.  We checked the drip pan and it was half full of water but had not as yet tripped the emergency safety shutoff switch.  We grabbed a shop vacuum and drained the line ourselves.  Having watched the process literally hundreds of times we knew exactly what to do.  It took about 20 minutes to complete the process.  We take precautionary preventive maintenance steps to prevent such an occurrence and it still happened.

Last weekend we travelled out of state to visit family.  What if this happened while we were away?  We surely would have had our AC shut down. But if either of the floats malfunctioned, we could have had water spilling into the home.  The temperature inside the home could easily rise to 80-85+ F or more within 24 hours.  Under the right conditions microbial product can develop within 24-48 hours of water exposure, according to FEMA.gov.  

HOW TO HELP AVOID A CATASTROPHE IF YOU’RE NOT THERE

In additional to regular home watch visits, we use and recommend a home monitoring system that provides continuous monitoring of your home while you are away. This home monitoring system (HMS) continuously measures:  humidity, temperature and the electrical power status of your home.  The HMS sends critical information through its own built-in, secure connection to the cellular network, not your wi-fi network.  In the event of a power outage, you will lose communication with your wi-fi but not your HMS because it has a built-in lithium-ion battery backup system that operates up to 4 days after a power loss.  The HMS device transmits information to a central data monitoring station and reports or alerts are transmitted to you and your Home Watch service provider on your computer, tablet or smartphone.  

• There are no long-term contracts, no active internet connection and no expensive set up costs. It comes with a Lithium-ion back-up battery.  The device detects a problem within two minutes of occurrence and transmits an alert condition status hourly for the first 6 hours and for every 6 hours for 2 days; once the issue is resolved the HMS resets itself and issues an all-clear message.  It’s like having someone monitor your home 24-7-365.  The cost is about $160.00 and monitoring plans are as low as $19 per quarter.  

If it can happen to us it can happen to you.  To learn more about the home monitoring system and professional Home Watch services offered by Carefree Home watch, call 239-234-1847 or visit www.carefreehomewatch.com.  We provide exceptional care when you’re not there™.