Clogged air conditioning

[fprodromides]

Why does my air conditioning drain clog?? It makes my front floor soaking wet, the fan won't blow, this for some reason affects my brakes in that not only do they sqeal, but make them spongy.The other noise from the water not draining from the car makes a swooshing sound. Not safe at all. Why does this continue to happen. We have to drain it manually with a siphon hose.

[enigma-2]

Could be an accumulation of dirt, mold, bacteria and algae growth. They make a special cleaner foam that you inject into the hvac housing, that foams up moving into every crevice, killing molds and algaes. It then reverts back to liquid and drains out. You can buy it on Amazon for under $12. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0007PHD0S/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471195169&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Lubegard+96030+Kool-It+Evaporator+and+Heater+Foam+Cleaner

 

There's a video on YouTube showing how to use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi22mdXj3wM

Edited August 14, 2016 by enigma-2

[fprodromides]

Well it has been cleaned out with bleach through the siphon, WHY THEN RIGHT AFTER IT IS CLEANED OUT AND DRAINED MY BRAKES MAKE NO NOISE AT ALL MORNING, NOON, EVENING NONE ABSOLUTELY NO SQUEAL. MY BRAKES HAVE BEEN CKECKED TWICE NOW. THEY ARE FINE. THEY MAKE NOISE WHEN THE DARN TRAY HAS WATER STUCK IN IT AND IS NOT DRAINING. WHY ON EARTH DOES THE WATER KEEP HAVING TO BE DRAINED??? IS THIS A FLAW IN THIS CAR?? Never ever had this problem before. After it was drained the first time we got at least a gallon of water out!! I asked if he had done something with the brakes as they didn't make any noise as well. Answer-NO. I drive this car every day,and I know that when the AC drain is clogged,turning the steering wheel sounds like my tire is rubbing on something. It's not. It also pulls to the right if there is enough water in the tray. Why?? I am not imagining this. Only had the car 3 years, and having to drain the stupid ac thing is getting annoying. Ford = Found on the road dead just like this car has done more than once. Would never have bought this if I had known all the problems. We have to drain the ac EVERY week here in Florida and now have to replace the ac fan as well. what the heck???

Edited August 14, 2016 by fprodromides

[akirby]

Maybe you should stop yelling and figure out why the AC drain keeps getting clogged. You're treating the symptom not the root cause. How are you clearing it out?

 

It's possible the retained water is increasing the humidity level causing the rotors to rust over more quickly but that's a long shot.

[fprodromides]

If I knew why it keeps getting clogged I wouldn't be so angry. We keep cleaning it out, tried vinegar and also bleach to clean it. I just don't understand WHY it keeps clogging. Nothing comes out except water after the last flushing with the bleach. This has been going in now for over a year and nobody has been able to figure this out. I have taken it in three times to the mechanic and there nothing in the line to clog it. Is there some kind if check valve somewhere that we don't know about. The fan now has to be replaced due to the water not draining, but this is not fixing the problem. In time this fan will no longer turn then either due to water not draining but sitting on the fan . It's just really annoying with no answers.

[akirby]

So how do you unclog it exactly? Are you forcing compressed air or bleach up into the line?

[fprodromides]

There is the drain right next to the gas pedal, you have to pull back the carpet to find it. We took a piece of tubing used as in a aquarium and put an end piece on it so it fits perfectly into the drain hose. Then it works like a siphon once you get the suction going. The first couple times there was mildew? and mold as well, now though it's just cold water that drains out. I don't know why it keeps needing to be drained. Perhaps it's the angle of the drain tube? So weird, never had a vehicle do this.I don't know how to permanently fix the issue. As I've said before,replacing the fan is not the cure all as this one will get the water sitting on it as well. Trying to figure out why it doesn't drain on it's own. I have to drain it once a week. It does drain,but not all the way. Ford dealership where i bought the car has no answers for me on this issue

[akirby]

That sounds like the drain tube is kinked so it's above the drain pan.

[fprodromides]

The tube runs at a weird angle. It's not kinked from what I've been reading from other edge owners who have the same problem the 2007 and 2008 have this problem a lot. As yet no answers to fixing this flaw,only how to drain the water.

[omar302]

We took a piece of tubing used as in a aquarium and put an end piece on it so it fits perfectly into the drain hose. Then it works like a siphon once you get the suction going.

This might be a little obvious, but just in case, after unplugging the tube, which side did you try to unclog? The piece going down to under the car or to the side back to the condenser? If you only did bottom portion maybe there is a lot of junk still coming from the condenser that wasn't cleaned causing the clogging to repeat.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Foaming coil cleaner is the best way to clean the upper tube (from the joint at the console to the evaporator). Also check and clean under the windshield cowl, as well as replace the cabin air filter. With all of this done, the problem SHOULD be mitigated/resolved, IF it is related to only the AC.

[enigma-2]

Consider using the foaming hvac cleaner I wrote you about. It will reach into places that bleach can't reach. It's possible to use bleach and still have mold in the housing or evaporator. The chemical must actually contact the mold to kill it.

 

WWWPerfA_NOW mentioned cleaning the hvac filter. I'd like to confirm that you actually have a filter installed. If not, dirt, bugs, etc. can enter the system and build up. On of the side effects of living in Florida is the bugs and critrers. There's always the possibility that there a nest or accumulation of insects that have invaded your hvac and keeps clogging it. (The system itself is well designed and has had relitavely few problems. For whatever it's worth, I've never had a problem on my 09). The filter is located in back of your glove box and is easy to check. There are videos on YouTube as to how to remove the glove box and a cess the filter. Takes about 3 minutes.

 

There is no corrolation between the hvac drain and the brakes. You have organic pads and that's one of the side effects. If you want to cure this, you could install ceramic pads. One of the cons with ceramic pads is not as good stopping power, but it's a tradeoff. Mine also squeek when I first start to back out of the garage. To stop it, I will do a hard stop while backing out and clean the thin layer of rust off the rotors. I can then back out and no squeek.

 

Had organic (cheap) pads put on my wife's Sebring convertible. Damn things squeeked everywhere she went. All the time. Had no choice but to have new pads put on. Went to NAPA and bought their best pads, had Ford garage put them on. Dead silence and still has good stopping power.

Edited August 16, 2016 by enigma-2