Ever wonder what’s inside your condensate pump?
I’ll bet you weren’t thinking it was this kind of crud. This is an actual condensate pump we got back from a customer that was connected to a MovinCool Office Pro 12. I’m not really sure how old this pump is, or how long it has been on that particular unit, but I’m willing to bet that this one was NEVER cleaned. And as you can figure, the unit stopped running because the pump quit working.
We quickly pulled this pump out and replaced it with a brand new pump, as this one has pretty much seen it’s better days. Customer is happy!
How to Clean a Condensate Pump – for Spot Coolers
Cleaning a condensate pump on your portable AC unit or spot cooler should be done at least once a year, but probably every six months just to be on the safe side. Below are the steps to keeping your condensate pump clean.
- Turn the power off on your spot cooler, then unplug the unit.
- Remove the pump from the bottom of the unit. There should be one or two screws holding the pump to the condensate tank housing. Remove the pump and drain all of the water from the pump and housing.
- Thoroughly wash the pump and tank housing with warm soapy water, including the float.
- Make a solution of 1/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon of warm water. Pour the solution into the pump and continue until you have run the whole gallon through the pump and the lines.
- Repeat this process one more time, using clean water without the bleach.
- Reassemble the pump to the housing and install into your spot cooler.
Cleaning your condensate pump is easy, and takes very little time. This little bit of preventative maintenance can save you lots of headaches and downtime in your server room.
Leave us a comment if you’ve ever seen a pump this nasty, or if you have other condensate pump stories to share.
