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I have an A/C condensation drain line that's blocked, and I'm having trouble using a snake to get to the blockage. The pipe is 3/4" PVC with many 90 degree elbows.

I tried using a regular drain snake (1/4") but I can't get it past one of the 90 degree elbows (and there are several more). I did see this post about replacing the elbows with more friendly corners, but there are a couple elbows that would require opening a wall to access.

Am I using my snake incorrectly? Is there a better way to clear the line?

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    You might try compressed air if you've got access to a compressor. Once you have at least some flow switch to hot bleach water. It's also a good idea to pour a bucket of hot bleach water through once a year.
    – Tyson
    May 27, 2017 at 17:46
  • I was able to clear the blockage with compressed air.
    – W5VO
    Jul 13, 2017 at 20:16

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A combination of a solution of bleach water at the A/C end and a shop vac at the outlet may be useful. I had a similar clog in the drain with two elbows instead of sweeps (inside the slab) and the snake only goes so far. The snake helped open a bit of travel for the chlorine water, which takes some time to be effective, but the shop vac (wet/dry vac) really made the difference. If you duct tape the vac hose to the outlet end of the drain, you can be assured of maximum power, but even holding your hand around the end helps.

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