Pinched A/C drain tube ...

[klpauba]

The A/C condensate has been dripping from the roof instead of the drain by the tire. I disconnected it from the tee by the A/C and ran an endoscope down to see what was going on. Looks like it's pinched about 18" from the end.

Any ideas on how I might get it to open up?

[John Ware]

18" from the bottom or the top? If it's inaccessible, I would try to insert a stiff piece of tubing that is slightly smaller in diameter past the pinched section.

[n2916s]

You might try pushing up a section of the rigid tubing used to hook up water to refrigerators for the internal ice makers…

[klpauba]

JEWare: Good question ... my wording wasn't clear but the restriction is 18" from the end by the air conditioner. I took your (and n2916s's) suggestion of pushing a rigid tube (I used a piece of 1/4" pex tubing (from a water filter install)) and attempting to get it past the point. Even after deforming the end of the tube flat it wouldn't get past the restriction. I tried to reach the point from the other end (by the tire) but encountered more resistance (a bend or another pinch I don't know -- further than my endoscope can reach).

I might have to accept that I'll have A/C condensate running down the skin of the airstream.

[Foiled Again]

Get a piece of insulated copper wire 12 or 14 guage) and push it down the drain tube. You might try a few drops of dish soap on the end for lubrication. Could be a dead insect, random road debris, or a kink in the hose

Also try sucking or blowing air through the tube from the bottom. Use a tire inflater pump or a wet-dry vac. Partly open will work just fine.

Those damn drain hoses can be hard to access, although a long hard look at where the hose comes out will generally point you in a good way. Commonly the drain hose runs through the refrigerator wall or the closet wall. If you replace or repair the fridge, fix the drip hose too!

[Mollysdad]

I bought a 15' length of stranded 1/8" cable at Lowe's.
It's stiff enough to clear simple blockages, worth a try.
Recommended by KYD's expert friend Ray(?)
I put small heat shrink on the ends to prevent snags and fraying.