Heat Pump Hvac Condensate Drain Line Design

Uniform mechanical code section 310 0 310 1 condensate disposal.

Heat pump hvac condensate drain line design.

Why would a condensate pump line into a drain be a problem when the pump has a check valve which allows no back leakage of gas or water and if the drain ever clogged it would back up either way anyhow. Condensate switches imc 307 2 3 states that all hvac equipment that produces condensate must have either a secondary drain line or a condensate overflow switch a secondary drain pan with a secondary drain line or condensate switch or some combination of these installations should be used to prevent overflow if the primary drain line blocks. Enter the condensate line which essentially functions as a drain line. Plumbing code citation for installation of air conditioning condensate drain piping.

Over time it can become trapped in your condensate drain line causing blockage. It can air lock because there is no vent after the trap. Signs the ac drain line is clogged. With no overflow safety switch no clean out and no vent one is just asking for several thousand dollars of damage due to condensate water backing up and overflowing the cooling coil drain pan flooding out this interior furnace closet.

Just pour a cup of bleach in the drain line s access opening near the indoor air conditioning unit. Little giant condensate pump. Build up of this debris can be carried off as condensate drains from the coil. Its job is to efficiently funnel condensation away from your hvac unit.

The growth can clog the drip pan or even rinse into the condensate drain lines causing a clog in the piping. Clear condensate line clogs. This is commonly seen in residential and commercial sites where no floor drains were provisioned to drain condensate. Questions why it s not advisable to pump condensate into a sewer drain mar 16 2014 anonymous said.

No trap clean out no vent. The piping from the cooling coil to the condensate pump reservoir should be installed with minimum 1 8 inch slope to enable gravity flow. Carson dunlop associates sketches left illustrate both acceptable and not recommended locations for the discharge of an air conditioner or heat pump condensate drain line discharge. It connects directly to the hvac unit and leads outdoors often through an exterior wall.

If you spot any of the tell tale signs of a condensate line or drip pan clog the average homeowner is more than capable of clearing simple clogs if confident. Condensate lines are typically made of plastic commonly pvc or sometimes metal although plastic is prefered. As indoor air circulates through the evaporator coil dust dirt and other airborne particles can be trapped by moisture. This drain deserves an f.