Heat Pump Hvac Condensate Drain Line Design

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.

Heat pump hvac condensate drain line design.

Its job is to efficiently funnel condensation away from your hvac unit. Plumbing code citation for installation of air conditioning condensate drain piping. This drain deserves an f. This will kill any algae mold or mildew that has formed in the pipe.

It connects directly to the hvac unit and leads outdoors often through an exterior wall. The piping from the cooling coil to the condensate pump reservoir should be installed with minimum 1 8 inch slope to enable gravity flow. If the condensate drain line is clogged you will need to use a wet dry vacuum or a special pump to unclog the line. The growth can clog the drip pan or even rinse into the condensate drain lines causing a clog in the piping.

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. It can air lock because there is no vent after the trap. Little giant condensate pump. Build up of this debris can be carried off as condensate drains from the coil.

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 pumps shall be used where gravity drains are impossible to install. This is commonly seen in residential and commercial sites where no floor drains were provisioned to drain condensate. Condensate lines are typically made of plastic commonly pvc or sometimes metal although plastic is prefered.

Enter the condensate line which essentially functions as a drain line. As indoor air circulates through the evaporator coil dust dirt and other airborne particles can be trapped by moisture. Questions why it s not advisable to pump condensate into a sewer drain mar 16 2014 anonymous said. Just pour a cup of bleach in the drain line s access opening near the indoor air conditioning unit.

Uniform mechanical code section 310 0 310 1 condensate disposal. Over time it can become trapped in your condensate drain line causing blockage. 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.