Air Conditioning Hvac Condensate Drain Line Design

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.

Air conditioning hvac condensate drain line design.

A c or heat pump system. Locate your condensate drain line. Turn the system off at the thermostat as well as at the breaker. Collected in a drain pan below the cooling coil as illustrated in figure 1 the water must be removed to prevent damage and contamination to the air handler system and building draining water from a condensate drain pan is not a simple process.

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. If the condensate drain line is clogged you will need to use a wet dry vacuum or a special pump to unclog the line. General one primary function of the air conditioning system is to dehumidify the air by removing water as it passes through the air handler. Drain s 2015 imc 307 2 2 requires that an air conditioning condensate drain inside diameter should not be smaller than in ch and should not be smaller than the drain pan outlet diameter.

Turn off your air conditioner. Until an hvac technician can arrive to open the air handler unblock the drain line and clear the pan the air conditioner will be unusable. Plumbing code citation for installation of air conditioning condensate drain piping. Your drain line is a pvc pipe located near your outdoor unit and is attached to the wall of your house.

Step 1 power off the air conditioning unit. Uniform mechanical code section 310 0 310 1 condensate disposal. Identify the access point on the drain line. This will kill any algae mold or mildew that has formed in the pipe.

Three quarters of an inch is sufficient for up to 20 tons according to the imc unless the drain outlet size is larger than in ch use t able 307 2 2 for condensate pipe sizing. To hide the drain pipe run the condensation drain into a buried drainage line which can then be routed downhill and away from the yard. The easiest solution is to attach an extension pipe or hose to your ac drain then extend it downhill away from the house or into a thirsty flower bed.