Hvac Condensate Drain Line Trap

All air conditioners have a special drain for this condensation.

Hvac condensate drain line trap.

The condensate drain line connected to your ac unit plays a vital role in the effective operation of your entire system. When the drip pan becomes full or clogged or the condensate line is clogged water can spill over the drip pan s edges onto the floor surrounding the unit. Traps with insufficient height between the inlet and outlet design deficiency on draw through systems can cause the drain to back up when the fan is on possibly causing drain pan overflow or water droplet carryover into the duct system. While most manufacturers don t specify this on this gravity ductless drains it is something to look out for.

A for the installation of a trap in accordance with the unit manufacturer s installation and operating instructions. A p trap serves a very important purpose on an a c unit. The only code requirements for drain lines removing condensate from hvac equipment are. B that the drain lines slope toward the final drainage point at a rate of 1 8 inch per foot.

Another sign your condensate lines may be clogged is if no moisture is exiting outdoors. That is why in the summer your car drips water. A central air system routes condensation through a u shaped trap located in the drain line just outside the air handler. This will kill any algae mold or mildew that has formed in the pipe.

Just pour a cup of bleach in the drain line s access opening near the indoor air conditioning unit. Trap failures due to freeze up drying out breakage blockage and or improper installation can compromise the seal against air ingestion through the condensate drain line. It s similar to the trap under your kitchen or bathroom sink. Ultimately your condensate line is responsible for removing the condensation that s produced by the evaporator coil draining it from the air handler to the outside of your house.

See when moist air hits something cold the water condenses out of the air and collects on the cold surface. The imc states that condensate drains should be trapped according to manufactures specs however wording was added in imc 307 2 4 1 that states that ductless systems must either have a check valve or a trap in the condensate line. If the condensate drain line is clogged you will need to use a wet dry vacuum or a special pump to unclog the line.