Heat Pump condensate problem

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softtouch

Member
Six year old American Standard 3 ton unit. Ceiling horizontal mounted in the basement. Gravity condensate drain through the wall to outdoors.
Last summer the water started getting into the blower section and dripping on the floor. Water was running out of the drain. I rigged up a hose and ran water through the drain but no help.
S.J. Johnson Inc. who I bought the unit from in 2010 and had been servicing it, told me they are no longer in the business.
I had a local service guy look at it. He checked the innards and said there was no rust holes in the drip pan and everything looked good. He blew on the drain pipe (with his mouth) and said it felt like something blew out. He then decided to increase the blower speed.
No help, I spent the rest of last summer emptying water buckets.

Before I turned the A/C on yesterday for the first time this year, I cut off the drain pipe. I now have a 4 inch stub of pipe coming out of the trap.

Looks like I still have the problem. This morning I put a tall trash can under the pipe in place of the bucket incase it is the splatter from the 6 foot drop from the pipe I am seeing. The A/C is not running today, but I think I am just wishful thinking here now.

I have heard Boothe's advertisements and am thinking about calling them. Anyone have experience with them. Do you think they have anyone smart enough to figure this out?
 
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PeoplesElbow

PeoplesElbow

Well-Known Member
Not quite sure what is going on, what you got etc from your post but its common practice to put some bleach through the drain system about once a month to keep the fungus from plugging up the works.
 
G

General Lee

Well-Known Member
Boothe's service my units. I am happy with them.

If I'm understanding your situation correctly, its possible the water is not running down your "A" coil fast enough (coil may be dirty) and get into the drain pan, therefore the blower is slinging the water off the coil. Or are you just saying the drain tube isn't draining properly?
 
O

officeguy

Well-Known Member
Sounds like you have algae and insect nests in your condensate line. Hook up a garden hose and flush all the crud out, if it is fairly straight poke through it with a electrical snake. Checking whether water can drain through it should not be a challenge to any semi-competent HVAC tech.
 
Midnightrider

Midnightrider

Well-Known Member
If nothing else works you could always put a tiny sump pump in to push the water up and out. Our last ac unit had one attached to the drain line because it was in the meddle of our basement. The one we had was selfcontained and made for that purpose.
 
DoWhat

DoWhat

Deplorable
PREMO Member
Midnightrider said:
If nothing else works you could always put a tiny sump pump in to push the water up and out. Our last ac unit had one attached to the drain line because it was in the meddle of our basement. The one we had was selfcontained and made for that purpose.
Click to expand...

It sounds like there is a clog inside the unit.
 
DoWhat

DoWhat

Deplorable
PREMO Member
Midnightrider said:
If nothing else works you could always put a tiny sump pump in to push the water up and out. Our last ac unit had one attached to the drain line because it was in the meddle of our basement. The one we had was selfcontained and made for that purpose.
Click to expand...

I have one that is wired into the air handler.
If it clogs up and can't clear the water it shuts the air handler down.
 
huntr1

huntr1

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Mine was doing this. Turned out the coils were DIRTY. As in disgustingly filthy. Once I cleaned them, no more problems.
 
B

BernieP

Resident PIA
cutting off the drain pipe isn't the answer. The problem is probably closer to the indoor unit.
you have to clean the tray and the entire run of tubing. Clean it and sanitize it regularly.
Plenty of advice above on how to do that.
 
Chris0nllyn

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
Chris0nllyn said:
How old is the system?
When was the A-coil serviced (cleaned) last?
When was the air filter last changed?
Click to expand...

Duh, 6 years old. Just went back and saw that.

BernieP said:
ah yes, the dirty air filter problem - might need to explain that it causes the coils to ice over.
Click to expand...

Right.

One thing the A coil does is dehumidify the house. Moisture is supposed to collect and drain off the coil into the pan and outside. If the coil is dirty or the air filter is clogged, the airflow through the coil isn't enough to shed the water fast enough (the pan is shallow)

Obviously the first thing to do is check the drain line. That's been cleaned out. I would ask if there's a straight drain off the pan or a trap, but since it's cut back to 4" from the unit, there's no point now. :lol:

If the filters are changed regularly, call a HVAC company to clean the coil. It won't take long, but they'll have to take the system apart to do it.
 
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S

softtouch

Member
I think I may have solved the problem. I gave the drain pipe more of a down hill pitch. Hard to understand why it was ok for 5 years though. Maybe the unit is a fraction of an inch lower than it used to be making the drain a flatter run toward the wall.
Anyhoo I've got my fingers crossed.

Oh and the service guy I had check it last year, said everything looked ok inside the unit. I trust he would have spotted a clogged-up coil.

Thanks for all the thoughts and comments.
 

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S

softtouch

Member
SandieGarry said:
Good for you !!! Fingers crossed. I was renting in Waldorf and had the same problem. The way I fixed the drain was to install a union, http://www.homedepot.com/p/Homewerk...C-Slip-x-Slip-Union-511-14-112-112H/204202883 something like this. That way, I didn't have to cut the pipe if there was a clog, just unscrew it, clean it and away we go. I know, I know, preventive maintenance would be best. But I'm lazy.
Click to expand...
Good idea!
I have not glued the new plumbing and so far it doesn't leak. I can just pull it apart.
 
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