Thread: Condensate pump in attic

Noted in report; no drain line on pan and pump should be in safety pan. HVAC guy said no need for either, there is a shut off in the pump. My thought was what if the drain line gets clogged? Fire away

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And the tech has never seen a leak from the evaporator coil pan? He's not looking at the big picture. His blinders need to be confiscated.

As seem from another angle...

Why do you need a pump in an attic? Attics are higher than ground and the water should drain by gravity. There should be no need for a pump in an attic.

You did get the missing drain or switch from the secondary and/or emergency (aux) drain pan, right?
The code is pretty much silent on the subject but it is mechanical equipement that is now part of the A/C which is required to be protected by an auxiliary drain pan.
Might be a stretch but then it would be pretty persuasive to my client once I explained the potential downside of a leak in their attic.

Jim, yes. That is what went into the report, no secondary, no drain line on pan, and pump not in pan. Tech said these are not needed becasue of the shut off in the pump. I disagreed and we left it at that.

I am a " LP gas guy" not an "AC" guy but wouldnt a trap be required or is the drain off the AC coil? Here in upstate NY we would be worried about the pump/line freezing in a cold attic. Just thinking out loud. Thanks

"Here in upstate NY we would be worried about the pump/line freezing in a cold attic"

The A/C is not likely to be running when the weather is so cold that the line would freeze.

Good point with the freezing. There is a humidifier on the furnace with a seperate drain line. Never thought of the freezing.

Pan is undersized also to add to the list.

Love the fact that they installed the male adapter in the pan but, left it unattached to anything. If you use a pan switch you could cap it but, to leave it open like that is just wrong.

Originally Posted by Rick Cantrell

"Here in upstate NY we would be worried about the pump/line freezing in a cold attic"

The A/C is not likely to be running when the weather is so cold that the line would freeze.

Doesn't matter that the AC won't be running in the cold weather, the little pump has a sump and depending on evaporation to get rid of the last AC condensate is NOT advisable.

I have had to pay to repair walls/ceilings where my guys didn't install a secondary drain pan properly. The entire furnace/AC in the attic is an "iffy" situation. If there is any way the condensate might find its way down the walls, you can bet it will.

EDIT:

Just saw your note about the humidifier, that kind of ignites the issue.