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  1. #1

    Unhappy Pinched Condensate Drain Line??

    Ok, so my apartment has a ceiling mounted a/c unit that is above the shower.
    I live on the 2nd FL of a 3 FL apartment building.

    My ceiling showed some slight water damage near the exhaust fan.
    • I requested for maintenance to ensure that the drainpipe was secure and that the drain line was not clogged.


    After that I began hearing gurgling noises in the bathroom sink drain.
    • I called maintenance to make sure that the P-Trap was functioning correctly.

    They just tried to tell me that the sink was not clogged, and it was draining fine.
    I reminded them that I did not indicate that the sink was not draining and to please check the P-Trap.

    This could be a longer story, so I am going to try to Fast FWD.
    I begin considering that these people do not seem to have a routine maintenance plan- at all, which is probably the main problem.
    In addition to my question regarding the P-Trap, Drain line, etc.? I began to notice distinct tapping sounds coming from the pipes, in the walls.

    Now I am sending them more information regarding possibilities because I am concerned that those possibilities probably are not meeting any codes, or standards. That goes for possible install issues, and a possible lack of required routine maintenance.

    Eventually they had a plumber come to check everything.
    I am trying not to micromanage, so I stayed in the other room.

    He get?s ready to leave and says the P-Trap is fine and that the drain is making that due to the a/c.
    • I asked him if he checked the condensate line, the evaporator coils, the drip pan, etc.?

    He says that is just the way it is going to sound.
    I am not buying it, but he was a nice guy and I had already done a thorough interrogation.
    I am not even going to what he said about the pipes.
    I feel like my question to you, the professionals, is a pretty simple.

    Is this a ?pinched? condensate line?
    It drains into my bathroom sink.

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Posts
    1,592

    Default Re: Pinched Condensate Drain Line??

    Yes, it's slightly kinked.

    Easy to remedy, likely not obstructing the flow completely, especially since you hear the noise from the A/C condensate entering the sink trap line (which is a normal method of condensate removal in certain geographic locales). Both water and air make noise as they moves through that tube into the sink drain.

    Tapping sounds are typically plumbing pipes that move or expand, causing ticking or similar sounds.

    They need their maintenance tech to inspect the A/C air handler in the ceiling to see if the pan is draining correctly, and completely. Ceiling mounted air handlers can cause water damage if the coil's drain pan overflows or becomes obstructed.

    And FWIW, there is no prescribed standard for routine maintenance, as it relates to your issues. Most apartments (it seems) repair things as they break, and can barely keep up with that protocol.


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