Condensate Lines (Drain Lines)
Condensate Lines or Drain Lines cause most of the maintenance problems with air conditioning units.
Main Causes:
- Poor Pitch or Slope- This often happens from original installation or a new replacement. Often the pitch is not good with the drainline. You should have 1" slope every 6 feet. Also check the pitch of the air handler. The air handler should have a slight pitch towards the drain line.
- Lack of Maintenance-No matter how good the drain lineis eventually it will clog up. The drain lines should be cleaned out at least twice a year.
- Others-Many drain line backups are are attributed to the outdoor portion of the drain getting covered with dirt or mulch. Many people don't even know where the drain line terminates outside.
Remember that your drain line can produce up to 30 gallons of water a day. You don't want this backing up on your ceiling.
Recommendations:
Get maintenance twice a year
- Install ceiling savers (float switches)
- Have a secondary drain line installed
- Have an emergency drain pan installed