Most Condensate Drain Trouble Can Be Avoided By Insuring Your Air Conditioner Drain Line Is Installed Properly

All air conditioners, central, portable, window and any other type you can think of causes moisture to condense on the evaporator coil when it operates. This condensation collects in a drain pan and flows out the drain line.

Drain pans are usually made of plastic, fibreglass or metal and designed with the end opposite from the drain line slightly elevated to direct water into the drain opening.

Drain lines are made of many different materials. The most common are copper, pvc and plastic hose. Sometimes steel or cast iron drains are used but these are best avoided because they corrode over time and may become restricted.

There are three important things you can do to avoid trouble with drain lines:

• Make sure they are slightly sloped in the direction you want the water to flow. Slope about one quarter inch per ten feet



• Install P trap at the outlet of the air conditioner. All central ac units should have drain traps.



• Ensure that the pipe size used on the drain line is the same size as the fitting on the drain pan. If the drain pan outlet is three quarter inch then use three quarter inch drain line also.

If there is no place to drain your air conditioner close by, you can install a condensate pump and drain the condensate into it. The condensate pump will pump the water outside or to a remote drain.