An Air Conditioner Or Furnace Condensate Pump Is A Perfect Solution For Removing Condensation From Your HVAC Equipment When There Is No Drain Close By

One of the problems encountered when installing an air conditioner, heat pump or furnace is the removal of condensation from the equipment. Often there is no drain close enough to use or the drain is too high and a normal drain line setup will not work. A furnace condensate pump is the perfect solution.

These condensate removal pumps are very reliable and most can be mounted on a walls, duct systems or they can set on a floor. They are more than adequate for air conditioners, dehumidifiers and any other equipment with moderate condensate removal needs.

Basic Condensate Pump Installation Instructions

When selecting a condensate removal pump you need to know how high the condensate pump will have to pump to discharge the water. Using the Little Giant condensate pump as an example, the VCMA-15ULS will pump up to 15 feet of vertical lift and the VCMA-20ULS will pump up to 20 feet of vertical lift.

These pumps require a 120 volt power supply and plug into a regular wall outlet. Since there is very low current draw these units can be operated with an extension cord.

3/8 inch I.D. plastic tubing is installed over a barbed fitting on the pump outlet and held on with a tie wrap or a gear clamp. Sometimes nothing is used to secure the tubing to the fitting but this is not recommended.

After the vertical rise you may need to run the discharge line some distance. If so then you should create an inverted p-trap. This is done by looping the hose above the vertical rise a couple of inches. This makes it less likely that the condensate will be siphoned back into the pump when it cycles off.

There are many manufacturers of condensate pumps such as Beckett, Flotec, Little Giant, Shipco and Hartell. Most offer the same features and can be installed in a variety of lactations to meet your needs. Some of the more common uses are portable and central air conditioners and dehumidifiers.

Troubleshooting these pumps is quite simple. What usually happens is the float sticks and the pump will not operate. If the condensate pump is in a location where water damage is a potential problem you will probably be better off replacing the unit rather than trying to repair it. They are relatively inexpensive.