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Home A/C condensate leaking :-(

steve325is on Wed July 26, 2006 10:31 AM User is offline

Year: 1990
Make: Carrier
Model: Central A/C
Engine Size: ??
Ambient Temp: 100 F
Pressure Low: yes
Pressure High: yes

I went out to the garage to leave for work this morning, and found the floor awash in H2O. I am ASSuming that the condensate drain pipe is clogged, or that the tray has a hole in it. With the 105 + temps we have had, the system has been running constantly for over a week.

Where do I start looking for the tray? The evaporator unit seems fairly hard to get to.

It is a 1979 natural gas furnace/central A/C system. The A/C part was replaced in 1990. I have no idea how much of the ducting, plenum, etc is original 1979.

The drain appears to be soldered copper pipe that disappears into the wall, reappearing 30 or so feet away, near the compressor unit.

If I am over my head, I have no problem calling a pro. The only problem it that it might be a week or more to get an appointment.

TIA
Steve

NickD on Wed July 26, 2006 10:59 AM User is offline

A good installation is where there is a service panel to gain complete access to the evaporator for checking and cleaning. Even with a good filter some debris always manages to get up there and should be occasionally vacuumed out for good air flow. This is nothing more than a piece of galvanized with weather stripping on the edges with a hole cut on one side the evaporator, the end of the A so you can get under it.

It has a tray on the bottom to collect condensate with some kind of threaded hole in the side, maybe a tube soldered or brazed in that you connect normally a piece of garden hose to, and over time, they will plug up with debris. Mine has a 1/2" galvanized nipple screwed in that was all plugged up, not wanting to chase all over town to find another, tossed it in the lath and bored it out, used aluminum paint to keep it from rusting and put it back in, uses 5/8" garden hose I have running to my sump pump.

Also removed the access panel and used my hand to scrape up the debris in the bottom of the tray, that was about ten years ago. If you don't have an access plate, get a pair of aviation tin snips, cut out a rectangle, and cover it up with a piece of galvanized. Most HVAC shops will cut one for you for a couple of bucks, punch holes in it about three inches apart and screw it in using self tapping sheet metal screws with weather strip around the edges.

steve325is on Tue August 01, 2006 10:26 AM User is offline

Thanks Nick.

I noticed that the original installer provided a "cleanout" near the evaproator. I hauled a wad of crud out, and blew out the pipe with low pressure air. Everything is OK now, but I still intend to clean the evaporator as soon as I have time.

-- Steve

NickD on Tue August 01, 2006 10:40 AM User is offline

Seems like we spend most of our lives cleaning stuff, at the ripe old age of six years old, I was expected to hand fire a coal furnace and carry out the ashes, I can't even imagine my kids at that age doing a job like that. And that was a daily job, so really don't mind spending a half a day a year cleaning up the furnace and AC system.

Dougflas on Mon August 07, 2006 6:44 PM User is offline

Take a wet vacuum and suck out the drain line.Works wonders.

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