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pan can be difficult. The use of float switches instead of
piping is becoming popular. Since it will shut off the equip-
ment before an overflow occurs, and almost surely prompt a
call for service or an up-close examination, it’s a good alter-
native to running pipe.
Emergency pans should be made of a rust-resistant material
such as plastic or galvanized steel. They should extend beyond
the air handler or coil box by 3 inches or more on all sides. If
the coil is attached to a high-efficiency furnace without con-
densate protection, this should be taken into consideration
when sizing and placing a pan under the equipment. The con-
densate produced by the furnace can damage the building if
it overflows during the heating season. The IMC requires the
auxiliary pan to be a minimum of 1½ inches deep.
condenSaTe pumpS
A condensate pump is used when a gravity drain is impracti-
cal or impossible to install. They are common on some base-
ment-installed systems or where cooling has been added to
an existing heating system located within the interior walls of
a slab-foundation home. The plumbing from the cooling coil
to the condensate pump reservoir or tank should be installed
with traps and float switches as if the coil was draining like a
typical gravity drain.
With condensate pumps, the cooling coil drains to the pump’s
reservoir. As the water level rises, a float switch turns on the
pump and water is pumped from the reservoir, usually through
flexible plastic tubing, to a safe area. Should the pump fail or
should the discharge line become blocked, a second switch will
open a low-voltage circuit that shuts down the air conditioner
and can even be wired to set off an alarm.
The water sensor seen in the photo attaches to the side of the auxiliary
drain pan and will shut off the cooling equipment as the pan fills with water.
Photo courtesy Resource Conservation Technologies, makers of AquaGuard brand HVAC accessories.
Manufactured auxiliary drain pans, like the one in the photo, hold the air
handler or furnace above the overflowing condensate. This is important as it
can prevent damage to the equipment and make the pan easier to clean.
Photo courtesy Resource Conservation Technologies, makers of AquaGuard brand HVAC accessories.
A condensate pump can be seen in the lower left of the photo.
© Big Stock Photo .
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