Air Conditioning Ac Condensate Drain P Trap

Trap failures due to freeze up drying out breakage blockage and or improper installation can compromise the seal against air ingestion through the condensate drain line.

Air conditioning ac condensate drain p trap.

See when moist air hits something cold the water condenses out of the air and collects on the cold surface. The condensate drain line connected to your ac unit plays a vital role in the effective operation of your entire system. It s similar to the trap under your kitchen or bathroom sink. Air was coming in from the outside and creating a dam which was preventing the condensation from going out of the a c and.

Condensate traps exhibit many failure modes that can impact on indoor air quality. It coats the pan p trap and drain piping with a lubricative film to improve flow and prevent future soil adhesion. In our opinion and as we discuss in these articles while a trap on a condensate drain line usually provided quite close to the condensate collection pan itself can reduce the chances of sewer gases backing up from a condensate drain that has been connected to the building dwv vent piping not a procedure we recommend a conventional p trap in the condensate drain will not protect against all sewer gas backup possibilities. Ultimately your condensate line is responsible for removing the condensation that s produced by the evaporator coil draining it from the air handler to the outside of your house.

A central air system routes condensation through a u shaped trap located in the drain line just outside the air handler. That is why in the summer your car drips water. Viper condensate pan and drain treatment is a sprayable gel. I have a forced air furnace air handler in my basement with a standard a c unit condenser out side a c coil in the main supply truck about a couple inches over the furnace air handler.

P traps have to be installed on a suction system so a p trap was added. The absence of a properly working p trap could push unfiltered air into your home and cause an overflow of the condensate drain. The condensate line comes out of the main trunk and runs to the floor just above the drain near the furnace. A p trap serves a very important purpose on an a c unit.

Condensate drains typically have traps which are designed to keep air from moving in or out of the air handler without preventing condensate drainage.