Furnace Condensate Drain Line Freezing

Water leaking outside the drainage system or gathering up inside ac components can eventually freeze.

Furnace condensate drain line freezing. If there are clogs anywhere in the condensate line the system will freeze. Cut your condensate line close to your house so the water drains before freezing. Drain the furnace condensate into the sewer line instead of pumping it outside the house. It can also be a result of loose drain lines and pipes.

During periods of snow verify that snow hasn t risen to the level of the drain line where it can block it and cause further freezing. Drain problems can be caused when dirt or other forms of debris clog up the drainage system. Today a plumber figured out that my heater is 90 efficient produces lots of condensate and the drain line had frozen. There are a few things that can prevent future freezing from occurring with a scheduled furnace service call.

The vast majority of your condensate line should be inside your home where it s warm. In north carolina code officials responded to last winter s troubles by amending the building code to allow just that. Condensate switches imc 307 2 3 states that all hvac equipment that produces condensate must have either a secondary drain line or a condensate overflow switch a secondary drain pan with a secondary drain line or condensate switch or some combination of these installations should be used to prevent overflow if the primary drain line blocks. We went outside and saw the drain line was about 2 feet long of 2 pvc mounted vertically about 6 inches off the ground.

Don t let your condensate line drain against the side of your home. The best way to stop condensate drain line freeze is to use weather proof sleeves placed around the drain. When the condensate drain lines freeze a residential furnace repair is the best option to thaw the line and check to make sure your indoor unit and its vital components were not damaged. An easy cure for this is to routinely check the drain system of your ac.

Shortening the drain pipe to give water less space in which to freeze can also be effective. Condensate drain line frozen condensate line frozen drain line furnace heat tape high efficiency furnace hvac ice melt insulation winter 0 with temperatures dropping condensate drain lines have a higher chance of freezing. Prevent frozen furnace condensate drains. The moisture is drained through pipes leading to the floor drain.

Just saw off the portion of the line that is frozen. Furnace condensate lines in the state can now be routed into the home s sanitary drain.