Broken 3/4" NPT drain

Skipis

I have a trane air handler model 4tec3f30b1000aa. Primary 3/4" npt drain broken. Can i buy a replacement part or use 1 of the secondary npt drains
Thank you

mattmia2

How is it broken?

Skipis

Here are a couple of photos. It looks like the previous homeowner tried to repair the "screw in" on the panel after breaking it. Thanks for your help

mattmia2

If you could get a pvc plug to seal in that hole you can use the other one, otherwise you would need to replace the pan.

EdTheHeaterMan

The secondary drains usually drain from a 1/2" higher location inside the pan. That is why they are "secondary". They were supposed to be piped to a more visible location. The condensation would never come out at that location. If it did, you were supposed to find out why. Most likely the primary drain was partially plugged. When everyone decided that was a waste of time and material, the secondary pan was introduced to solve the wet ceiling problem.

See if there is a baffle that is partially blocking the drain by design. If there is, and it can easily be removed, then by all means use the secondary drain. If there is no way to do that, and the water level in the primary drain pan may or may not be too high for proper draining. If you do use it with the higher outlet location, then just remember, when the cooling season is over there will be a significant amount of stagnant water in the pan that may be a home for microorganism growth.

JUGHNE

I have changed coil drain pans without removing the coil.

Just don't let the coil fall down into the air handler while doing it.

In a couple of cases the water leaked down the furnace wrecking the blower motors.

You might use the secondary opening but not see water overflowing inside.