Condensate Drain

J Matthers_2

I know this has come up before. My AC condensate was piped to the waste vent. Now that the cooling season is over, the water in the trap has evaporated and, yes thats right, a wonderful odor is wafting from the vents. Took me a few minutes to noodle that out but that is what it is. Any simple fixes that anyone knows about? Thinking of installing a much larger trap that will hold water through the winter.

Eugene Silberstein 3

Easy Fix?

Despite the fact that this is a very common installation practice, this is an improper plumbing connection. Piped as such, you are introducing liquids into plumbing lines intended only for dry use.

Resolving this issue the right way, would be to have a plumber come in and repair the vent line that was damaged during the process of adding the drain line. Then, have the contractor come back and reroute the condensate line to a wet drain or to the outside of the home.

Condensate drains should not be connected directly to a house drain since bacteria can grow in the condensate line. This will contaminate the air in the home. IN addition, sewer gases may be drawn up the drain and into the home when the blower fan cycles on.

Brad White_146

Eugene is, of course, correct.

The connection is illegal in any jurisdiction I can think of for all the reasons stated. And, pun intended, the practice stinks.

Condensate should have an indirect waste connection with a visual air gap and/or piped to a drywell or outdoors. Some areas allow connection of minor loads such as this to a sanitary system but only via an indirect waste receptor which is trapped and vented (think: laundry/washer standpipe).

I would make it a practice to install a union so that the trap can be removed and cleaned easily.

If you have any doubts about having an indirect waste receptor stay sealed, a trap primer is a good idea. It is easy to forget to toss a bucket of water down that drain now and again.