Little residential hvac help please. Newer unit leaks water once a year.

[Johnny Mac]

Hey guys, to keep this short, unit is only 5 years old. And probably 3 times, maybe 4, to date since it was new. once a year it will burp a bunch of water onto the basement floor, as If the drain pan was clogged, or had a Crack.

It's usually related to the first long run of a/c after winter. This time it was after losing power for 18 hours.

My theory is the water trap loses prime. Or even dries up. Then new drain water just drains out the low part of the pan.

I read that these DO need a trap. Is mine plumbed wrong? It is all down hill. Do I maybe need to cut this up and route the trap higher in line with the outlet lower than the inlet? Or maybe drop the outlet tube a few inches right out of the pan?

This is how it's been since installed. Wasn't my creation.

Thanks guys, ya'll are awesome. Appreciate it

 

[Joey4speed]

That doesn't look like a P trap.
Looks more like elbows and I don't see a vent.
Pick up a pre made trap and see the difference.
(Hvac supply house should sell clear ones with a vent and built in brush to clean).
Check the slope of the line leaving the tray and then cut out the elbows and glue in the new P trap, maintaining the proper slope of at least 1/8" per foot.

 

[Johnny Mac]

That doesn't look like a P trap.
Looks more like elbows and I don't see a vent.
Pick up a pre made trap and see the difference.
(Hvac supply house should sell clear ones with a vent and built in brush to clean).
Check the slope of the line leaving the tray and then cut out the elbows and glue in the new P trap, maintaining the proper slope of at least 1/8" per foot.

View attachment 1716134227

Thanks a bunch. I did just think to myself, wonder if they make one that's just pre made instead of that conglomeration of elbows. It drains into a floor drain. Definitely no vent, but didn't know it needs one.

Was thinking of this little guy, but if it has to vent, then it won't work?

Charlotte Pipe 1/2 in. PVC Schedule 40 Condensate Running Bend Trap PVC027010600HD - The Home Depot

 

[Joey4speed]

I wouldn't use the "running trap".
Go with a P trap.
Flows better and the vent wouldn't be necessary.

 

[Yunick13]

The plumber made up a p trap out of elbows down at the floor.

 

[Dicer]

Cut the upper pipe add a tee and vent tube.

 

[67Dart273]

EDIT. Just now saw ^^ Dicer's post. DO that. Add a tee and a short standpipe, perhaps 6"

I AM CONFUSED I used to do HVAC /R service and install and DO NOT KNOW what I am looking at

Is this a heat pump? Is this on the return side of the furnace? If it is on the RETURN side, the coil will be under a VACUUM, and the damn thing will attempt to suck water up and keep it up in the pan. (If this is NOT a heat pump and if it IS on the return side, IT DOES NOT BELONG THERE. The coil, that is.)

Anyhow you may be better off WITHOUT a trap at all. What may happen without a trap, is it may gurgle some when running, as it is trying to suck up water and air is blowing past. the water in the piping.

 

[Johnny Mac]

EDIT. Just now saw ^^ Dicer's post. DO that. Add a tee and a short standpipe, perhaps 6"

I AM CONFUSED I used to do HVAC /R service and install and DO NOT KNOW what I am looking at

Is this a heat pump? Is this on the return side of the furnace? If it is on the RETURN side, the coil will be under a VACUUM, and the damn thing will attempt to suck water up and keep it up in the pan. (If this is NOT a heat pump and if it IS on the return side, IT DOES NOT BELONG THERE. The coil, that is.)

Anyhow you may be better off WITHOUT a trap at all. What may happen without a trap, is it may gurgle some when running, as it is trying to suck up water and air is blowing past. the water in the piping.

The unit is a heat pump, with the A/C fan unit outside, in my simple terms. The drain pipe is under the A/C bits that are inside the indoor unit, and there is a drain pan under that to catch the water that drips off the ac pieces in the basement portion of the unit. Idk if it's the condenser, compressor, etc, but the triangular thing made of coils in the pic (I have the panel off). The drain tube, made of pcv, is as the unit installer left it last. It connects to that drain pan. Not saying it's right, as the first time the plumbed it, they blocked the filter, and came out and redid it. I'm also noticing they didn't even plug a 2nd 3/4 port a little higher uphill, on the drain pan. The unit is a carrier, and it's honestly a pos. It works ok when it's working, but at only 5 years old, they have come out ay least 5 or 6 times for various faults. 2 of which are this water leakage issue at first start in the spring. Always no defects noted. And off they go with thier money in hand after mopping it up. It's also the loudest blower I have ever heard. We literally have to turn up the TV to hear it when it kicks in.
This time, the leakage came after a 18 hour power outage. Which again leads me to thinking it's some kind of trap, or siphon issue. The whole drain pcv tube does run downhill. No junk in the tube at all. I poured in extra water and it does drain out the tube...but it's still getting water on the floor somewhere.

 

[Mike69cuda]

Why would you need a trap on this drain line? Doesn’t it just empty into a floor drain?

If water is coming out of the furnace somewhere other than the drain line, then the drain line is clogged. Take the drain pipe off the furnace and run a coat hanger inside the drain hole of the furnace.

 

[Johnny Mac]

Why would you need a trap on this drain line? Doesn’t it just empty into a floor drain?

If water is coming out of the furnace somewhere other than the drain line, then the drain line is clogged. Take the drain pipe off the furnace and run a coat hanger inside the drain hole of the furnace.

I question why it has a trap also. I did some googling and appeared many have it...idk why. I took the drain pipe off for the night and have it draining into a bucket. See if that dries it up.

 

[Mike69cuda]

It seems like years back the A coil drains were smaller and metal and clogged up all the time. Newer models have bigger plastic drains, that don’t seem to clog up that much. I usually just run clear plastic hose for a drain so I can see if it is draining. I use a hose barb fitting and a clamp on the furnace. That way I can take it off easy to coat hanger it.