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New homeowner: question about secondary drip

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#21 ·
acmech13 said:
your biggest concern is the secondary line dripping all the other issues are minor. as them for a wet switch to also help your ceilings. i was in a house yesterday and whoever installed these 2 systems ties the primary and secondary drain lines together. then t'ed in the second units primary and secondary supply lines with the first systems drain. you can imagine the mess.
water dripping everywhere. best was they kept the system running with water dripping everywhere.
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ACmech13. the secundary line go from the coil to the emergecy drip pan and from the emergency dri pan to outside. Can you take picture on the primary drain to see what happen W/the secundary connection.
 
#24 ·
town said:
ACmech13. the secundary line go from the coil to the emergecy drip pan and from the emergency dri pan to outside. Can you take picture on the primary drain to see what happen W/the secundary connection.
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i close that up its not needed. my secondary drain drips somewhere the homeowner will notice it. i also use a wet switch on all units any water in the secondary pan and its shut off till someone resets it. my customers ceiling are protected. water damage is preventable.
 
#25 ·
gcandrews said:
Are you referring to the duct that goes straight up to the roof and is shiny, silver and corrugated?

What should I do about that?
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nothing maybe. it looks like it goes into a b-type vent near the top. i've just never seen liner used like that, not to say its wrong.

i am curious what the cord in the electrical outlet behind the furnace services as i'm seeing niether a shut off switch nor a gas cock for the unit.
 
#26 ·
If the secondary drain outlet from the coil is plugged, the plug needs to be removed, and at the very least, the secondary drain piped into the emergency drain pan, or better yet, teed into the emergency drain line. Even better would be to install an EZ-Trap, or similar, brand float switch in the secondary drain outlet so the system shuts down if the main drain clogs.

The problem with leaving the secondary drain outlet plugged is that whenever the primary drain clogs, water will overflow the drain pan inside the coil, flood the inside of the case of the coil, get the insulation wet, could possibly lead to water leaking where it won't be caught by the emergency drain pan, and can cause mold growth in the coils insulation.
 
#27 ·
fenian said:
nothing maybe. it looks like it goes into a b-type vent near the top. i've just never seen liner used like that, not to say its wrong.

i am curious what the cord in the electrical outlet behind the furnace services as i'm seeing niether a shut off switch nor a gas cock for the unit.
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It looks like double wall "B-flex".
It can be used anywhere regular b-vent can, but can't penetrate any structures. Easy to install, but is fugly. It's not cheap either!

http://www.mtlfab.com/media/l1940.pdf
 
#28 ·
mark beiser said:
If the secondary drain outlet from the coil is plugged, the plug needs to be removed, and at the very least, the secondary drain piped into the emergency drain pan, or better yet, teed into the emergency drain line. Even better would be to install an EZ-Trap, or similar, brand float switch in the secondary drain outlet so the system shuts down if the main drain clogs.

The problem with leaving the secondary drain outlet plugged is that whenever the primary drain clogs, water will overflow the drain pan inside the coil, flood the inside of the case of the coil, get the insulation wet, could possibly lead to water leaking where it won't be caught by the emergency drain pan, and can cause mold growth in the coils insulation.
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THAKS, ACMECH13 please read what Mark said.:)
 
#29 ·
i read what mark said and it means nothing to me. my emregency drain pans are always bigger than the air handler. i use the hockey puck wet switch so any water into the secondary pan shuts the system right off. If the customer gets mold in there system cause they don't get pm's performed i could care less.
 
#30 ·
fenian said:
nothing maybe. it looks like it goes into a b-type vent near the top. i've just never seen liner used like that, not to say its wrong.

i am curious what the cord in the electrical outlet behind the furnace services as i'm seeing niether a shut off switch nor a gas cock for the unit.
Click to expand...
There are flexible vent connectors out there not to be confused with a chimney liner.
 
#31 · (Edited)
acmech13 said:
i read what mark said and it means nothing to me. my emregency drain pans are always bigger than the air handler. i use the hockey puck wet switch so any water into the secondary pan shuts the system right off. If the customer gets mold in there system cause they don't get pm's performed i could care less.
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If you leave the secondary drain outlet plugged, the inside of the air handler gets flooded if the primary drain clogs, not a desirable situation to start with since it gets the insulation wet and potentially exposes other components to moisture that it is not good to get wet.
Water flooding the inside of an air handler or coil can also find its way into the supply duct.
If your wet switch fails, with they sometimes do, the unit can run like that for quite some time before anyone notices.

IMO, not piping the secondary drain out somewhere, or installing a float switch in it, is a bad installation practice.
My opinion on this is based on countless service calls where I had to deal with the results of water flooding the inside of air handler or coil compartments, and more than a few where water found a way into the supply duct and dripped out where there was no emergency drain pan.
 
#32 ·
It's also a code violation and against most installation instructions from the OEM.

Do it right.
 
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#33 ·
I wouldnt have put a trap in the line, coil is on the positive side of the blower. To me that is just a place for the water to freeze and break the trap, then you have problems.
 
#35 ·
The vast majority of installations are incorrect when it comes to condensate drains. Most code enforcement officials don't enforce the code.

When I'm called to investigate a water issue, I can almost guarantee there's no secondary connection.
 
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Discussion starter · #36 ·
jrbenny said:
It's also a code violation and against most installation instructions from the OEM.

Do it right.
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My issue is that I want to do it right, but it seems that the HVAC company the builder uses does not have the same level of expertise as the people who have posted here.

Ok, so how would I find out if this installation is against the OEM code? Should I just contact Lennox?

Do you think I should hire a different HVAC company to take a look at the installation and provide a "second opinion"?

Thanks all.
 
#37 ·
Mark, the link you posted doesn't say what the flexible portion of B vent is made of. Lil' help if you know.

The HO's picture looks like aluminum dryer vent!?! If its even remotely similar thats some scary stuff.:confused:
 
#38 ·
gcandrews said:
My issue is that I want to do it right, but it seems that the HVAC company the builder uses does not have the same level of expertise as the people who have posted here.

Ok, so how would I find out if this installation is against the OEM code? Should I just contact Lennox?

Do you think I should hire a different HVAC company to take a look at the installation and provide a "second opinion"?

Thanks all.
Click to expand...
If the contractor won't resolve the issue, then a call to Lennox is your next step.
 
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#39 ·
Delta-T said:
Mark, the link you posted doesn't say what the flexible portion of B vent is made of. Lil' help if you know.

The HO's picture looks like aluminum dryer vent!?! If its even remotely similar thats some scary stuff.:confused:
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Both the inner and outer pipes are aluminum.
What do you find scary about it? It is UL listed for use with several brands of b-vent.
It is great stuff for retrofit applications where it can sometimes be awkward to connect the new equipment to an existing vent system.
 
#40 ·
i never had a chance to use that flexible b vent. it looks to me as if it would save alittle time in a fustrating spot. Yet the flex used in the pick looks just like the alluminum crap thats used for hood exhausts. And the gas line is flex also. looks like the installer cut all corners to get the job done faster.
 
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