jvdm
New Member
I am concerned that the condensate pipes from my HVAC unit are not installed to code. I live in Washington, DC.
The HVAC unit is in a closet off the kitchen in a second floor condo. Condensate from the furnace and air conditioner currently drain through a 1 inch pipe to an ejector pump on the closet floor. The pump pumps the condensate into a ½ inch rubber tube that runs up about 10 inches, through a hole in the wall, and into a pantry closet. It runs along the back wall of that closet (outside the wall, with no slope), and into the wall on the other side of the closet. I think it then connects to a sink drain, but I can’t be sure.
The pump is not sitting in a catch pan and it does not have an automatic shut off. If the pump failed, the condensate would leak into the back of the HVAC closet and damage the downstairs condo.
I am concerned this is not to code in Washington, DC because Section 314 of the Plumbing Code and Section 307 of the Mechanical Code require drain pipes that (1) are least the size of the connection on the appliance (i.e. 1 inch), (2) have a 1 percent slope to an approved piping fixture, and (3) do not decrease in size before they reach the piping fixture.
The pump and tube running out of the pump appear to violate these requirements because they (1) decreases the pipe diameter from 1 inch to ½ inch and (2) disrupt the 1 percent slope requirement.
The plumbing and mechanical codes also require that the condensate be discharged “in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions.” The instructions provide several options for condensate disposal, but none of the options show a pump.
Is my current configuration a code violation in Washington, DC? If not, what part of the code allows for my current configuration? Should I try to have the pump replaced with a 1 inch pipe that slopes down to the sink drain? What other issues should I be concerned about with this configuration?
The HVAC unit is in a closet off the kitchen in a second floor condo. Condensate from the furnace and air conditioner currently drain through a 1 inch pipe to an ejector pump on the closet floor. The pump pumps the condensate into a ½ inch rubber tube that runs up about 10 inches, through a hole in the wall, and into a pantry closet. It runs along the back wall of that closet (outside the wall, with no slope), and into the wall on the other side of the closet. I think it then connects to a sink drain, but I can’t be sure.
The pump is not sitting in a catch pan and it does not have an automatic shut off. If the pump failed, the condensate would leak into the back of the HVAC closet and damage the downstairs condo.
I am concerned this is not to code in Washington, DC because Section 314 of the Plumbing Code and Section 307 of the Mechanical Code require drain pipes that (1) are least the size of the connection on the appliance (i.e. 1 inch), (2) have a 1 percent slope to an approved piping fixture, and (3) do not decrease in size before they reach the piping fixture.
The pump and tube running out of the pump appear to violate these requirements because they (1) decreases the pipe diameter from 1 inch to ½ inch and (2) disrupt the 1 percent slope requirement.
The plumbing and mechanical codes also require that the condensate be discharged “in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions.” The instructions provide several options for condensate disposal, but none of the options show a pump.
Is my current configuration a code violation in Washington, DC? If not, what part of the code allows for my current configuration? Should I try to have the pump replaced with a 1 inch pipe that slopes down to the sink drain? What other issues should I be concerned about with this configuration?