Need a small pump ..

[dantheman]

So when your AC condensate drain stops up and the unit shuts off , it's always late at night . The pan was full and all I had to bail it out was a Solo cup and a big bucket . I need a small manually operated pump to drain the pan quicker than the cup method . There are plenty of 12volt pumps but I don't want to haul a battery up there .

 

[JCcypress]

A small Harbor Freight fountain pump works well. There is usually an electrical outlet near the AC unit in the attic. You can run the water from the pan out through the drain line. There is normally enough pressure to dislodge the clog and pump the water from the pan down the drain line. You may want to get a PVC coupler to snuggly fit the pump's outgoing water line around the opening in the drain line.

 

[snipehunter7]

Do you have a wet/dry shop vac?

Small air compressor to blow the drain out? If not, those little CO2 tools the A/C guys use can be found for about $30.

Vinegar works fairly well to keep things cleaned out.


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[noob]

Use an air compressor to blow the line out is what I've done in the past. Some say pour a little draino down there too, but I've head that's bad for the system.

My AC guy puts in a float that cuts off the AC if the water starts backing up, to prevent it from over flowing and getting into the drain pan. Maybe that's something you want to look into also. It'll save you some ceiling repairs in the future.

 

[SouthernUnderGod]

If you actually want a hand pump, you can get a hand bilge pump at Academy for under $20. Similar ones on Amazon.

I’ve arranged my water heater drain valve to be able to flush out my condensate line. It’s all done with 3/4” PVC so it’s easy and cheap.

Flush Procedure:
1. Valve at HVAC to block hot water from going into HVAC unit to CLOSED.
2. Valve in line to block condensate from at water heater to OPEN.
3. Valve on water heater OPEN.
4. Flush as long as needed. Valve on water heater to CLOSED when flush is completed.
5. Reverse the rest of the procedure to get it back to normal.

The point to tap the condensate line and add a valve must be “downstream” from the drain line air vent. Otherwise HOT water will come out of it when attempting a flush.

I’ve bought some 24 volt sprinkler valves. I’m going to use that to automate the process without going into the attic.

This also gives you a way to periodically flush out the sediment from the water heater. Believe it or not the manuals say to do it every six months or at least once a year. Before I read that I hadn’t met anyone that knew it or did it. Maybe that’s why my 1985 and 1972 water heaters are still in good shape.

I have a diagram that I made for a friend. Let me know if you want a copy.


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[dantheman]

I have the drain line taken care of . I put a Jones valve on it and it has a fitting that connects to my compressed air hose . It only took seconds to blow it out . I chased it with Clorox to kill whatever was growing in it .
I just need to find a way to empty the pan quickly if it happens again .

 

[shrxfn]

Your pan doesn't have an emergency drain going to the soffit? I have the main drain going to the house sewer line and then in the pan I have another pipe that goes out to the soft vent and drains there.

 

[dantheman]

Your pan doesn't have an emergency drain going to the soffit? I have the main drain going to the house sewer line and then in the pan I have another pipe that goes out to the soft vent and drains there.

Obviously it does not . The pan has a threaded plug in it so it wouldn't be hard to pipe one out . Maybe when the weather gets cooler and I don't mind working in the attic ...

 

[shrxfn]

Obviously it does not . The pan has a threaded plug in it so it wouldn't be hard to pipe one out . Maybe when the weather gets cooler and I don't mind working in the attic ...

**** tell me about it I have been having a year-long hate relationship with my upstairs unit. That thing keeps blocking up and it leaks into my daughter's room. I hope we have it fixed now I had to go through the vent stack to get it emptied out. I am also thinking about getting a bigger drain pan made for it but am not sure where to go for that. I spent about 2 hours up in the attic at around noon time to try and stop the leakage.

 

[mforsta]

Can you get a garden hose up to the attic and just siphon the water out to outside. I’ve done that in the past.

 

[rocko]

Your pan doesn't have an emergency drain going to the soffit? I have the main drain going to the house sewer line and then in the pan I have another pipe that goes out to the soft vent and drains there.

I have the same set-up.

 

[Gerberman]

I usually use a shop vac. Also have a small hand pump squeeze tube but its a pain. I put white vinegar down my pipe 1 or 2 x per season to keep it clear. Bleach can each the pvc eventually. Plumber told me to try some Dawn liquid detergent down the pipe but I have not done that yet. Amazon sells drill pumps you can hook to a battery operated drill to activate the small pump action.

 

[Magdump]

Just gonna throw this out there in the name of maintaining your house drains and vents!
Squirrels love to drop acorns down plumbing vents on top of your home and they can definitely cause things to back up. Many AC and water heater drain pans empty into those vents. I’ve seen some simply run to the eve vent to drain to the outdoors but never thought that was a good idea. Anyway, the vents sticking out of your roof can be capped with any number of things that will allow air to flow but keep debris out. It won’t keep the roofers from relieving themselves down the vent but it’ll keep the nuts out…
Good luck Dan! Best device I’ve found at Harbor freight for your problem was a big steel piston syringe that I still have. Works like a champ.
About the same size as a grease gun:

https://www.harborfreight.com/oil-s...eQZLriiXM1aIT7QLB7rwP1Epyn8T4P9YaAt-qEALw_wcB

 

[Stonehenge]

Look into a drill operated pump if you want something cheap/fast/easy to use.