Frozen Condensate Pipe On Roof
The longer your pipe extends outdoors the more time the water has to freeze.
Frozen condensate pipe on roof. Hvac systems how to correctly install condensate drains duration. Shortening the drain pipe to give water less space in which to freeze can also be effective. During periods of snow verify that snow hasn t risen to the level of the drain line where it can block it and cause further freezing. When that happens most hvac systems are designed to shut off completely leaving homeowners scrambling for a solution.
Talk to your installer engineer about moving the condensate pipe internally so that it never falls below room temperature. If you already have a. Occasionally it freezes in the winter. If your frozen condensate line is getting backed up at the end widen the mouth so that there s more.
The best way to stop condensate drain line freeze is to use weather proof sleeves placed around the drain. The house i bought has a high efficiency furnace in the basement with a long 1 2 inch pvc condensate pipe to the outside. With temperatures dropping condensate drain lines have a higher chance of freezing. Trace heating takes the form of an electrical heating element run in physical contact along the length of the condensate pipe.
In reality a major repair may not be necessary as thawing the frozen drain lines should fix the issue. Trace heating with an external thermostat can be fitted to the external condensate pipe to raise the temperature of the condensate pipe in freezing conditions. I know this is a common problem but i m without a good solution for it. How to fix a frozen condensate line shorten the pipe.
Thaw and prevent frozen condensate pipes duration. Fortunately there is an air gap so the furnace does not stop but the condensate makes a mess and is likely damaging the bottom of the furnace and the cement pad. Http bit ly 2mh3tec troubleshooting faqs. Condensate switches imc 307 2 3 states that all hvac equipment that produces condensate must have either a secondary drain line or a condensate overflow switch a secondary drain pan with a secondary drain line or condensate switch or some combination of these installations should be used to prevent overflow if the primary drain line blocks.
This video shows you how to thaw a frozen condensate pipe from your boiler. Insulate your condensate pipe.