If you’ve ever held a glass of ice water in your hand in a room temperature area you will notice that water collects on the outside of the glass. This is condensation.
In an air conditioning unit the same phenomena occurs. Condensated water collects inside an A/C unit. This water needs to drain out of the unit. Underneath where the condensation occurs there is a pan into which the condensate drains. This is the primary pan and will be piped via a pitched PVC pipe into the drainage system of the home. One way this is done is by using a tee fitting on the drain line under the bathroom or a “hole-in-the-head” fitting behind a bath tub drain.
In case that drain line ever backs up or doesn’t drain for some reason there is a secondary drip pan underneath the primary. This is piped separately to the exterior of the home allowing the homeowner to see if there is a wet spot under the eave and know if something needs to be addressed. It is piped out to be visible.
As a homeowner you should occasionally walk around the perimeter of your home so you can locate the pipes and know where they are. The A/C condensate drain pipe will be:
- Sticking out of the eave a couple of inches directly down so it will drip onto the ground below.
- Out of the wall (In this case there will be a 90 degree ell pointing down with a short length of pipe so that it drips lower.)
When you do your routine walk-around outside of your home and notice any condensation contact us. We will come out and make sure your primary drain pipe is cleared so that your secondary drain pipe won’t be dripping water into your yard, or worse, through your ceiling.
The older the system is, the more common it is to see these lines backed up. Over time all kinds of muck accumulates and has to be blown out. If you notice wet spots in your ceiling they really need to be checked out before they get worse. Call us today, 972-424-6479.
Pitch on a sewer pipe is a measure of how far a pipe should fall over a certain distance on a horizontal run. A proper pitch is what allows the contents of the pipe to keep moving. If you’re experiencing problems with waste leaving your home, this might be an issue and you should call us. Proper pitch on a sewer pipe is between 1/8th of an inch and ½ inch per foot. For example a four foot long pipe should be ½ inch higher on the front than the end of the pipe.
North Texas, we just had the coldest weather we’ve had in twenty years this February. I’m sure my daughter, (who knows the dangers of frozen pipes by the way), isn’t the only one who didn’t consider that this year was a different situation than years past. Those single digit and below temperatures can really stop things up tight, potentially causing some significant damage when pipes decide to thaw. 
You’ve asked this question before, I’m sure. Believe me when I tell you we understand that you’d rather fix a plumbing leak yourself instead of spending the money on a plumber. So many times we’re called out to jobs that were quite intensive – and expensive – because the call was delayed for that reason.
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