Shouldn't ac drainpipe face down?

[target2019]

Condensation collecting in the exhaust is dripping onto the conduit below.
Why is there a brown stain along the length of exhaust pipe?
The situation needs more analysis and a permanent fix.

If a person put a pipe pointing down, without a trap, how about covering the end with screening to stop bugs.

I think that is a good solution.

I'm still wondering about the brown that runs the length of the pipe. Would a metal pipe painted with Latex do that?

The entire run that is sloping down, including the starting fitting is suspect. I would cut that out, and run new pipe and fittings, and let the condensate drip away from the electrical conduit.

Whatever is done to fix this, it will need regular maintenance in case algae builds up in there.

Just as bad is the electrical conduit. It appears to be too close to the dirt. Turn off the mains power feeding it. Remove the clamps holding it down and find a better position as far from the dirt as possible.

 

[Ronstar]

Our house condensate line discharges into a basement floor drain. With no trap in the line. But a trap in the floor drain. Our condo had the AC unit in the attic with a discharge line that exited the building just above ground level. I don't remember it having a trap in it or screen. I remember some units in our development having a brown color on the wall at the outlet - similar to op.

Found this online:

The primary purpose of a condensate trap is to prevent air from moving in or out of the coil box or air handler during operation. Traps must be installed in a manner that will stop the air from passing through, but still allow the condensate to drain from the condensate pan.

So maybe OP's pipe is supposed to be turned up.

 

[Winemaker]

My AC drains to a floor drain that drains outside; after 30 feet it is plumbed into my storm water drain that drops 30 over my backyard hill, about 120' in length. Once a year I pour about a cup of vinegar down that drain.

Your drain needs cut about 6 " back and a 90 degree elbow installed; and that 90 needs tilted downward so that the water drains from the pipe TO THE GROUND. Your current drain may be correct with the use of the 45 elbow, but it allows the water to dribble back the pipe on the outside and down on the conduit, creating that black mold or mildew growth.

As per Rule 5, I was a boss for 35 years, and I'm sure that is proof for some of you.

 

[latexman]

When the pipe is not clogged, is it broke? If not broke, don't fix it.

Pointing up and away from the foundation is good, IMO. Acts as a trap and gets the water away from the wall and foundation. Straight down would run down the wall and would eventually look terrible, plus water washing onto your footings/foundation is not good.

Have you tried the anti-sludge (anti-clog) pills in the pan of the inside evaporator unit? My daughter lived in FL and those worked good. In fact, her condo was a rental and she got them from the maintenance guy. Twice a year the complex's maintenance would shop vac everyones condensate drain line from the outside using a shop vac. Looks like you could do it from the outside too.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

It should have a trap by code in Florida (Our AC Folks Told us when I asked out of curiosity some time ago). Both ours do (We have 2 ACA units one for upstairs one for down) but are installed underground. Makes sense so bugs etc. do not crawl up them.

 

[Amethyst]

What would a trap look like, and where would it appear?

It should have a trap by code in Florida (Our AC Folks Told us when I asked out of curiosity some time ago). Both ours do (We have 2 ACA units one for upstairs one for down) but are installed underground. Makes sense so bugs etc. do not crawl up them.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

What would a trap look like, and where would it appear?

Basically a trap is created by the installers. They simply use the same pipe as the condensate vent pipe. It simply crates a "U" bend that remains full of condensate water and acts as a barrier to critters and contaminated entering from the end. Here are some pics of ours, and YES I know that my second AC unit needs replacing, but heck it works and we NEVER go upstairs anyway.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Condensation collecting in the exhaust is dripping onto the conduit below.
Why is there a brown stain along the length of exhaust pipe?
The situation needs more analysis and a permanent fix.

Condensate is distilled water, which tends to be corrosive. After distillation it absorbs carbon dioxide from the air to become slightly acidic. http://www.stuart-equipment.com/adminimages/t11_001_ph_of_distilled_water.pdf

 

[nvestysly]

Going on a tangent but you might find this interesting...

Several years ago I decided to utilize the condensate from our air conditioner to help us with watering outdoor plants when we experience water restrictions during droughts. We live in the southeast so there's no shortage of humidity and outdoor watering restrictions are not uncommon.

Our evaporator and air handler are in the basement so I have easy access to the condensate line and plenty of floor space to work with. I installed a 55 gallon plastic barrel at the outlet of the condensate line to accumulate the water. I put a small sump pump in the barrel and ran a hose from the sump pump to the exterior of the house. I can turn on the sump pump from outside the house. Presto, I can periodically use a bucket to transfer condensate water to the flowers and small plants that we may not be able to water otherwise if we are under outdoor watering restrictions.

Crazy thing happened that I was not expecting. A single 55 gallon barrel was not enough of an accumulator to hold all the water that came from the evaporator. I added two more barrels for a total capacity of over 150 gallons of water! Even with watering the outdoor plants multiple times a week, making 2 - 3 "bucket" trips to each flower bed, potted plant, and small shrub, I still had lots of water in those barrels.

For my system the 3 barrel accumulator works. I can water the necessary plants twice a week and still have some water in reserve. I never would have imagined the amount of water stemming from that condensate line. People look at the line outside their house and see a drip-drip-drip but those drips add up to huge amounts of water!

 

[Amethyst]

I don't mind the tangents at all. That's one of the benefits of posting here. People think of aspects to the issue that never would have occurred to the OP, and might be worth bringing up with a technician or at least investigating further.

 

[Murph]

DOWN.

 

[Gevans17]

That’s why your evaporator pan should have a float switch to shut off the AC unit if water collects in the pan

 

[steveark]

I'm a chemical engineer, aka glorified plumber. Your instincts are correct. But good luck explaining that to someone who doesn't agree.

 

[grasshopper]

Sounds like a Florida problem, in our "dry heat" we only get dribles of condensate. I do a annual shop vac suck and a piece of old screen door to keep those pesky rattlesnakes out.

 

[Amethyst]

I was going to buy the contraption Walt34 mentioned, but it requires the drainpipe to be exactly 1 inch in diameter. Our is 3/4 inch.

So I flipped the breaker to the a/c unit, took the little upward-facing elbow off the drain pipe, put my shop-vac's hose over the pipe, and my gloved hand around the end of the hose to help create a vacuum. What I got was a gush of yellow-orange water, then a bunch of clear water. No "clogs" per se, but more than a quart of water.

When I turned on the breaker, the unit started up and kept running. A tempo fix, at least.

So, if water sitting in the pipe was causing the shutdown, then the pipe end should not be facing up where rain can come in. I compromised, and put the pipe end back at a 90-degree angle to the wall (parallel to the ground).