Does the Summer Make HVAC Plumbing Issues Worse?

HVAC plumbing issues can occur in both the heating and cooling seasons. In winter, high-efficiency, two-stage furnaces produce condensation in the heating process. During summer, however, it’s the central air conditioner that generates the most condensation and the greatest potential for HVAC plumbing issues. 

Condensation forms as warm, moist indoor air flows through the AC evaporator coil inside the indoor air handler. During hot summer weather, a typical air conditioner produces between 5 and 20 gallons of condensate daily. Water from the coil drips into the condensate drain pan that's installed beneath the air handler, then flows into a household drain line. In some installations, a condensate pump removes water from the drain pan.

Condensate-Drainage Issues

Plumbing issues caused by condensate may originate at several points in the air-conditioning process:

• A crack or hole in the condensate drain pan

• A clogged drain line, often caused by algae or mold growth originating in the drain pan, which causes the pan to overflow

• A defective condensate pump

Coil Icing

Icing forming in the AC evaporator coil reduces system airflow and may eventually trigger an automatic system shutdown. Ice accumulation often extends outside the coil. As melting occurs when the system shuts down, water may not be contained by the pan, causing water damage around the indoor air handler. 

Preventing HVAC Plumbing Issues

To minimize the potential for water damage due to plumbing issues, take these preventive measures:

• Schedule annual professional maintenance by a qualified HVAC contractor. This service includes checking proper function of the AC drain components, including the condensate drain pan and drain line. If mold or algae growth is causing clogs, the pan and drain line can be cleaned and treated with germicidal solutions to kill mold and algae, as well as prevent recurrence.

• Resolve causes of evaporator-coil icing. These include maintaining proper system airflow with regular monthly air-filter replacement. Because low refrigerant charge may also trigger coil ice, annual AC preventive maintenance, including checking and verifying the refrigerant level, is also recommended.

For more advice about HVAC plumbing issues, contact the professionals at Air Assurance.

Things You Shouldn't Put Down the Drain

It's dangerous to adopt an "out of sight, out of mind" attitude towards your household drains. Some things that go down your drain can come back to haunt you in the form of clogs, flooding and other costly plumbing problems. To help you maintain a healthy plumbing system, here's a list of items that shouldn't go down your drains.

• Grease – Kitchen grease solidifies when it cools. It coats the inner walls of sewer pipes. With time, it can build up and even block an entire pipe. To get rid of it in an environmentally-friendly way, pour it into an old can or sealed container and put it in the trash.

• Eggshells – Although they seem fragile, they don't break down easily once they're inside your drains. They can mix with other items and form clogs.

• Stringy or starchy vegetables – Vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, celery, kale, rhubarb, lettuce and potato peels are too starchy, stringy or fibrous to be put in your garbage disposal. They can easily get tangled around the blade and clog drains.

• Coffee grounds – To you they may be fine and harmless but to your drains, they are a recipe for disaster. When they mix with water, they get heavier. They can compact in the disposal trap and cause a blockage. Why not put them to work by using them in your garden as fertilizer or a deterrent to ants, snails and slugs?

• Large wipes – Paper towels, baby wipes and other large wipes may be biodegradable, but can cause problems for your septic system. Their absorbent nature can make them clog up drain lines.

• Pasta and rice – Pasta and rice expand when they mix with water. They'll expand every time water goes down your drains. Eventually, they'll fill up the trap and clog your drains.

When you avoid putting the wrong things down the drain, you also save the environment by creating a healthier habitat for marine life. For more information on how to take care of your drain, contact us at Air Assurance. We serve the Broken Arrow area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “nattul/Shutterstock”