secondary drain on a vertical unit

an inspector gave me a hit on not installing a secondary drain on a vertical hvac unit. I used a condensate pump with the primary draining into it and the float on the pump wired to shut unit down. Honestly i have never seen a secondary piped up on vertical unit. On a horizonal unit i know you have to have the primary ran out and the emergency pan either run out or a float switch wired in. Just never seen it on vertical…is that national code or is that a local code he is enforcing?

What kind of a inspector are we talking about Home inspectors do not inspect for code and have no means or authority to enforce anything are you referring to the AHJ (Authority having jurisdiction)

What would happen if the drain line from the equipment to the condensate pump gets clogged?

If your above finished space or in a finished basement you should have a pan below the equipment with a secondary drain or float switch, or you can install a separate secondary drain line from the equipment condensate tray to a visible location. Model codes like the IRC have another option for installing a water detection device to shut down the equipment if the condensate rises above the primary, but before the level reaches the top of the equipment condensate tray … but I haven’t seen that yet. See IRC M1411.3.1 for the model code provisions.

Your local code mileage may vary, but it’s sounds like an issue from a home inspectors point of view.