PVC pipe in the front of the home coming out of the soffit between the garage and front door. The A/C condenser is on the second floor but the line was on another side of the home. The hot water tank was below this in the garage. There was a pvc pipe at the laundry on the second floor, for washing machine pan. This line had a slow drip. What could it be?
John, are you sure the HVAC line on the other side of the home was active…was the air handler possibly moved at some point or perhaps the drain line may have been defective or poorly sloped so they rerouted and ran out the soffit vs ripping up the house to reslope? I can’t think of anything else it may have been except a condensate drain line, especially with a slow drip, and the water heater on the first floor…
Secondary A/C drain. Probably water in the secondary pan. It’s there so that it gets noticed and fixed. Needs service.
I agree.
Do you know the builder’s name?
The home was built in 2006, the other drain line was more active. I was thinking maybe they t’d the line. There was no moisture around the air handler at all and no extra pan. Possibly a secondary line??
Did you closely examine the fan/coil unit to see if it indeed had a secondary drain line in addition to a float switch?
The primary CD line should be at ground lvl, typ close to the CU. Since the ground near the CU was dry, the steady drip is likely from a secondary CD line, and that means trouble is brewing upstairs. The main CD line may be clogged and water may be backed up under the evap coil.
I believe Chuck Evans is right on the mark.
Update: There was no secondary pan, there is two drain lines. This concept seem great but the second line should have been a bit higher as to not drip on a regular basis.
Just a heads up. With 2006 construction if the air handler is located where leakage can case damage too any building component an auxiliary drain pan with either the secondary drain connected to the pan or a shut down float switch installed in the auxiliary pan is required. If no means of installing the auxillary pan exist then a water leveling shut down switch shall be installed inside the primary pan that will shut down the equipment if a blockage were to occur in the primary drain
I have always seen the shut-off float switch.
Most air handlers have 2 openings, one slightly higher than the other. Some contractors will run another PVC pipe to that other opening to act as a secondary drain line.
Sounds like the main drain is not draining properly.
John, I ran into that the other day as well, two main drain lines terminating in entirely different locations, however they were both at ground level and not in the soffit .
There should not be 2 main drains for one unit. There is a main CD outlet and a secondary CD outlet.
Recently I saw two fcu each hanging from the garage ceiling. Originally, each fcu’s main CD was piped into the wall and then through the wall to the exterior. Some dim wit determined that for whatever reason, the in-wall drainage arrangements were inadequate and he set up all new CD piping on the garage interior wall surface and connected 6 tons of fcu to one 3/4 CD piping system. Result: Both fcu pans full of water, the fcus full of water and both fcus ruined by water over time rusting them to ****.
Pay close attention when you see CD piping that has been remodeled.