ptacnovice
07-06-2006, 02:39 PM
Hello,
I have a GE Zoneline 5100 in my condo. Although the unit is a bit noisy, it heats and cools the room properly. Now, here is the problem. Every week or two, I have to drain the pan as it fills with water which leaks in the room. Could this be indicative of a major problem? Do PTACs generally produce a lot of water? Anyway, draining the pan is becoming a hassle as I usually have to remove the unit from the wall and dump the water. I am considering the following options, and am hoping that the experts on this board could guide me in the right direction:
1- Install a drain kit. I am not sure that this will help. I never had this problem before eventhough a drain was not installed originally. Also, I don’t think that the other units installed in the building have drains. Most people are not having this problem. Is it luck? Is a drain required on most PTAC installations? My unit is about 10 years old.
2- Have the unit rechecked by a specialist. Note that I did call GE. The technician did not conclusively diagnose the problem. He mentioned something about cleaning coils, but nothing definitive as in 'you need to do this or replace that." I guess he could not observe the problem as the pan takes a few days to fill up. In any event, I fear that a repair would probably cost as much as a new unit. Any thoughts?
3- Just replace the unit and forget about it. I am thinking of the Amana PTH123B35AM 12000 BTU which is within my budget. Looks like a simple slide in - slide out installation given the dimension of the Amana. I am willing to consider other brands based on your advice.
I apologize for being so long, but I thought it would be useful to provide you with as much information as possible. Feel free to offer any suggestions that I may not have considered. Thank you for your help.
I have a GE Zoneline 5100 in my condo. Although the unit is a bit noisy, it heats and cools the room properly. Now, here is the problem. Every week or two, I have to drain the pan as it fills with water which leaks in the room. Could this be indicative of a major problem? Do PTACs generally produce a lot of water? Anyway, draining the pan is becoming a hassle as I usually have to remove the unit from the wall and dump the water. I am considering the following options, and am hoping that the experts on this board could guide me in the right direction:
1- Install a drain kit. I am not sure that this will help. I never had this problem before eventhough a drain was not installed originally. Also, I don’t think that the other units installed in the building have drains. Most people are not having this problem. Is it luck? Is a drain required on most PTAC installations? My unit is about 10 years old.
2- Have the unit rechecked by a specialist. Note that I did call GE. The technician did not conclusively diagnose the problem. He mentioned something about cleaning coils, but nothing definitive as in 'you need to do this or replace that." I guess he could not observe the problem as the pan takes a few days to fill up. In any event, I fear that a repair would probably cost as much as a new unit. Any thoughts?
3- Just replace the unit and forget about it. I am thinking of the Amana PTH123B35AM 12000 BTU which is within my budget. Looks like a simple slide in - slide out installation given the dimension of the Amana. I am willing to consider other brands based on your advice.
I apologize for being so long, but I thought it would be useful to provide you with as much information as possible. Feel free to offer any suggestions that I may not have considered. Thank you for your help.