Condensate Traps!

[ozone drone]

If I see one more trap with the vent tee on the unit side of the trap instead of downstream of the trap I'm gonna lose it!. How tough can it be to get a trap right???. seems like 3 out of 4 I run into are piped wrong. just random chance should make it fifty/fifty. just venting folks, as you were.

[Panama]

Some may want a vent on the equipment side so you can pour in bleach to clear the trap and the drain line. So the best solution is two vent tees. But put a removable cap on the equipment side. And make sure the downstream vent opening is higher than the upstream line!

[grasshopper]

That is common in residential around here. The capped vent before the trap is great for filling them when they are dry in the spring after they dry out in the winter.

[fastfred]

Originally posted by ozone drone
If I see one more trap with the vent tee on the unit side of the trap instead of downstream of the trap I'm gonna lose it!. How tough can it be to get a trap right???. seems like 3 out of 4 I run into are piped wrong. just random chance should make it fifty/fifty. just venting folks, as you were.

Nice venting about Vents!!!

[HVAC Pro]

I always install a bullheaded tee as close to the coil outlet as possible and connect a 'p' trap to the bottom of the tee. This way I can look into the trap and can clean it out. I then plug the tee with a short piece of pvc with a cap glued to the top of it. I've seen many done this way without a cap however. Some use those rubber plugs from compressor suction lines or tape them shut and later these things get lost. I agree however that the tee should NOT be left open.

[Green Mountain]

My son and I always argue about traps and condensate lines. He is completely convinced that he can defy the laws of gravity.

[amickracing]

We got a flyer for the "proper" way to vent condensate lines not too long ago. This was after several plumbers and installers were doing them backwards. I do like the idea of putting a T before the trap (capped) so you can fill it up and clean it out easier.

[hi-tork]

I have witnessed water running uphill

[hvac45]

We don't use tee's, they are useless, bleach doesn't do a whole lot, we just hook a good wet vac outside and let her rip, cleans it all. 98% of what we do is heat pumps.

[swat]

We use traps and T'son every primary drain. If it is a positive pressure coil we put the vent between the unit and the trap so we can elminate the glug effect you may see. On negative pressure it is for access to blow the line with certain adapters. If you put them in backwards though they obviously do not work very well.

[grasshopper]

Originally posted by hvac45
We don't use tee's, they are useless, bleach doesn't do a whole lot, we just hook a good wet vac outside and let her rip, cleans it all. 98% of what we do is heat pumps.

Yep just add that to the list of differences between the south with heatpumps and the north with furnace/ac's. We have to put an access in.(T with cap) The ac will be off for over 6 months and the traps dry out in the fall/winter. We need to fill them with the spring clean and check or "no good." Learned your vac trick from a guy in Sarasota, FL over 10 yrs ago. Still hasn't really caught on around here!?! Go figure.

[HVAC Pro]

Originally posted by grasshopper

Originally posted by hvac45
We don't use tee's, they are useless, bleach doesn't do a whole lot, we just hook a good wet vac outside and let her rip, cleans it all. 98% of what we do is heat pumps.

Yep just add that to the list of differences between the south with heatpumps and the north with furnace/ac's. We have to put an access in.(T with cap) The ac will be off for over 6 months and the traps dry out in the fall/winter. We need to fill them with the spring clean and check or "no good." Learned your vac trick from a guy in Sarasota, FL over 10 yrs ago. Still hasn't really caught on around here!?! Go figure.

Hey wait! I'm in the south and do primarily heat pump work and I use the tees. Pull the capped stem out of it and slide a special rubber adapter that I made up which seals me from the coil outlet and hit it with a swoosh cartridge and all done! I bought one of the $99.00 Dewalt wet vacs that uses any of their battery pacs and also runs off of 120 volts also. That thing is sweet. Just vacuumed two lines from outside with it yesterday.

[hvac45]

Bought the dewalt a couple a months ago, your right its great, especially for emergency pans in the attic, and the side drain works nice, a p-trap fits perfect in the end for the drains that come out to close to the ground with a 90 on them.

[HVAC Pro]

Originally posted by hvac45
Bought the dewalt a couple a months ago, your right its great, especially for emergency pans in the attic, and the side drain works nice, a p-trap fits perfect in the end for the drains that come out to close to the ground with a 90 on them.

Great idea on the p-trap! I'll have to try it. Now if I could find a way to seal the connection without the gooey duct tape.