Drain pan installation
My buddy the mayor called me yesterday and asked me to meet him at the community building. It's an old hospital building that has recently been remodeled into the local library, meeting rooms and a senior meal kitchen. Water had dripped from the ceiling in the library and the librarians had put a couple of wastepaper cans on the floor to catch the leaks. Did a lovely job on the ceiling sheetrock and paint. Upstairs found an air handler hung horizontally, and a large black plastic drain pan installed under the unit. Drain pan was overflowing onto the floor. There was a condensate pump draining the air handler coil pan, and it was mostly empty. I'd say that it was doing it's job. However the 3/4" drain for the black plastic pan, was just an upturned elbow with a cap on it. Also located in the pan, was a float switch that I assume was wired into the control system to shut down the remote condensing unit in case the pan filled up. The unit was operating at the time, like the float wasn't properly wired.
Because I'm no longer liscensed and not registered any longer with the city on their public works roster, I can't and didn't touch a thing. I suggested that the first thing he do is contact the general contractor, and have him send the HVAC company to the jobsite to repair the problem. This job is still under warranty. No one at city hall is aware of who the mechanical people are. The general is in Alaska on a fishing vacation. I told my buddy that "back in the day," We used to run the drain for the pan over to a soffit area and out, so if the drain pan did fill with water, it would drip outside the building into a flower bed or onto the sidewalk to let someone know there was a problem. He asked me if that was a code issue, and I can't honestly tell him whether it is or isn't. Does anyone know?
One way to outthink people is to make them think you think. They'll think you're not really thinking what you're trying to get them to think you think...........