Condensate Furnace Drain Line Freezing

Condensate drains on the high efficiency condensing units were freezing where the drain pipes terminated outside the house.

Condensate furnace drain line freezing.

With temperatures dropping condensate drain lines have a higher chance of freezing. Blocked condensate lines the condensate lines in your hvac system are responsible for draining the excess moisture caused by humidity. Shortening the drain pipe to give water less space in which to freeze can also be effective. The moisture is drained through pipes leading to the floor drain.

When that happens most hvac systems are designed to shut off completely leaving homeowners scrambling for a solution. The basement has no drain so the the persons that install the furnace ran pvc pipe through finished walls under the concrete floor inside the house and under the patio outside. During periods of snow verify that snow hasn t risen to the level of the drain line where it can block it and cause further freezing. They did not bury the pvc very deep about 3 inches thus when temperaturs go lower that 20 degrees for a couple of days the condensate inside the pipe freezes and back up.

The best way to stop condensate drain line freeze is to use weather proof sleeves placed around the drain. With the pipes blocked the condensate backed up into the furnaces where safety switches shut the units down. A clog can prevent moisture from exiting the system allowing it to pool up within your unit. If there are clogs anywhere in the condensate line the system will freeze.