Condensate Furnace Drain Line Freezing

With temperatures dropping condensate drain lines have a higher chance of freezing.

Condensate furnace drain line freezing.

Frozen condensate drains the condensate drain pan and drain lines that run outside from your hvac system have the potential to freeze during colder temperatures. Shortening the drain pipe to give water less space in which to freeze can also be effective. 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. Condensate drains on the high efficiency condensing units were freezing where the drain pipes terminated outside the house.

A clog can prevent moisture from exiting the system allowing it to pool up within your unit. 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. The moisture is drained through pipes leading to the floor drain. With the pipes blocked the condensate backed up into the furnaces where safety switches shut the units down.

If there are clogs anywhere in the condensate line the system will freeze. When that happens most hvac systems are designed to shut off completely leaving homeowners scrambling for a solution. Shorten the pipe outside so that there s less area exposed widen the pipe at the end if the ice starts at the end from the drip expanding it to 4 might work insulate or heat the pipe using heat tape or something like that which i don t know anything about something else. The best way to stop condensate drain line freeze is to use weather proof sleeves placed around the drain.