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beware of a/c drain in townhouse

Discussion in 'Homeowners Corner' started by signifer, Aug 5, 2011.

  1. signifer

    signifer Member

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    Hi,

    We're in a Miller and Smith townhouse and our a/c drain clogged and partly flooded the area. I don't know if Van Metre plumbed things the same way.

    The a/c condensate drain (and the hot water heater pressure relief line) feed into a drain in the floor; this is a 2 inch pvc drain pipe that sticks up a few inches above the concrete floor. This floor drain got clogged and the condensate backed up and ran all over the concrete and out into the carpeted area just outside. To clear it only required using a snake and then I ran hot water from the hot water heater overflow valve to flush the drain. I plan on flushing the drain every couple of months to prevent this from happening again.

    Richard
     
    signifer, Aug 5, 2011
    #1
  2. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    Yep, that's a common issue with the Miller and Smith townhomes. We've had about a half-dozen homes on our street that had the same issue over the years. Its VERY important to make sure the end of the PVC drain/pipe that comes out at the rear of the house is not obstructed in any way. I've seen a couple neighbors who didn't notice the pipe extruding from the foundation and put in a brick patio, effectively blocking the drain. Additionally, inspect the pipe from the outside to make sure you see water flowing out of it during the day when the AC is running. a 'dry' drain pipe when the AC has been running for a while is an indication that something is wrong.
     
    Mr. Linux, Aug 5, 2011
    #2
  3. signifer

    signifer Member

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    I'm somewhat confused. The drain that clogged is a 2 inch drain pipe that's buried in the concrete pad the house sits on. I've looked outside and I don't see how it could be above ground if it has any downward slope. Any idea where to look for it or if it ties into the house drain system?

    Thanks,
    Richard
     
    signifer, Aug 5, 2011
    #3
  4. stoner

    stoner Active Member

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    Do you have a sump pump? If so, that's where the a/c drains into.
     
    stoner, Aug 5, 2011
    #4
  5. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    It depends on the grade behind your house. Even when new, most of these pipes were RIGHT at ground level or slightly below. They are responsible for making the swamp under most people's decks right at their door. Depending on how sloppy or not they were when they built your house, this may simply be a 'hole' in the concrete, or you may actually see pipe.

    Many people chose to extend this pipe out into their yard or out near the back of their property. A previous owner may have done this on your house. Look for the green part of the yard straight out from your door :)

    Or dig around your foundation a foot or so inside the outside wall. It should be less then 1ft below your sliding glass door.
     
    flynnibus, Aug 5, 2011
    #5
  6. KTdid

    KTdid Well-Known Member

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    Our condensation pipe exits the house just under the basement window below the siding embedded in the concrete. Miller and Smith returned one year later and added a 34 ft PVC pipe to carry the condensate away from the house and then buried it. We kept ours exposed at the end for monitoring purposes but covered it with rocks. As flynn stated, we had swamps in our back yards without it.
     
    KTdid, Aug 5, 2011
    #6
  7. Zeratul

    Zeratul Well-Known Member

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    it has been a while but I remember the builder (Miller and Smith) addressing some of these complaints by extending the pipe out to the property line. I moved into one of these new town homes in 2002. I had the problem and worked with the builder to get the pipe extended.

    Obviously now you can not do that. My house was on Hunters Green Sq. And my pipe was right at ground level and it was hard to do landscaping around it... but I installed a small patio over top of it. Other neighbors around me did not extend the pipe and had real problems with a swamp in their yard and freezing in the winter. As the ground freezes and blocks the pipe, it can back up.

    I had my pipe right at the edge of my fence and property line and just cleaned it when I cut the grass.
     
    Zeratul, Aug 5, 2011
    #7
  8. signifer

    signifer Member

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    Interesting, thanks. I'll look some more.
     
    signifer, Aug 5, 2011
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  9. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    To get a general idea of where the pipe exits, stand in your yard facing the back of your house. Imagine where the water heater is and draw a straight imaginary line from that location to the rear of the house. In my case, in my end-unit, the pipe comes out directly under the gas meter, between to the patio door and my neighbor's fence. Our house has the highest elevation on our street, so we don't have issues with it exiting low to the ground; it's about 4-5" above the ground line and it ends 'flush' with the concrete wall.
     
    Mr. Linux, Aug 5, 2011
    #9
  10. signifer

    signifer Member

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    Thanks. I tried that and it comes out by the a/c & heat pump units. I didn't see a drain, but there was a lot of moss... I think I need to explore some more.

    Thanks again.
     
    signifer, Aug 5, 2011
    #10
  11. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    If you need any help, feel free to reach out to me via a PM. I'm on Autumnwood, probably not far from you. I could come over and help you locate it...
     
    Mr. Linux, Aug 5, 2011
    #11
  12. BLSFmly

    BLSFmly New Member

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    We live in VM townhouse and we had the exact same issue few weeks back. Used a wet vacum on clogged condensation pipe and it worked like a charm.
     
    BLSFmly, Aug 5, 2011
    #12

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