HVAC in the attic?

[PineRidge]

Bird we used to follow the refrigerant line-set out of the attic with both drain lines. Then we would terminate the secondary higher than the first so that it was obvious if it started to drain water. That was the one that we always told the homeowner to be on the look-out for.

However if water did start to accumulate in the emergency drain pan the water alarm would go off anyway. That thing would wake you up from deep sleep in the middle of the night.

 

[Bird]

I'd be inclined to guess that this house may not have an audible alarm because the overflow drain is right in the front close to the front door so you'd be likely to see it, while the compressor is at the side of the house, and it may have the primary drain there instead of being plumbed into the sewer. I'll find out next week.

 

[txdon]

Bird, in the 80's my part time job was installing AC systems in townhomes, homes and apartments in Houston. except for some small apartments every one was installed in the attic. Like Pineridge said the emergency drain was placed outside where the homeowner would quickly notice it dripping. I still remember the week I quite. The temp was over 100 every day and about 120+ in the attics. I could not wear a metal watch band because it would burn my wrist and the fiberglass insulation would feel like stickers all over in bed. ARRRG.

 

[Bird]

Yeah, Don, that's something else I'd thought and wondered about. I crawled around in the attic to install 4 ceiling fans in a house one Labor Day weekend several years ago, had to take several rest breaks and drank gallons of iced tea.

 

[plumboy]

Most of the houses I plumb here have the unit in the attic.I personally dont like it,the unit sits in 120+ temps in summer.Other than that there is no real probs with it but it seems to me it must kill a little efficiency and life of the units.Some builders will have me leave a drain that extends into the attic off of the tub overflow or washer stand pipe.A trap only for ac drain does need a trap primer as stated above.Replacement of these units is sometimes tricky and a real hastle,sometimes needing to cut out webbing of the trusses.I think code around here is to install a float switch in the pan that shuts the unit off.My opinion all units need to be placed in a closet and the ducts piped in the attic or soffits throughout.But I put copper under slabs weekly so the local market tells you how things will be installed.

 

[bczoom]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'd be inclined to guess that this house may not have an audible alarm because the overflow drain is right in the front)</font>

Bird, if you want to put one in (for peace of mind), they're less than $10 (and run off a 9V battery).

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( And Paul (techman), I'm not sure of exactly what you mean by "gutter" drain.)</font>

I believe Paul is saying to run it into a groundwater drain (follow wherever the gutter downspouts go).

Brian

 

[TractorTodd]

More experience here http://www.hvac-talk.com/

 

[OkeeDon]

You've already had enough comment about the wisdom or lack of it in placing the units in the attic; as most have said, it's very common in Florida. My story is a little different. All of the drains, pans, etc., on mine worked just fine. The drain line was a pvc pipe running to the eaves. Someone forgot to glue one of the joints. Someone else, doing some electrical work for me in the attic, apparently tripped ovet the pipe and knocked the joint loose. The water came out over the drywall ceiling rather than the eaves. Drove us crazy; we thought we had a roof leak, butthen it was getting wet even when it wasn't raining. We never thought of the AC drain because the wet spot wasn't near the air handler. Finally found it; easy fix onthe pipe, a little tougher on the ceiling...

 

[sneaky_pete]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The water came out over the drywall ceiling rather than the eaves. Drove us crazy; we thought we had a roof leak, butthen it was getting wet even when it wasn't raining. We never thought of the AC drain because the wet spot wasn't near the air handler. Finally found it; easy fix onthe pipe, a little tougher on the ceiling... )</font>

I've got one of those right now Don. The drain gets clogged with algae or mold, then it backs up and comes out of a joint in the PVC line somewhere, then it pools on my breakfast nook ceiling and finally drips through, ruining the drywall on the ceiling. I can control it by dumping drain cleaner or Clorox down the drain to kill whatever is groing in there, but one of these days I'm going to have to tear the breakfast nook ceiling out and see if I can trace the leak back along the drain. It's complicated by the fact that it's between floors of a two-story house.

 

[Bird]

Don's problem scares me bad enough, but at least any house I buy will not be two story, so maybe it won't be as bad as yours, Pete.