"The Daring Dufas" wrote in message
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On 5/9/2011 5:38 PM, RBM wrote:
wrote in message
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"Art wrote in message
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On 5/9/2011 4:48 PM, RBM wrote:
wrote in message
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Does anyone know if there is a pan made to fit under a typical HVAC
condensate pump?
I have a condensate pump in the basement for the furnace and AC that
pumps the
water outside. I'd like to put a pan that's maybe 16 x 8 or so under
the pump. I'd
then have the secondary drain (overflow) from the AC coil and the
furnace going into
the pan as well. The pan should have a fitting so I can hook up a
hose and go from
there to the french drain. That way if the pump fails or the primary
lines clog, the
water would go to the french drain instead of the basement floor.
I'd also put one
of the small battery water alarms in the pan.

I can find big ones made to go under entire furnaces for attics, etc,
but nothing
small enough for just the condensate pump itself.

Why not just put a float switch on the condensate tank, to shut down
the
system if it's full?


Actually, many condensate pump units have a normally closed contact
which
opens if the pump fails to empty the tank. This is then wired in
series
with the hot wire going to the thermostat. Everything shuts down if
the
pump doesn't pump. My condensate pump has shut down the furnace 2
times
because the hose, going outside, froze. I now have it going where it
can't freeze.

If you happen to be away e.g. on vacation---what's your choice, a shut
down of the furnace or condensate on the floor? When my pump was wired
I
made sure that a malfunction would not shut down the furnace. I'm gone
for a month in the winter and a furnace shutdown could be disastrous.
MLD

You connect the float switch to interrupt the air-conditioning system
only



That's not the case with high efficiency condensing furnaces. A lot of
water comes out of the furnace during operation because so much heat is
extracted from the burning of the fuel. I prefer a good floor drain if
I can get it for an AC or high efficiency furnace. It's easy to address
the possibility of a frozen drain for a furnace with electric heat tape
on the vulnerable section of drain pipe. I've had to use it on lines going
to an outdoor wall mounted NG fired instant water heater.

TDD

True dat