Overflow Pan Fills On Central A/C


  #1  
Old 07-22-12, 08:30 PM
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Overflow Pan Fills On Central A/C

It seems this started when the outside unit was replaced after having failed at about 13 years old. I believe it's a 5 ton unit. Shortly after that the overflow pan on the air handler started filling with water.

The drain line was cleaned twice, then the drain line was adjusted to make sure it had a good slope, then it was replaced with a different kind of PVC and added a trap which it did not have previously.

None of that worked so then a pump was added, but the overflow pan still fills.

We were first told that there might be damaged to the main pan, then were told that the outside unit is incompatible with the air handler, something about the expansion valve being the wrong type.

The thing is, we've replaced two other outside units, one a bit before and another at the same time as the one in question, all of the outside units are the same, and all of the air handlers are the same and we haven't had this problem with the other two units.

Thoughts or suggestions? We're looking to have someone else come in and look at it, but just wanted to see what the interwebs had to say about it.
 
  #2  
Old 07-22-12, 09:54 PM
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I'm not there, I can't see what you have but in a PROPER installation there is a primary drain pan that collects and routes the condensate (from the dehumidification process) as it drips off the evaporator (cooling) coil and routes it to a drain. If that primary pan and/or drain becomes plugged then there is (is supposed to be) a secondary pan that will catch the overflow and route through a different drain.

Either your pan(s) are poorly installed or the drain piping is plugged.
 
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Old 07-23-12, 12:17 PM
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I thought it was strange that the overflow pan just had a plug on it.
 
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Old 07-23-12, 05:20 PM
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Is this a horizontal unit? If the line is cleared and it has a pea trap then there are only 2 possible explanations. 1. You have a freon leak due to poor installation and its icing up and melting and going to the pan. Or 2. Due to poor installation the coil is not angled correctly as is dumping water into the pan. The over flow pan is supposed to have a plug on it and a safety switch to let you know something isnt right.
 
 

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