Hello,
OK, don't really know what I am talking about, but will try. Yesterday we had a new furnace installed, tomorrow the man is coming out to install the central a/c.
Today I noticed that there is a white and black 'box' on the floor by the furnace. Then I saw that there is clear tubing (like from an aquarium pump) tied onto the washer hose into the wash tub. I followed the tubing and it runs up the wall (in the box that is covering the washer hot and cold knobs) through the drop ceiling, around other water pipes, makes a sharp turn then eventually makes its way to that black and white box. Now our old central a/c had a metal pipe that vented the water outside (the pipe went through the wall and brick to the outside, just right from the furnace). That metal pipe has been cut off almost flush with the wall now, and this crazy tubing is now running all over heck and creation before being tied to the washer hose that goes into the wash tub. Is this a correct thing to do?
The tubing looks like it is almost crimped close in some places, till it runs into the drop ceiling and without moving the ceiling tiles I have no idea what it looks like.
What if it leaks in the drop ceiling?
Is it just laying on the drop ceiling?
Is there even a proper slant to the tubing so it will drain properly?
Should I yell and the installer?
Please help.

 

The "box" on the floor is a condensate pump. It has a reservoir and a float inside. When the water level reaches a certain level the float turns on the pump and it pumps out the condensate (water) until the float drops to a preset level and turns off the pump. Since the condensate is being pumped out (under pressure), it doesn't require any pitch (not gravity feed). However, the clear tubing (the output line from the pump) should take a fairly straightforward path to the drain. If it appears that there is a more straightforward routing, don't hesitate to suggest it to the installer.

 

Thanks, I am going to say something.

I don't understand why the existing outlet could not have been used instead of being sawed off inside. It went pretty much in a straight line. And with the tubing now ending at being tied to the washer outlet hose (the one where the water from washing laundry comes out) after running all through the drop ceiling did not seem right.
If the installer was going to do this, then something should have been said before it was done.

 

Look closely..... your new A/C unit may be lower than the old one and is too low to use that thru the wall drain as water won't run uphill.

 

Maybe you got a condensing furnace and they didn't want it to freeze up? I like gravity the best and the shortest possible route even with tubing,as long as it's not in the way of service of the unit.

 

Hello,
The unit is smaller than the old furnace. But the tubing is all the way up to the ceiling, which wasn't the case with the old metal tube that went outside. So is it possible that the tube from the condensate pump can be run outside. And what sort of tubing is used for that? Won't the 'plastic clear tube' freeze during a Chicago winter?

 

Yes... the plastic tube will freeze outside..... maybe that's why they didn't run it that way.

Your old unit was high enough to gravity feed, with no pump, to outside.
With a pump in use the water can be directed to anywhere.

 

If you have any doubts, you should talk to the installer. They can reassure you what was done and why. Any contractor that takes pride in their work will not mind the questions. When people get work done, and changes are made, there are always questions.