Condensate Pumps
The combination of heating and cooling and water in a furnace or other HVAC product produces a certain amount of
condensation. As such, these systems often need a device to eliminate the built-up water produced by the
mechanism's workings. Such is the role of the condensate pump, which is used to eliminate condensation
produced by latent water vapor in an air conditioned building, steam from a radiator or heat exchanger, or, in
the case of the highest-efficiency furnaces, the exhaust steam. These pumps normally run intermittently,
draining condensate into a tank. There are variable settings for a pump that need to be considered, including
power type and source, flow, shut off mechanisms and size.
Types Of Condensate Pumps
Commercial and industrial models are made using a broad array of materials, including iron, plastic, stainless
steel, aluminum and brass. The two main types are sump pumps and boiler feed pumps. Sump pumps are used via
HVAC equipment collection pans or tanks, preventing the buildup of water in the machinery by pumping out the
amassed water. In a boiler feed system, the pump is a recycler of sorts, closing off a boiler system by
condensing the emitted steam back into the water, thereby returning it to the boiler when it is once again
heated into steam.
When seeking a pump, you must first be aware of the tank size the pump will be used in, as
well as the number of pumps in the assembly. The pump will run on either AC or DC power, and can be operated
using anything from gasoline to, in some outdoor models, solar power. A pump's power is measured by maximum
discharge flow, which can be expressed in gallons per minute, hour or day, depending on the model and expected
usage for the product.
Repairing Or Replacing A Condensate Pump
Pumps usually aren't repaired but rather replaced. While a pump motor can be repaired, it's usually more
cost-effective to simply replace the pump. That said, reports of motors burning out are rare. The problems most
reported with pumps are not as much with the pumps themselves but issues related to the setup.
While there
aren't condensate pump inspectors knocking door to door, there are, in fact, regulations guiding pump
installation. The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials develops the Uniform
Mechanical Code, which dictates the following pertaining to condensate pump setup: "Condensate from air
washers, air cooling coils, fuel-burning condensing appliances, the overflow from evaporative coolers and
similar water supplied equipment or similar air conditioning equipment shall be collected and discharged to an
approved plumbing fixture or disposal area. If discharged into the drainage system, equipment shall drain by
means of an indirect waste pipe (a pipe upstream of a trap, meaning no drainage can be released downstream of
the collection trap). The waste pipe shall have a slope of not less than one-eighth inch per foot or 1 percent
slope, and shall be of approved corrosion-resistant material not smaller than the outlet size as required in
either Section 310.3 or 310.4 (below) for air-cooling coils or condensing fuel-burning appliances,
respectively. Condensate or waste water shall not drain over a public way." The outlet, or pipe size, noted
above ranges from three-quarters of an inch for up to 20 tons of refrigeration capacity to 2 inches for upward
of 125 tons of capacity.
Who Makes Condensate Pumps
There are dozens of manufacturers of condensate pumps, from companies that make single models to businesses with
a broad line of products. By far the largest pump product line comes from Watson McDaniel, which manufactures
more than 150 different pump models across all power sources and discharge capacities. Other prominent
manufacturers include Wanner Engineering, Spirax Sarco,
Hartell, KNF and Armstrong International.
