condensate line

[jodil]

How far is too far for the condensate line to run? Yesterdays inspection line ran up through ceiling about 20 feet and drained into the shower from the ceiling. It was on a pump..

Thanks

[John Dirks Jr]

20 feet is not too far. Having said that, it does not comment on the specific arrangement you describe. I'm not sure of the arrangement as I am a bit confused by the way you described it.

You asked, "how far is too far"? I think a mile would be too far.

I'm just playin wit ya....

[jodil]

What I meant is the line goes straight up from the pump into the drop ceiling, lies along the braces on the drop ceiling, then exits the ceiling above the shower.. All of this is in the basement.

I guess what I was envisioning as a problem was the length and slope of the line and whether or not the pump could do its job.. Really any water would probably jsut dry up before it gets to the shower anyways.

[kurt]

Is it one of those cheesey little plastic box condensate pumps?

[Mike Lamb]

Originally posted by kurt

Is it one of those cheesey little plastic box condensate pumps?

The condensate pumps I see do the job and they are cheap ($50 - $100). They can pump water straight up for 15' or 20' and run as long as 50' or more. It's often the only way to get the condensate to a drain without tripping over hose or pipe on the floor.

I carry a plastic cup with me and when I'm in the mood I pour some water into that little hole on top of pump until the float trips. If there's no water on the floor or ceiling, I'd say it was working OK.

Why do you say, "cheesy?"

[kurt]

I've had a couple fail in my own home, and I find a few that don't work.

I suppose they're not all that bad. I just don't like little plastic pumps, but I agree, what else are you going to do?

[hausdok]

Hi Kurt,

You're right; there's not much to them and they do seem to wear out often. That said, the "often" seems to be about 8 to 10 years after they're installed and, given the fact that you can still purchase one for less than $50 at the big orange box, they aren't such a bad deal.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[charlieb]

If you will pull one off the shelf and look at the install instructions you will find there is a limitation on the vertical run and pipe size. I don't recall the specifics but you can envision the process. The water is pushed up in a column and once the float drops, the column of water will fall. If the volume is too great, the pump will short cycle and fail rapidly. They also need a bit of an upside down trap at the top to break the vacuum.