Residential HVAC Question

53flattie

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2006
Location
Easley, SC
I know very little about HVAC systems, but I noticed, while mowing grass this evening, that I have water coming from underneath the unit. As recently as the last time I mowed grass (less than a week ago [emoji849]) I know it was draining from the PVC pipe because, as you can see in the picture, it has killed the grass right there.

Does this mean the drain is clogged or loose? Could this explain the musky smell inside the house lately?

Thanks!

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Take a shop vac and suck out the drain. Or better you can remove the Lower panel and hose it out. Could be the reason why the house smells. It’s a gas pack and all your return air is drawn thru it.


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josh m said:
Take a shop vac and suck out the drain. Or better you can remove the Lower panel and hose it out. Could be the reason why the house smells. It’s a gas pack and all your return air is drawn thru it.


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Like he said, It would also probably be a good idea to clean in the indoor coil while you have the panel off to clean out the drain pan. Also, the "P" trap you have there works but usually is bad for holding all sorts of crap and getting clogged up due to all the sharp 90's in it.
 

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DirkaDirka875 said:
Like he said, It would also probably be a good idea to clean in the indoor coil while you have the panel off to clean out the drain pan. Also, the "P" trap you have there works but usually is bad for holding all sorts of crap and getting clogged up due to all the sharp 90's in it.
Click to expand...


If you are taking it that far apart,

Remove the fan and housing.

Remove fan motor from housing and wheel.

Pressure wash the housing and wheel, use a small wipe to clean the mold off the motor itself
 
I have an indoor unit, but I've had problems with the P trap, getting clogged. Not even sure I'd want one on an outdoor unit. I don't understand Why it would be killing the grass? I had piped my drain on the old unit to a row of bushes, & helped keep them watered. New unit was piped to the other side of the house, but it still runs out on a scraggly old bush. Bush has made a comeback!
 
My house is a split system, my shop has a package unit like this. The p trap does keep bugs and other critters from getting in if it's full of water compared to just an open drain. The 90 degree elbow p traps like that do suck for clogging up though. The one on my shop is a short piece of PVC that looks like it was formed into a trap at the factory. I don't glue it either, that way I can pull it off occasionally and blast it out with the hose.
 
Tim C said:
My house is a split system, my shop has a package unit like this. The p trap does keep bugs and other critters from getting in if it's full of water compared to just an open drain. The 90 degree elbow p traps like that do suck for clogging up though. The one on my shop is a short piece of PVC that looks like it was formed into a trap at the factory. I don't glue it either, that way I can pull it off occasionally and blast it out with the hose.
Click to expand...


Probably a running trap instead of a p trap
 
2020-08-21 20.08.55.jpg


This is on the shop
 
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