Plumbing Question?

Question

Is it common for a home builder to tie the airconditioner run off into a sink line?
I have been remodeling and removed my vanity and installed a pedistal sink. The sink works fine but there is a pipe that sticks about 6 inches out of the wall near all of the other pipes. We couldn't figure out what this pipe was for until we started running our airconditioner and found that the builder of our house tied the run off from the airconditioner into our sink. We now have a pipe that sticks out of the wall with a flowing stream of water while the air is on. Does anyone know how to tie the pipes back into the main pipe system. We can not cap it off for obvious reasons. I do not want a bucket sitting under my sink all summer long.
PLEASE HELP!

Answer 1

It is common for this being done. You could put a "T" In the middle of the tail piece that is under the sink drain basket. Then use an adapter to fit the a/c drain line. Or you can tear into the wall, change the direction of the a/c drain line to where it can go through the wall to the outside. Leave the pipe that is now outside open ended with a 90 degree turn down.

Answer 2

You need to remove the entire section of pipe where the TEE is that the air conditioner condensate water drips to. Replace that with a piece of linear pipe. If you have to tear out the wall to do , I guess that's what you need to do. If it were me, I'd do it, the right way by tearing the wall out to fix this problem.

That kind of setup probably violates local codes, if you live in a city.

Normally, the Air Conditioning drains the condensate water to an outside wall or a floor drain witha trap. Without a trap, the air pressure from the duct will blow trhough.

Answer 3

It is bad business to run a condensate line into the house waste system. The drain may lose its' trap from dehydration and draw sewer gas into the air distribution system. This violates any building code that I am familiar with.

You need to run your condensate line to a point that it can discharge outside of the home. Generally, a small trap consisting of two elbows at the end of the line will suffice(this is to keep the system from a negative draw on the line) Check with your local building official .I believe you have the right to have the original builder comply with the codes that were in place when the home was built at no charge to you.

Answer 4

In Florida we had a crawl space below the house and ran the drain through the floor and then across to the outside near the heat exchanger using pvc (1/2") pipe. In Arizona, one of my clients was advized to not let it drip near his foundation due to its harboring or helping termites, so he had me run a flex hose out a couple feet. This was from a suggestion by their exterminator. In your case, you might want to run it to the tailpiece, as was suggested above. If it's unsightly, coming out of the wall offset from the narrow pedestal, you could re-set it IN the wall and have it come out more or less directly behind the pedestal and go straight over to tailpiece. One thing to consider, though, is that if the condensate collector is below the level of the tailpiece, you might have sink water going to the ac unit. Sounds like it won't because it is already there and was hooked up before. I'd still add a backflow preventer to it, just one like you'd have on a hose connection. To do this and repair the wall is a day's work almost. Repairs to the drywall and its texture are relatively easy to do, also. Email me about drywall repair and retexturing if you go this route. I've done it (drywall repair) many times.

Answer 5

The only thing I can think of is to buy some matching piping and run the pipe to the outside. This may require you to drill a hole into the wall. If you do this be sure to shut down all electricity first
(incase you hit a wire). To do this, run an extension cord from your neighbor, if possible.

Answer 6

Mine has the condesation running into the overflow pipe for the water heater that is there in case the water heater floods out.

Answer 7

I agree with the guy who said to put it back the way it was. I wouldn't move anything with a set up like that is . It probably will require an ac man or a plumber to tell you what you have got on this one

Answer 8

without seeing it, i'd say put it back the way it was. it's possible the sink was vented thru that a/c drain.

if you don't have proper vent in your drain pipes, you might not get a good seal and you will have sewer gas enter your home.

Answer 9

Turn your A/C off, cut the pipe, and re-run it outside.

Answer 10

I'm not a plumber although I do like to lay pipe if you know what I mean. So . . in reality. . .I can only suggest you call a real plumber. Good Luck.