Furnace drain problem

Hello,

I have a problem with the condensation drain of my furnace. The problem is that it currently drains into a bucket I have to empty regularly. The guy who owned/built the house before me finished the basement and used the one floor drain for the shower and so now the furnace does not have a way to drain to it. I opened up the sheetrock a bit on the wall next to the furnace and found that there is a 1 1/2 inch vent pipe in the wall going down into the slab. Would it be okay to put a little "Y" on this pipe and let my furnace drain into it? Is this a good solution? If it is possible for me to run a flexible hose up through the wall and down into the shower, would a condensate pump be a better fix?

A vent used as a drain is no longer a vent! If you did find a place where you could put it, it would need a trap to keep sewer gasses from escaping. You'd want to ensure the trap didn't dry out when you weren't using the furnace, or it would dry out and start to smell.

I'd consider a condensate pump. Now, where to dump it becomes an issue. A condensate pump can be purchased with various head capabilities, so you could pump it up a ways, maybe into a dishwasher type connection into an existing drain - maybe in the kitchen. Not sure about the code requirements.

I would go with a condensate pump. Depending on were you live you may be able to have it drain outside, check with your local building official.

jadnashua said:

A vent used as a drain is no longer a vent! If you did find a place where you could put it, it would need a trap to keep sewer gasses from escaping. You'd want to ensure the trap didn't dry out when you weren't using the furnace, or it would dry out and start to smell.

I'd consider a condensate pump. Now, where to dump it becomes an issue. A condensate pump can be purchased with various head capabilities, so you could pump it up a ways, maybe into a dishwasher type connection into an existing drain - maybe in the kitchen. Not sure about the code requirements.

Click to expand...

By all means, use a pump.

I just had my system replaced with a 95% furnace and a/c. The condensate is pumped up about 15 feet and discharged into a first floor laundry tub. (my design)

Now I can monitor the operation of my furnace-a/c conveniently. No freeze-ups in the winter.

V