Fixing Air Condition Condesation Drainage Issues
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- Опубликовано: 23 окт 2020
- Fixing Air Conditioning Condensation Drainage Issue
In the summertime the AC drains a gallon of condensation every couple of hours causing a mess. The problem was how to drain this condensation away in an area where no drains exist. The solution was to drain it deep into the ground into a plastic box full of rocks, set in a layer of drainage rocks. This would allow the condensation to drain slowly into the surrounding soil.
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Thank you for the this video. I bought my house last October and a dry well like this is going to be my first DIY project. Much appreciated.
Be fore you do, check out this video. Similar concept, but with a way to access the reservoir for periodic cleaning.
ruclips.net/video/8KyG0oLD9vs/видео.html
At first I was thinking laundry basket but this is much better because you left the lid on top to help resist water coming in from the top. Good stuff. Exactly what I was looking for.
Thanks for watching!
@@TheHappyLife-h7b I think I'm just going to dig a hole and put rocks in it though and let the condensate line just drip down onto it
Total over kill with the compression fittings but better safe than sorry. Great job! I am doing something similar for an outdoor shower drain. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching!
Great video. I'm doing this in a couple of weeks.
As you prepare, think about access for cleaning and maintenance. The video below shows an idea on how to accomplish this.
ruclips.net/video/8KyG0oLD9vs/видео.html
I've had this same idea but wasn't sure how to execute. Thanks for posting!
LOL.. I harvest mines to water the lawn and wash my car with spotfree water. I average about 30 gallons a day during the summer time.
Awesome Video!!!
Thanks and I appreciate you watching!
Thanks for the video I just did today.
Glad it helped. Thanks for watching.
Placing the rocks inside the container removes the floodable volume for the water, may as well not have the box. it would be best to leave it open so that water can flood it and drain out, and wrap the outside in filter fabric so dirt doesn't go in.
Yup. Put small holes in the bottom of the box, put it on a thick bed of medium gravel and call it done... although the filter fabric wouldn’t hurt. the gravel around the sides of the box doesn’t do anything since the holes are all over the box and most will never see water unless it’s coming out of the drain like a fire hose... I’m thinking about sinking a capped 4” pvc pipe down about 3’ and perforating the bottom foot or so of the pipe. Anyone ever tried
It will work just fine. Leaving the box open will only cause the ground to sink as the box collapses under pressure and erosion. The only upgrades I would make would be to wrap it in French drain mesh to filter silt, and to provide a way to access it for cleaning and maintenance without digging it up. See this guys video.
ruclips.net/video/8KyG0oLD9vs/видео.html
This video was a year ago, do you have a follow up video?
Any lessons learned or tip to make it even better?
I agree with a comment below about not even using the container.
Great video, thank you for sharing it
Thanks for watching…..I learned that in the heat and humidity of summer the ground still gets super saturated. But this helps it to soak into the ground rather than make a wet slushy mess.
Lowes actually sells this drain setup for around $20, if anyone else is looking in to doing it.
Do you have a link to that by chance ?
@@robb7447 it's called a catch basin
Do you have a follow up video?
Brilliant!
Thanks for watching. I appreciate the comment.
We were curious as to a follow up on your video of the ac drain run off… Did the tote with rocks actually work or did it begin to flood or muddy up your yard again? We want to try this and need to know if it actually works.. Thank you so much
It worked but when it rains the ground is overly wet. Thanks for watching.
How did this work out? I’m having the same problem and it’s making my Bermuda look horrible in front of the ac unit?
It’s a dry well. they work fine
Like the rock box. Is there a reason you had to route it inside the fence? I'd keep it simple and cheap and elbow the pipe down from the house and elbow away into a little trench same distance away from the house outside the fence. What cha think?
Thanks for watching! I placed it inside the fence to keep it away from buried cables.
Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks! How is it holding up?
Thanks for watching. The ground gets super saturated in the middle of the summer.
Why not put holes in bottom to help with drainage? Just curious
Good question…..I never thought of that. Thanks for watching!
Why fill the container with rock? Wouldn’t you have a greater void by leaving the box empty and surrounding it with rock? Also, line the opening with geo-textile fabric so dirt doesn’t infiltrate the surrounding rock.
Thanks for watching!
How is it holding up nearly a year and a half later? Is it working as you'd hope?
The ground becomes saturated at times because of the red clay. Ok otherwise.
If it rains and that box overfills your AC will leak into the house - better be careful or that is a lot of extra problems.
No such problems have occurred. Thanks for watching.
I thought the same thing. I would have the line drop directly onto the top of the box through the grass.
How is your dry well working? Have you had to dig it up to change anything?
We eventually made a concrete patio in that area so everything was dug up as we cleared out the area. It worked well until then.
Great video! After a year does the ground above it stay dry? And what state are you in?
Yes the ground is dry and it performs as expected! Thanks for watching!
I'm interested to know what state he's in, too. I'm in Alabama. Lots of heat, humidity, thunderstorms, and tornados throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall.
Doesn't that water that goes inside the container need to go somewhere? What happens after that bucket fills up on a heavy rain day?
It seeps into the ground slowly because of the rocks. On a rainy day it doesn’t matter….the whole area was soaked!
STUPID QUESTION.
Could this cause a sink hole if left for 20+ years?
I never thought about that. Good question and thanks for watching!
Maybe a dumb question: Why not just drain it directly into the hole with rocks? What is the purpose of the container box?
The purpose was to minimize the amount of dirt that trickles down the rocks when I backfill the hole. Thanks for watching.
Might also make it easier if you ever have to dig it up or move it.
The container box makes a great foot trap when someone steps on it and it collapses.
@@MAGAMAN It will never collapse,It’s full of rocks with a lid on top and dirt and then the grass. It is solid as the rest of the ground. Done that before and it works perfect.
2 year later. What would you do differently
Thanks for watching. I eventually paved the entire area and made a concrete patio.
Enjoyed it and the idea is not bad. But wouldn't it have been more practical to just run the pipes out to where the container is buried , paint them black and let the condensation drip directly onto the grass? Cheers!
Thanks for watching and thanks for the interesting question.
Exactly what I was thinking. That way you keep an eye on the discharge. For that matter, why the basket at all? Just dig a hole, fill with rock, put dirt back over top and let it drip down onto. I think that's what I'll do unless someone gives me a convincing reason to do otherwise.
The container and rocks is a great idea . But not inside the container. Drains do get clogged so you have to purge drains . So you wouldn't be able to clear the drains with rocks blocking the path . Water gets hard and evaporator coils flake rust and gunk . So rocks under container and all around container but not inside container works great . I also installed a service door to clean up any gunk or trash build up or bugs . Other than that great idea Sir.
Great video, Can you provide a parts list?
Completed the project using a 12 gallon container ( I have two drain lines). I do not have a drainage problem anymore thanks to your video.
Why is this not SOP?
Thanks for watching!
What's the purpose of all of the rocks? I wish I could pay you to do this at my place. Idk what I'm doing 😭
Basically, this is like a French drain for your AC drain-off. The guy in this video has a similar concept, but with mesh to keep silt out of the gravel. He also includes access for maintenance without digging it up.
ruclips.net/video/8KyG0oLD9vs/видео.html
do you have a recommendation on a minimum distance from the house to dig the hole? knowing the water will still be happening I don't want it soaking in under the foundation as well.
Thanks!
This is a freaking disaster waiting to happen....the ground will be slush there
@@absolute757 out didn't work for me. The ground where I had to locate the drain was mostly red clay (welcome to north carolina). The ground wouldn't perk aka absorb the water. I was bummed out for sure.
@@ClaySinclair u definitely are supposed to drain away from the house...this guy in the vid should delete this vid off the internet because its dangerous advice.
@@absolute757 u don't think this is a viable solution if you have the right type of soil that's able to absorb 10 to 15 gallons of water per day?
A French drain is impossible for me to implement, so I ended up plumbing the water to drain at the corner of my house onto a splash block. I did this previously and it created a soggy mess there that resulted in nothing but sage grass (weed). But I have no other options.
@@ClaySinclair ideally you wanna drain it to the street, gutter, pond or something...if u can't, at least make a French drain and take it as far away from the house as possible taking the longest possible route. You have to French drain it and not just pipe it. That way, water can be distributed all along the route, so the water isn't collecting in one spot. Its always going to be more wet at the end of the drain. But like you said, its better than having wet ground close to the foundation.
i just attached a hose and alternate where the puddle goes
Thanks for watching! Great idea!!!
The biggest drain you have in your house is the pool in the back yard, or make a pond, and add fish.
I think that by putting the dirt on top of everything will prevent that whole thing from breathing and will create a DOUBLE TRAP and prevent the condensation from draining out the condensation pan.... I'm betting that you had drainage problems after what you did ... you tested it while it was open and breathing I'll bet your problems began when you sealed everything ...just build a cement enclosure with a dirt bottom , add gravel and bring the pipe at least 6 inches away from the gravel ( NO PLASTIC BOX NEEDED ) and put a nice thick cover with a couple of 3/4 inch holes on top and you are done ...I got this idea of mine from yours , so thanks .
Did you do this? Do you have pics? I'm having a hard time imagining what you did.
Need some pictures how you did it like did you cover the sides with cement? Then only dirt on bottom?
Why not capture the water in rain barrels to use to water plants in your yard?
Thanks for watching!
I would have Plummed it straight into the storm water pipe/drainage rather than in the ground. You’d still get moisture sogginess on the surface. But better than before anyways
I would have too if that was an option. Thanks for watching!!
Could put a plant there and water the plant with the ac water. That's what I am going to do.
Great idea!
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Thanks for watching
👍
Thanks!
Can you make an update
I actually pulled it up and concreted the entire area to make an extended patio. It worked well while we had it in the ground.
Thanks for watching.
@@TheHappyLife-h7b Repost from my previous post. Like the rock box. Is there a reason you had to route it inside the fence? Could you redo it like this now? I'd keep it simple and cheap and elbow the pipe down from the house and elbow away into a little trench same distance away from the house outside the fence. What cha think?
Water is still going to pool up there and the ground will always be muddy....u gotta do a proper French drain.
Maybe. There are many variables . You are simply guessing
@@beckyschwantes5287 lol...sure girl whatever...how many yards have u drained?
@@absolute757 Well the video producer states in the comments that it worked fine. Perhaps you could put a link to your drainage video?
@@WTLowery82 He's got a point. There is merit in keeping silt out of the gravel. Since you're demanding a video, check out this guy. Not only does he use mesh for French drains, he also includes a way to access it for cleaning and maintenance without digging it up.
ruclips.net/video/8KyG0oLD9vs/видео.html
If “turn the air up way high” your house is going to be very hot in summer!!
I dug a hole not very deep put rocks in it and it just flooded haha fml
The issue could be your soil too…..no room for the water to run off too. Thanks for watching!!
Only thing you missing is a headstone⚰️✝️and 🌹😂😂😂
Too funny. Thanks for watching!
maybe your ac is designed differently than where i come from but if that drain is leaking it is because the main ac drain is stopped up. that pipe is usually an emergency pan drain that only is used if the primary drain is blocked. but i could be wrong maybe your ac is made differently. newer houses drain into the drain of your house like your sink or bathtub does for the primary. older houses may drain outside but your house looks newer. just my guess. you have a stopped up primary drain line.
Thanks for watching but that is not the case.
What a waste of water you should have grown a fruit tree, you still can and free self water with great fruit
This seems like total overkill. What's the purpose of the box? Why not just fill a hole with drainage rock and let it drip? This is going to be a nightmare if you ever have to vacuum your drainage line due to stoppages. It's just not practical, and it's overthinking a simple issue. Others have said to plant something there and let it water it; that's a better idea than this.
Thanks for watching and I appreciate the comments.
TOO MUCH WORK, TOO LARGE OF A HOLE YOU DUG INTO THE GRASS, YOU SHOULD OF LEFT THE CONTAINER WITHOUT THE HOLES JUST COLLECTING WATER
Thanks for watching!
Super terrible idea. Your drain always needs to be above ground. That is going to be a nightmare to clean. Every time it rains you will have a problem and molds and fungus will 100% surely grow in that because it will never truly dry out. Eww!
Why would you do this? They have products specifically designed for this. This is definitely going to fail. Hopefully it doesn't fail when someone steps on it or you may end up with a lawsuit on your hands.
It's full of rock... How would it collapse?
You comment made me chuckle. Its filled with rocks and you cannot fall in. Thanks for watching.