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Does anyone know why the primary drain pan that is inside a unit might break. This is the primary condensate pan and the water that collects there drips through a pipe to the outside. Normally if that pipe were plugged up the water would overflow to the pan underneath the unit and flow out an emergency drain pipe. I hope that makes sense.
Our unit is a Carrier heat pump and it is only 13 months old. 3 weeks ago we discovered the primary pan was broken and that was why water was not flowing out the main drain and instead it was dripping down into the secondary pan underneath the unit. When it reached a certain depth it drained out an emergency pipe. The part was replaced but we are experiencing the same problem again. The repairman will be here in the morning but I thought I would ask if anyone has any insight into this.
The pan is broken again and the sevice man tells me Carrier is having trouble keeping them in stock so he surmises others might be having the same problem.
I am not sure what you mean by split system. This unit is in our attic. It is both suspended from the rafters and supported from underneath with posts. The service guy has not seen this problem before but thinks the unit (200lbs +) might be unbalanced and will add additional supports when he comes back with the new pan. I cannot imagine why it would become unbalanced now, a year after it was installed.
I am also concerned about the insulation which is saturated. The potential for mold in this sticky, humid climate is high.
It sound like you have a split system. That is, there is an outdoor (condensing) unit sitting on the ground with piping running up to an air airhandler (evaporator) in your attic space. The air handler should be installed so that it is level or SLIGHTLY canted toward the drain port, and well supported so the cabinet doesn't warp or "rack". This might cause the primary pan to twist and crack or cause the water in it to seek another way out other than the drain port. Another thing to check is that the drain line has a "P" or "U" trap. Without the trap, unless the drainline is long enough, the water can be held in the pan becase of the low (suction) pressure created when the fan is running. If the fan runs long enough and enough moisture is removed from the air, it can accumulate to the point where it overflows the primary pan and drains out the secondary. If there is a design issue with the pan then vibration or a manufacturing flaw is the culprit as your technician suggests. It seems as though he is on the right track. Is he from the compnay that originaly installed it?
Thank you. Yes, we do have a split system just as you described. The technician is the same one that installed it and he is reputable. The drain line has a U trap and it is the primary pan that is badly cracked for the second time in 2 weeks. The water is completely running through the cracked pan and dripping out like a faucet right now. We have tried to keep the unit off as much as possible but this is the SC lowcountry and the temp is in the high 80's and the humidity is in the low 80's. Normal for here but AC is necessary.
We have been pouring Clorox into the base (secondary pan) to prevent any growth of mold (and mosquitoes) which is another problem around here.
We spoke to a Carrier rep who suggested we insulate the unit from the outside to help with the condensation since the interior insulation is soaked. But, we don't keep insulation in the house and we live in a small town. He neither admitted nor denied a design flaw but was going to call the installer and see what was going on. Everything is under warranty so we are not out any $ but the base pan is 3' x 5' and stays filled up to the drain hole. The rep seemed to agree with the installer that the pedestals on this unit were too far apart and it needs more support to prevent vibrations.
I am getting the impression the insulation is next to impossible to replace. Even if additional support helps I may push for a new unit because that wet insulation presents too many problems around here.
