# Condensate disposal / Trap primer???



## righter101 (Jul 24, 2012)

Anyone ever allow, prohibit or even see a propsal to use the condensate disposal from a walk in cooler as the trap primer for a floor drain elsewhere in the building????

2009 UPC

Thanks.  Hope everyone is having a nice summer.


----------



## Gregg Harris (Jul 24, 2012)

Not a guaranteed source or volume of condensate.


----------



## Builder Bob (Jul 25, 2012)

I have not seen much condensate from a unit in the winter time...... Heat Pumps are generally effective til about 40 degrees, then the heat strips start to kick in..... No heat pump, no condensate.


----------



## ICE (Jul 25, 2012)

righter101 said:
			
		

> Anyone ever allow, prohibit or even see a proposal to use the condensate disposal from a walk in cooler as the trap primer for a floor drain elsewhere in the building????


Floor sink...yes, with an air gap.  A floor drain is usually not in a place that would accommodate a condensate drain and floor sinks are placed for the specific purpose of collecting condensate.


----------



## Gregg Harris (Jul 26, 2012)

Builder Bob said:
			
		

> I have not seen much condensate from a unit in the winter time...... Heat Pumps are generally effective til about 40 degrees, then the heat strips start to kick in..... No heat pump, no condensate.


Bob there is no condensate produced by a heat pump while in the heat mode, while in the reverse cycle the outdoor coil is the evaporator and the indoor coil becomes the condenser. While in the defrost mode the interior coil temperature is above the dew point temperature of the air passing over it. On a properly sized and charged heat pump a defrost cycle should average around three minutes.


----------



## Frank (Jul 26, 2012)

Walk in cooler should have condensate year round.

This also gets you green points for condensate reuse is you have a creative rater.


----------



## Builder Bob (Jul 26, 2012)

Gregg Harris said:
			
		

> Bob there is no condensate produced by a heat pump while in the heat mode, while in the reverse cycle the outdoor coil is the evaporator and the indoor coil becomes the condenser. While in the defrost mode the interior coil temperature is above the dew point temperature of the air passing over it. On a properly sized and charged heat pump a defrost cycle should average around three minutes.


Gregg,thanks for the clarification ----- I know here when it is 45 degrees or so, you occasionally see water drip........not very often and it may just be the vibrations pushing the water out of the trap.........from the cooling season.


----------



## Gregg Harris (Jul 26, 2012)

Builder Bob said:
			
		

> Gregg,thanks for the clarification ----- I know here when it is 45 degrees or so, you occasionally see water drip........not very often and it may just be the vibrations pushing the water out of the trap.........from the cooling season.


Bob I should have added a few more important caveats. A properly charged system with the correct airflow and a return air temperature above 68 degrees F. Otherwise the system when in defrost will have a coil temperature well below the dew point and frosting can occur on the indoor coil and the lack of heat transfer will cause a prolonged defrost cycle and cause condensate production when it returns to the heat cycle.


----------



## righter101 (Jul 26, 2012)

I just got a plumbing diagram and they also have a sink going indirect to the floor drain as well, so with both of these, I think it will serve as an adequate primer...

Thanks for the feeback and discussion.


----------

