Help connecting 3/8in condensation tube to sink drain???

[derekcentrico]

We're in a really old house. So, the rigging on the install of an A/C unit had a bucket for condensation. I wasn't too thrilled to dump six times a day.

I ran a 3/8in tube from the unit to the bathtub through the wall in between the closet and bathroom easily. But, it's silly to go into the tub since it passes right behind the sink and its drain.

Are there any suggestions on how to easily tap into the sink drain, insert or affix the tube, and seal it off? Plumbing is a realm I'm not too familiar with.

I considered drilling a hole, pushing the tube through so that it goes through the trap and directly into the drain. Alternatively, I could just have the tube barely inside going down toward the trap and seal it up with some glue.

Pictures of the situation:



My wife thinks that guests won't enjoy the idea of bath water mixing with A/C condensation...

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[LazyPup]

Code prohibits directly connecting a condensate drain line to the house DWV system. The condensate line must either terminate outside the structure or it may terminate into an approved "Indirect waste receptor". To achieve an indirect waste it could terminate into a laundry standpipe or it may terminate into a sink or floor drain providing the lowest portion of the condensate drain remains a minimum of 2" above the flood level rim or the sink or floor drain.

[derekcentrico]

Code prohibits directly connecting a condensate drain line to the house DWV system. The condensate line must either terminate outside the structure or it may terminate into an approved "Indirect waste receptor". To achieve an indirect waste it could terminate into a laundry standpipe or it may terminate into a sink or floor drain providing the lowest portion of the condensate drain remains a minimum of 2" above the flood level rim or the sink or floor drain.

Well there are no laundry hookups inside this old house. We do it outside (yeah ghetto). There are no floor drains.

So, maybe I'm not following but if the pipe terminates in the sink drain above 2'', so it could be in the sink drain? I'm confused as this would be direct but within the height requirements of what you stated.

I'm really just tired of having buckets... And, the landlord will not let me run a true pipe to the exterior...

[HayZee518]

a/c

then unfortunately you're stuck.

[LazyPup]

There is still another option....

Go to an HVAC supply and you can get a tiny condensate drain receiver & pump assembly...They are typically about a one gallon plastic container with a small pump inside. The condensate drains directly from the AC unit into the condensate drain pump tank, the tank is fitted with a small 110v AC pump that is controlled by a float switch in the tank. When the tank is full the pump will pump it out into a 3/8" plastic drain line that can be run to the exterior. The advantage is that with the pump you are not limited to gravity flow, so you can go up to the ceiling or attic and out, or you can drop through the floor into the crawl space or run to the outside through the basement.

Regardless of how you do it, you MAY NOT connect the drain line direcltly to the DWV system. If you were to connect to the DWV system the concern is that bacteria from the DWV system could get up the tube and into your HVAC coil section, where the bacteria would become airborne and spread throughout the house.

[derekcentrico]

Ah, yeah I hadn't considered the bacteria risk.

The bucket solution would be nice, but the landlord won't permit me to run any pipes to the exterior which kind of put me in this quandary to attach it to the plumbing some other way.

[LazyPup]

There is also another approach entirely.......That is an installed central AC unit and both the plumbing code and the mechanical code require that it be equipped with a suitable indirect waste drain for the evaporator. Instead of listening to the landlord tell you what you can't do, you might tell him that its really his responsibility and if he doesn't correct it you will have no alternative but to call the health department.

[derekcentrico]

There is also another approach entirely.......That is an installed central AC unit and both the plumbing code and the mechanical code require that it be equipped with a suitable indirect waste drain for the evaporator. Instead of listening to the landlord tell you what you can't do, you might tell him that its really his responsibility and if he doesn't correct it you will have no alternative but to call the health department.

Very good. I'll look into this so that I can have a case together with all relevant gov't data.

I appreciate all the input here.