Stubbing out my AC runout

[Tinkee]

Firstly, wanted to thank everyone for their help on the millions of questions ive had to ask as my wife and I have been renovating our newly purchased old house! Finally I get to ask you all something that I want to do for my own pleasure and not because my house is falling apart!

My question is: My AC dumps the condensation it pulls from the air under my house. With all of the plumbing problems and leaks ive had underthere I'd really like to move that line. My plan was to attach some kind of hose to the existing line and then stub it out the bottom of my house into a flower garden or into some bushes or something. But instead of having the hose just dump water into one spot and make my ground all soggy I was wondering if it would be possible to attach something to the hose once I stub it out so that I could water a long flower bed at several points. But being that there is no pressure from the dripping water im not quite sure how I can accomplish this or if its possible at all. Thanks again in advance for any advice!

[HayZee518]

take a piece of 1/2 inch pvc and drill small weeper holes in it. use, say a 1/32 " bit on a dremel.

[Tinkee]

I thought of that too but since its just a fast drip and not a steady stream of water with pressure behind it i would think that all of the water would exit at the first hole it came to. Or am I wrong?

[pushkins]

Your right, your not going to get the water to flow from many holes at all, or over any distance other then maybe 6". For the water to flow out of many holes you would need some sort of pressure or large quantity quickly and you won't get that from a condensation line.
Make sure that in that line somewhere that you have a little P trap or S bend that creates a water trap. (you may already have one so check first) these stop little critters like lizards, spiders, cockroaches etc... crawling back up the line.

[mrcaptainbob]

Weep pipe...

It would flow out the first few holes if they're on the bottom. Drill the holes in a straight line and orient them so they're on the top side. The pipe fills up and then it starts leaking out of the holes. Try to keep it as level as possible and they all will weep....

[Tinkee]

So then at the end of the pipe I would need to cap it off right? Think I would need some kind of back flow prevention to stop it from backing up too far?

[HayZee518]

cap it off and you won't need a backflow preventer because the effluent is gravity feed. enough of it will go through the weep holes to your garden.
if you are concerned, put a small ball valve at the end of the pipe and ocasionally open it to drain the line.

[pushkins]

If you cap it off I'd be more concerned about the "weep holes" becoming blocked from any number of reasons from calcium deposits, to dirt, for the very minuscule distribution of water over a very small area is the extra work making sure the little holes are always clean worth it ?

[paul52446m]

Firstly, wanted to thank everyone for their help on the millions of questions ive had to ask as my wife and I have been renovating our newly purchased old house! Finally I get to ask you all something that I want to do for my own pleasure and not because my house is falling apart!

My question is: My AC dumps the condensation it pulls from the air under my house. With all of the plumbing problems and leaks ive had underthere I'd really like to move that line. My plan was to attach some kind of hose to the existing line and then stub it out the bottom of my house into a flower garden or into some bushes or something. But instead of having the hose just dump water into one spot and make my ground all soggy I was wondering if it would be possible to attach something to the hose once I stub it out so that I could water a long flower bed at several points. But being that there is no pressure from the dripping water im not quite sure how I can accomplish this or if its possible at all. Thanks again in advance for any advice!

You could put a small condensate pump by the air con. they hold about 2 quarts of water so when it comes on you would have a little pressure there.
We use them in basements to pump the water up to a drain. later paul

[Tinkee]

any recommendations paul? Does the pump go inside the house and then come on and force water out? If thats the case it seems like I could just use some pvc or rubber hose with holes in the sides and since there will be pressure pushing the water out I wouldnt have to worry about the water weeping out of just the first or second holes.

[paul52446m]

any recommendations paul? Does the pump go inside the house and then come on and force water out? If thats the case it seems like I could just use some pvc or rubber hose with holes in the sides and since there will be pressure pushing the water out I wouldnt have to worry about the water weeping out of just the first or second holes.

You can put the pump right by the furnace inside the home and let the air con, drain into it. I don;t what pressure it will make, but i know it will pump water up 10' or more. you can get them at any hole sale house where they sell heating
and air con. Do not drain a 90 plus furnace into it.