Incredible Impact of a Condensate Drain Pan

Craft Group

If you’ve ever looked inside your HVAC system, you’ve probably noticed that there’s a large metal tube underneath. This so-called drip pan is in charge of catching water that drips from your AC system. This is a normal part of the cooling process — when moisture particles come into contact with the freezing cold inner coil, the water quickly changes from gas to liquid and eventually collects as droplets. These droplets eventually drip off the coil and down your drain pan where they are collected and securely disposed of via a drain connected to the bottom of the pan.

You might think your drain doesn’t really matter — after all, it’s only meant to drain the little water that your air conditioner creates naturally as a by-product. However, your drain can become clogged with foreign objects such as pet hair, dirt, and dust, which can be a problem.

What happens if your drain pipe gets clogged?

When your Condensate Drain Pan is clogged, the water that your air conditioner produces cannot drain out. Instead, it just sits on your drain pan and slowly evaporates back into the atmosphere, while increasing the humidity level in the room. Too much humidity is already an annoying problem because it can cause sticky and uncomfortable air in your home. However, it can also cause problems such as mold and mildew growth, which in turn lead to many health problems.

Likewise, retaining water or moisture around your air conditioner can cause additional corrosion or rust on metal parts that come in contact with or near water. Rust shortens the life of your system and can lead to early replacement. This is a very expensive problem that can easily be avoided. This way you really want to avoid water remaining in the bottom of the drain pan.