Condensate line

[Michael J. Merino]

Is it alright for the condensate line to empty to the outdoors? The inspection is in the Chicago area. Furnace is in the garage and exits the wall and empties in the yard. It just doesn't seem right to me.

[Bob Elliott]

It is fine Mike.
There is no condensate in winter.
Not as sure about open treads.

Now if that is also condensate from a Cat 4 I might worry about ice at those stairs.

[Tim Spargo]

As a side note... if the secondary is capped, as is common on a setup like this one, I'll recommend an alternate device to prevent damage to furnace/handler in case of a clog in the primary drain, which can be common in one like that

[Gary Farnsworth]

On some newer 90% HVAC units that have PVC vent pipes that run to the sides of the exterior, some of these vent pipes may cause condensation at some time in the winter. Check the inside burner areas of these pipes. Condensate drains may be installed at the bottom of these pipes, that also run to the floor drain, or outside of the home. Very rare, however.