Condensate shut off and pan drain?

[J. Christopher Weise]

Is a furnace drain pan in the attic with a condensate shut off switch still required to have a pan drain?

[David A. Andersen]

No, it's up to the local codes inspector.

[Andrew Cox]

Even without the codes, it's a pretty good idea...

[J. Christopher Weise]

Kinda my thoughts. Thanks

[David A. Andersen]

Condensate drains fail more often that pan switches.

If it were my house I'd rather a switch over a drain.

Is it a good idea that you pay for the upgrade?
Thought so.

[Greg Veal]

In my area, either/or is fine.
To me the best choice is the pan switch. If installed/wired in properly, the most reliable way to prevent ongoing system operation/ongoing damage.

[Frank P. Newman]

To me not having both in an attic is kinda crazy. If water fills the pan it means that the main drain from the unit has clogged. So now you have a unit that has shut down and a pan full of water over the ceiling with no good way to remove it. A disaster in the making !!

[Greg Veal]

Frank
If the pan switch works properly, as soon as the sensor senses water in the low point of the auxillary drain pan, where it is mounted the switch cuts the circuit to the A/C operation, which stops the production of the water (condensate)... way before it fills the pan. Installing a drain line is fine (like suspenders with a belt), but not really necessary. IMHO

[David A. Andersen]

I prefer to have both.
In the process of cleaning the evaporator coil, it is handy to have the auxiliary drain pan catch the surplus and drain itself.
However in reality, by the time the auxiliary drain is needed in an emergency situation it can be blocked from installation, rodents, insects. That's where the drain pan switch comes into play.