secondary drain on a vertical unit

[Ralph Hickox]

an inspector gave me a hit on not installing a secondary drain on a vertical hvac unit. I used a condensate pump with the primary draining into it and the float on the pump wired to shut unit down. Honestly i have never seen a secondary piped up on vertical unit. On a horizonal unit i know you have to have the primary ran out and the emergency pan either run out or a float switch wired in. Just never seen it on vertical...is that national code or is that a local code he is enforcing?

[Charley L. Bottger]

Originally Posted by Ralph Hickox

an inspector gave me a hit on not installing a secondary drain on a vertical hvac unit. I used a condensate pump with the primary draining into it and the float on the pump wired to shut unit down. Honestly i have never seen a secondary piped up on vertical unit. On a horizonal unit i know you have to have the primary ran out and the emergency pan either run out or a float switch wired in. Just never seen it on vertical...is that national code or is that a local code he is enforcing?

What kind of a inspector are we talking about Home inspectors do not inspect for code and have no means or authority to enforce anything are you referring to the AHJ (Authority having jurisdiction)

[Robert J. OConnor]

What would happen if the drain line from the equipment to the condensate pump gets clogged?

If your above finished space or in a finished basement you should have a pan below the equipment with a secondary drain or float switch, or you can install a separate secondary drain line from the equipment condensate tray to a visible location. Model codes like the IRC have another option for installing a water detection device to shut down the equipment if the condensate rises above the primary, but before the level reaches the top of the equipment condensate tray ... but I haven't seen that yet. See IRC M1411.3.1 for the model code provisions.

Your local code mileage may vary, but it's sounds like an issue from a home inspectors point of view.