New AC - Questions about drain pan

[Colin A]

Not sure how they would last in a boat but I have had one of these in my house for condensate for 10 years with not one issue.
https://www.amazon.com/Little-Giant-...ondensate+pump
On a friends boat we once hooked a tiny fountain pump (solar water pump from amazon) to drain the condensate pans on his little express cruiser. As I recall it worked but had a high failure rate on the pump. The pump had in inlet so he plumbed that to the pan I forget how we turned it on if it had a float switch or something else.

[Jetx]

Originally Posted by CHRIS V CLEMENT

I love my Mermaid Condensator !!!!

Had a Condensator on our previous boat, but it had a habit of clogging every few months. Current boat has drain lines run from the AC pan directly to the bilge, where a very small ("nuisance water") bilge pump pumps it overboard. No problems whatsoever with this arrangement so far.

[PamlicoTraveler]

Originally Posted by Jetx

Had a Condensator on our previous boat, but it had a habit of clogging every few months. Current boat has drain lines run from the AC pan directly to the bilge, where a very small ("nuisance water") bilge pump pumps it overboard. No problems whatsoever with this arrangement so far.

Interesting that the AC installation manual says not to run it into the bilge, but I don't see a problem with it, and I know a lot of people do. For me, the only time I am using the AC is when I am on the boat and at dock, so there is no unmonitored flow into the bilge.

[J Clark H356]

You can run into your shower sump if accessible. Better option than bilge.

[svHyLyte]

A couple of thoughts:

If you can, ask your AC Maker to install two condensate drains, one on either side of the pan oriented to port and starboard when you mount the unit so that it will drain on either tack. (The pan will continue to hold and collect condensate run-off for some while after you've shut the unit down and if you heel away from a single drain line when you get underway, you risk having run-off on your sole or in the cabinet where the unit is mounted.) The two drain lines can be connected with a "Y" fitting under the sole to a single line to the bilge or better, if you have the room, to a small plastic collector sump--a Tupperware Box will do.

To drain the sump you can use a small aquarium "dosing pump" that can discharge into a convenient sink drain. A small aquarium float switch can be used to activate the dosing pump.

The condensate pan needs to be cleaned out regularly. For this we have found that pouring a few caps full of Raritan CP into the pan seems to work best. Bleach and or some of the other drain cleaner "stuff" is too corrosive for the condensate pans in most units.

IF you choose to buy one, the Mermaid "Condensator" connected to the unit's raw water discharge line can work to clear a condensate sump but they do clog frequently and do require a small check-valve to prevent back-flow. The check valves are subject to failure due to corrosion of the small springs that hold the ball in place so one needs keep a supply of them. Do not buy them from the Mermaid which charges and arm and a leg. You can buy them from US Plastics for much less than half of what Mermaid charges. Better yet, US Plastics makes a diaphragm type check valve without metal parts that will do the same job but with fewer problems.

FWIW... BTDT

[jr_spyder]

Another vote for simply draining to the bilge. Two A/C units on my boat have been doing that for 30 years. Never an issue. My bilge pump alarm gently reminds me about once an hour that condensate is being removed.

Like others I never run my A/C while not on the boat (or won't be back in a few hours). That said I can't imagine ever flooding my boat because of too much A/C condensate, and two automatic pumps failing, while plugged into shore power.

Although I've never done it I like the suggestion of a little chlorine addition to the pans.