# AC condensate plumbed to septic



## Doc Holliday (Mar 12, 2011)

Not sure if tying into a septic line is even legal but I'm not in your area. It seems like it wouldn't be due to back odor and germs and whatnot.


----------



## Ralph III (Oct 7, 2011)

If you tie into the septic system it must be in a sewer line (not vent stack) as I read. Your situation doesn't seem unusual or otherwise outside of code with exception it is recommended to tie into sink or bath plumbing. See *THIS *article.

You'll see two of the drawings are similar to what you describe and listed as ok. One drains directly into a sink. One drains into sink drain upstream of trap. As long as you have a trap then you should be protected from gases. It not being closed may be to protect sewer from backing into ac if plumbing ever clogged?

It all really depends on what is required or allowed in your jurisdiction.

Ralph


----------



## Ralph III (Oct 7, 2011)

*Here* is the actual article with diagram. I can't seem to edit my other post.

Ralph


----------



## Doc Holliday (Mar 12, 2011)

I'm guesing it's because there are no septic tanks down here that by code we can and do tie directly into the plumbing stack. They make special 2" and 3" with 3/4" tie in pvc fittings specifically to do so. Or if the stack is cut just above the ceiling and is lower than our condensate drain line (systems in the attic) we can simply ninety right from the top and drop into them. 

Eh.


----------



## Ralph III (Oct 7, 2011)

Like Doc descibed, it really can vary from one jurisdiction to another. OP may be best just calling his local Health/Permit Dept. and making an inquiry. Otherwise, others may chime in who can give definitive answer for his specific situation/location. 

Ralph


----------



## MurphyMan (Dec 25, 2011)

Here is my crude sketch of the current setup, which I don't really like. I really would like the condensate be plumbed to the septic, as an efficient way to get rid of the water. However, I want to do it using best practices for the situation.


----------



## Ralph III (Oct 7, 2011)

OP, you really should contact your local municipality and inquire as to the best way of disposal. In my area, we *ARE NOT* allowed to drain into a sewer line that has a septic system. You must drain outdoors somewhere. They typically suggest digging a short type french drain and draining into that but flower beds may be just as good.

Take care, Ralph


----------



## MurphyMan (Dec 25, 2011)

After reading the articles, I am thinking I might be able to employ a $40 condensate pump to the water into the nearby laundry room and into the washing machine drain.

What do you folks think?


----------



## Doc Holliday (Mar 12, 2011)

Perfect. You could even pump it all the way out of the home and into a French drain if you didn't want to tie into the septic line.


----------



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

In my area it's always just dumped outside into a small pit filled with stone, and never into a drain.
It's just clean water.
Why fill up your drain field with extra water?


----------



## Ralph III (Oct 7, 2011)

MurphyMan said:


> After reading the articles, I am thinking I might be able to employ a $40 condensate pump to the water into the nearby laundry room and into the washing machine drain.
> 
> What do you folks think?


As long as you're allowed to drain it into a septic system, then I agree with Doc and sounds fine to me. You however might consider (if allowed and practical) draining it outdoors like Joecaption stated, as you could just be adding unnecessary water to your septic system.

It sounds like you've got it under control though...

Take care.


----------



## bill01 (Apr 12, 2012)

I think its more is that trap valid. It is very common to drain the AC into a sink trap normally connected under the sink where you can't see it. In your case it is more a question could you have a sink plumbed in the location. If you can then you can connect the AC to it but you never know with the crazy codes you may need a actual sink?

They key issue with that trap will be if the venting is proper. If it has a vent pipe you did not draw connected to something that goes to the roof then its most likely ok. If not you have to worry about the complex topic of wet venting.

As others have noted there is a great variation in the code if you can connect this to the drain. Where I am it is required to drain the main AC drain into the plumbing but you can run the backup/secondary ac drain directly out of the house.


----------



## Technow (Nov 12, 2010)

MurphyMan said:


> Here is my crude sketch of the setup. I really would like the condensate be plumbed to the septic, as an efficient way to get rid of the water. However, I want to do it using best practices for the situation.


 
I wouldn't do that...Backups happen and I wouldn't want any septic backup going to anything "open". 

In my house, Condensate pump with large "loop" of condensate discharge tubing for a water seal. It never drained during the winter and the only weak link I worried about was relying on the check valve in the pump if the level of sewage raised above crawlspace level. It also passed in my jurisdiction.


----------



## MurphyMan (Dec 25, 2011)

The more I look at this "simple" problem, the more I hate it.

Now i'm thinking to use the condensate pump to pipe up to the garage attic, then outside to the garage gutter. Due to the floor plan, there really isn't a great way to bring the condensate out of the garage near ground level.

My gutters have buried lines, which drain to a slope.

Then I can cap off the line in the crawlspace.


----------



## Ralph III (Oct 7, 2011)

MurphyMan said:


> The more I look at this "simple" problem, the more I hate it.
> 
> Now i'm thinking to use the condensate pump to pipe up to the garage attic, then outside to the garage gutter. Due to the floor plan, there really isn't a great way to bring the condensate out of the garage near ground level.
> 
> ...


It's hard to understand your drainage "layout" issue MurphyMan minus some drawings. Piping it into the attic and then out to a rooftop gutter is hard to envision and a real round-about way of doing this. So it would seem.

Why can't you just remove the condensate line from the sewer line and then continue it to outdoors via the crawlspace area? 

Ralph


----------

