# Purpose of condensate drain/neutralizer



## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

The trap is required by code.
It serves 2 purposes.
1, prevents carbon monoxide and other combusted gases from being put into the air/drain lines. That may not be properly trapped.
2, it provides a negative pressure so that the pressure switch can sense if the inducer is pulling enough draft through the Heat Exchanger.

Although it is working now. Good chance it will stop working down the road without the trap.


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## sj22 (Dec 6, 2008)

Thank you beenthere,
I have taken out the condensate trap and ran water through it, it don't seem to have any leak, so I am thinking may be a clamp to tighten the hose coming in will do the trick.
Will keep you posted. 

Also, since I have the unit open, is there any preventive maintenance that I should do ?

-Shaw


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Sometimes, the trap will clog. And the hoses are loose enough that the water comes out.
Then when you remove the trap, the small amount of gunk/dirt is knocked loose, and washes out without you really seeing it.

Hose clamps will take care of loose fitting hoses.
Double check that the hoses aren't cracking.

Make sure the drain ports of the furnace are clear also.
Other then that, not a lot you can do, that you shouldn't have a manomter for to check that everything is working right.


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## sj22 (Dec 6, 2008)

beenthere,
I will check and make sure no cracks on the hose. But having hard time figuring out how to check the drain on the furnace. I have the bottom panel out, the hose kind of disappears into the back. Do I have to take anything else out to check the drain?

-Shaw


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

If you can't get to the port.
You can blow throught the hose, to try and make sure its clear.


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## BlueStar (Nov 22, 2008)

I am not a HVAC technician but, I also had a similar problem this year with a water leak from my furnace. It turned out to be the condensate trap was plugged solid with mold and/or algae and one of the hoses to the trap was cracked. I had to completely remove the trap from the side of the furnace and run water through it in the sink. The amount of stuff that I flushed out from the condensate trap was amazing.


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

Trick of the trade: ZIP ties/tie wraps work real well in tight places on those hoses, you can cinch them up real tight. Hose clamps can be real hard to install in small places.

Cheers


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## sj22 (Dec 6, 2008)

I put the trap back on, with hose clamps and still there is a slight leak (drip) from the pipe out. [two inlets has hose clamps on. Out is a molded pipe that is part of the cap. While testing it under the kitchen sink, it flow out without any leak. I cannot visually locate any breaks on the out pipe]

May be time to replace it ? where could I find one ? 

Thanks
-Shaw


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## mtrulson (Jan 2, 2009)

*Freezing condensate trap*

Each year we have trouble with our condensate trap freezing on the furnace at our cabin (we don't leave the heat on when during the winter). This year when we came up in the winter it had frozen and cracked the trap. If the trap is required by code is there a way to keep it from freezing?


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Drain it.
Thats the only way.


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## Freddy13 (Feb 10, 2013)

sj22 said:


> Greetings:
> 
> Condensate trap on my Ruud Achiever 90Plus (4 year old) started leaking. The leak was around the two input line connectors. I removed the condensate trap and wired it directly to the drain. My question is whether the sole purpose of the condensate drain/neutralizer is to prevent sewer/drain smell reaching the furnace room. If that is the case, I already have a vent for the drain line - right before where it is getting connected to the furnace drain. Am I hurting anything else by removing the condensate trap?
> Do I need to replace the condensate drain - or may be just get a metal clamp and tighten the hose that is getting connected to it?
> ...


I am having the same trouble. Took me a while to find the leak but the 90 degree outlet was leaking around the base. Took 4 months to fill the bottom of the furnace with water and then it came dripping out of the corner. I took the condensation trap off and siliconed around the base of the 90. It is curing as I type this. Hopefully it will fix the leak.
Freddy


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