A/C condensate drain and termites
A/C condensate drain and termites – anyone ever seen anything published about drainwater feeding the termites?
Seems all termit articles preach about keeping water out (roof leaks, plumbing leaks, etc)
my neighbors house – the condensate plastic pipe drain leaks right next to the brick veneer – what do building codes say?
Replies
its a code item here. The a/c drain must terminate into a french drain filled with gravel then its covered with dirt and sod
Why not keep the drain inside the house, and run it into a drain?
Q: How is being at a singles bar different than being at the circus?
A: At the circus, the clowns don't talk.
why not drain into a glass by the bed for easy night time refreshment?
just kidding
Norm
Why not keep the drain inside the house, and run it into a drain?
how would you do that and still have an active trap between it and the sewer line? I say active cause the A/c trap will dry out in the winter
Not sure why you would need a trap.
Most AC drains here just lay on a basement floor and run into a floor drain. They're not hooked directly to a sewer. (Although I've seen that done too)Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
Thanks
no basements here
coastal SC
outdoor basements are called swimming pools
Boss, we drain condensate all three ways here, and I don't think feeding termites has ever been an issue.
Yes, termites do need moisture to build mud tunnels to get to the wood in a home. Proper chemical barriers around the foundation, inside and out, and retreatment periodicaly stops termites. Treatment chemicals bond with the soil and are not washed out by moisture.
An alternate treatment for termite protection is a sand barrier around the foundation. I am not sure how effective they really are, but have read that it works. termites can only build mud tunnels, not sand castles I guess. <G>
Dave
We had central A/C installed several years ago and the installers terminated the PVC condensate drain at the base of the brick veneer for it to drip onto dirt.
I asked them about the potential problem with the moisture seeping down into the foundation wall below but I was told there would not be enough for this to be a problem.
Well, I went ahead and connected a 45-deg bend and a 10' section of PVC so it would drain into border plantings for the garden bed that surrounds the house.
Before I did this, however, the town inspector agreed with me that the drainage should be led farther away from the wall.
At my parents' house, theirs drains into a floor drain in a concrete basement floor.