The most reliable drain pipe for the air conditioner. Drainage air conditioner system Why do you need a drain hole in the air conditioner

The principle of operation of an air conditioner, and indeed of any other evaporative type refrigeration machine, is based on the physical property of a gas (or an easily evaporating liquid such as freon, ammonia) to cool its volume during a sharp expansion. This process constructively takes place in a special evaporation chamber, which cools the air.

At the same time, another phenomenon of physics comes into play, more commonly known as “reaching the dew point”. In nature, this looks like the appearance of tiny dew drops on a cold surface and is called condensate.

In fact, it is a by-product of the operation of the air conditioner and, in order to ensure the normal functioning of the device, it needs to be removed from

Where does the condensate come from and where does it go?

Where it comes from has already been described a few paragraphs earlier and now we will reveal the topic of condensate removal from the air conditioner and why it is needed:

- this is water, and since air conditioners are complex electromechanical devices, water can cause their premature failure.
Up to 20 liters or more of atmospheric liquid can flow from one unit per day - with a large number of devices in the building, you can easily collect a whole ton. Such a volume can already be called the risk of flooding the basement floors.
Stagnant water is an excellent hiding place for the development of mold, bacteria and other pathogens.

Even these three arguments are enough to make sure the implementation is necessary. The main purpose of such a system is to remove excess moisture outside the premises.

Health impact

The main danger of clogging the drainage is not the consequences of flooding the neighbors or the breakdown of an expensive device, but the threat to the life and health of the inhabitants of the cool room. If there is dirt, water and heat, then this automatically creates the risk of creating a whole incubator of various infections in the split system:

Molds. Some strains can cause respiratory diseases up to lung cancer.
bacteria. There is a specific variety that causes Legionnaires' Disease, a bacterial inflammation of the lungs. At the same time, the mortality rate is very high.
Bad smell the least of the possible evils. At the same time, it serves as a kind of last warning - it's time to clean the drainage.

, which use part of the condensed moisture to maintain the balance of air humidity by evaporating the liquid in the heater.

It should be remembered that prevention drain system should be done at least once every three months. Even if the air conditioner did not work all this time, nothing prevented dirt from accumulating and pathogenic organisms from developing in all its nooks and crannies.

Self-maintenance of the drainage system

To blow out the drain hose and not resort to an expensive call service, you will need three things:

A wish . And it will definitely appear after the room starts to smell very unpleasant.
Tools . Screwdrivers, pliers and a knife are usually enough to dismantle the housing cover, pipe clamp and mounting screws.
Disinfectant. It will help to get rid of hard-to-remove plaque on the walls and in places of bends. The best results are shown by concentrated chlorine-containing preparations for the dirtiest surfaces.

To carry out cleaning, you will only need to remove the top cover of the device, disconnect the tube and blow strongly into it with your mouth. If the installation was done correctly and there is no kink on the pipe, then all the accumulated dirt will fly out from the opposite end. After that, it is necessary to fill in the disinfectant there and let it work with the internal surfaces for about twenty minutes. After the specified time, just rinse the tube clean water and assemble everything back, following the assembly sequence.

Please note that this is an incomplete set of hygiene measures that must be carried out quarterly.

It's better to do it right now than to redo it later. It all depends on the installers who will install it. The degree of professionalism can be judged by the equipment of the brigade. If they are wearing overalls, use means personal protection, then we can say with a high degree of confidence that they are professionals and know the intricacies of the work.
In the event of a problem on the equipment already put into operation, it makes sense to invite a specialized organization. Hardly anyone has a compressor at home high pressure and powerful chemicals, so to speak “in reserve” - they cost a lot of money and are sold, most often, in kilograms, with a consumption of 100 grams per cleaning.
In addition to cleaning the drain, it is also necessary to clean air filters, impeller, outdoor unit and . For this procedure, cleaning units are used. trademark"Kercher". You can do it yourself, but it will take several days for an unprepared person.

All evaporative-type devices, including air conditioning, operate based on the physical properties of the gas - with a sharp expansion, cool its volume. This process takes place in the evaporation chamber, the purpose of which is to cool the air.

But when cooling down, another law of physics comes into force called “reaching the point of growth”. In simple words, it looks like the appearance of small dew drops on a cooled surface, these droplets are called condensate.

In fact, they can be called a by-product of the functioning of technology, and for normal operation device, it needs timely removal of condensate from refrigeration systems.

Where does the condensate come from and where does it go?

Condensation is water droplets. Since the device of the air conditioner is difficult electrical connections and circuits, in some cases, excessive moisture causes malfunction or breakdown, and if the device is connected to the network, there is a possibility of a short circuit.

In one day, average household air conditioners can collect up to 10-15 liters of liquid that is in the atmosphere. And if there are a lot of air conditioners installed, for example, in office buildings, hundreds of liters of condensate can accumulate per day. This volume is dangerous due to the risk of flooding.

It also adversely affects health. Wastewater serve as a good breeding ground for bacteria and mold dangerous to humans.

These points are enough to make a decision to install a special drain for the air conditioner. The main task of which is the removal of excess condensate from equipment.

Health impact

The main danger of condensate is far from the risk of flooding something or equipment breakdown, it is a threat to health. If the device has several components for comfortable reproduction of bacteria, namely water, dirt and heat, all this creates the conditions for a whole incubator dangerous diseases and other infections

A nasty smell is the least of the evils. Such a “flavor” serves as a warning that it is time to overhaul the drainage.
Pathogenic bacteria - there is one type of bacteria that causes pneumonia. It is also called "legionnaire's disease", the mortality from which is very high.
Mold fungi - some types of fungi provoke diseases up to cancer.

Clogged drain pipe

How to remove condensate from the air conditioner

After the information obtained above, the question arises of how to properly remove condensate from the air conditioner. A frequently used and financially advantageous method is to withdraw drain pipe outside by drilling a small hole in the wall. The main advantage is simplicity - I made a hole, stretched the hose and everything works. But there is also negative side, it consists in the effect of "raindrops" that will fall on the window sills and cause a lot of inconvenience to the neighbors. The aesthetic side is also a disadvantage. No matter how practical this method, not everyone likes pipes hanging from the apartment; on a bare wall.

It would be much better to use the condensate drain to the sewer.

Drainage to the sewer

This option does not have any downsides. The waste from the air conditioner is drained into a system designed for this. It can be, as well as a common sewer channel, and a specially laid network of pipelines. The removal of all wastewater will occur without your help due to the slope of the pipes.

But there are also some subtleties in the implementation of such a system for draining condensate from an air conditioner:

To prevent the nasty smell from the drains from entering the room, it is necessary to install a water seal - this is a curved part of the drainage pipe in the form of the letter S. The operation of such a shutter is similar to the work of a siphon - it creates a barrier to odors that come from below.
If the air conditioner for a long time idle, the water seal may dry out and the air coming out of it will begin to give off sewage. To avoid this, it is enough to pour several liters of water into the drain every 5-7 days.
When using the gravity flow option, it is necessary to accurately calculate the minimum diameter and slope of the system so that all air conditioner waste can flow freely through it.

Typically, manufacturers provide detailed diagram which facilitates the installation process.

Condensate drainage scheme

Drain pipes for air conditioners

Drain pipes from air conditioners belong to the drainage system and are represented on the market by two positions:

PVC and polyethylene pipes.
Pipes are smooth and corrugated.

The first option is most often used if the length of the drain is small, while in other cases corrugated systems are used. At the same time, the second variety has another huge advantage - it is excellent flexibility. drain hose, so that during installation there is no need to use additional fasteners, as is necessary when working with smooth pipes.

Drain pipes for air conditioners

The installation process of the condensate drainage system

Despite the difficult descriptions of the actions, in practice the withdrawal process is extremely simple and requires only care from you:

The first thing to do is remove the fasteners from the air conditioner, which are located below.
A small container will be installed at the bottom under the fan to collect excess condensate. On its side, a branch pipe is visible, to it with the help of a clamp we attach the drainage pipe of the outlet.
Next, assemble back and install the air conditioner in place. But it is important that the tube goes through the hole in the side of the air conditioner.

Now you need to bring the previously connected hose into the sewer or into the street. If the hose is retracted correctly, you will see the first drops that come out of the pipe.

Drainage scheme to the street

Cleaning the drainage system

AT living conditions without the help of a specialist, it is possible to clean the drainage system only if only the tub nozzle is dirty. For this you need:

Unfasten the filter, which is located on the air conditioner housing and rinse it thoroughly.
After removing the lower fasteners, disconnect the drainage tube and remove the bath.
Rinse these parts, paying special attention to the holes.

For other failures associated with clogged drainage, you need to Technical equipment, it is better to call the master. Self repair can damage expensive equipment.

The last highway that remains to be laid - this is drainage system . In the drainage of the indoor and outdoor unit of the split system, water accumulates, condensed on the units of the device. On the lower parts blocks have drain holes to which drain hoses are attached.

Two options for diverting the drainage system from the air conditioner units:

1. In the sewerage system, it involves the installation of a siphon on the line to protect against odor

2. Free flow of condensate to the street

Hoses should be installed with a slope towards the water outlet. Usually the drain hose indoor unit take to the street along the already laid route to the external block. For this, a strobe or a decorative box is made with slight slope towards the street - this will prevent the accumulation of water in the drain hose and it will need to be cleaned very rarely. Drainage the external block is not organized or deviates to the side - condensate flows freely from the hole or short hose at the bottom of the unit.

There are already flared mounting kits available for sale. self installation air conditioner from 0.8 to 50 meters. Buying a ready-made kit is more profitable than buying components separately. Also, the kit is suitable for laying the track during repairs. Included: ready-made tubes for quick connection of the air conditioner in thermal insulation, drainage hose, brackets for the outdoor unit, wires, fasteners. Pickup in Moscow from metro station Lermontovsky Prospekt (8). Delivery throughout Russia.

Standard installation of an air conditioner in Moscow and the Moscow region - 5000 rubles with material. Bookmark copper tracks- from 3000 rubles.

Consider the first connection option, where we divert drainage to the street, it is the simplest and most common.

We connect the drainage hose of the required length to the indoor unit of the split system. To do this, use a suitable adapter fitting. It is not recommended to insert hoses into each other - without a seal, the connection will not be reliable.

When laying the hose, it is desirable to avoid too sharp turns of the drainage system. Condensate, flowing down the highway, will encounter an obstacle in its path in the form of a turn and will accumulate in this meta, preventing a uniform flow.

Basic requirements for the drainage system similar to the basic requirements for laying sewers:

The optimal angle of inclination of horizontal sections is 3 degrees
Optimum turning angle - 45 degrees
At the entrance to the sewer network, a siphon must be attached to the hose, in which stagnant water will constantly be located. The siphon will close the passage to the air conditioner for gases from the sewer network that have an unpleasant odor.

In the case of condensate discharge to the street, use the first two recommendations. Most likely organized joint track between blocks (already described in previous articles), which includes a drain tube. On the already familiar diagram below, the drainage pipe is the last thing left to mount in a joint route.

If the drain hose is not made of wear-resistant and frost-resistant material (usually has a small diameter), put the drain line on street area into a corrugated pipe, as shown in the diagram. Indoors, it makes no sense to hide the drainage hose in a corrugated pipe.

After installing the drainage pipe, wind the communications of the joint route together with vinyl tape in several places. if you use a large-diameter corrugated pipe as an insulating winding, prudently do not connect communications to the indoor unit of the air conditioner.

With the scheme we have chosen, the drainage of the outdoor unit is implemented simply - a flexible hose is connected to the drainage hole at the bottom of the unit and the condensate is drained slightly to the side so that the jet and drops of condensate do not fall on the windows of neighbors, on other air conditioners and facade protrusions.

After completing the organization of the drainage system, do not forget to wrap vinyl tape around the joint route of the air conditioner that runs along outer wall buildings, unless of course you use a corrugated pipe as an insulating winding of joint communications. Vinyl tape should be wound from the bottom up. Also wrap with vinyl tape - open areas copper tubes to protect them from corrosion and electrical wire. Seal the hole in the outer wall on both sides with silicone sealant.

If you decide to drain condensate into the sewer system, then carefully design the routes, especially for draining condensate from the outdoor unit into the building. Drilling an additional hole in the wall in this case is mandatory. It is not recommended to mount a joint route inclined inside the building - serious protection against water ingress will be required.

When arranging a drainage passage in the wall, make a water trap - a hose loop that looks like a siphon, so that water on the surface of the drainage pipe does not wash away the hole in the outer wall. carefully monitor the elevation difference and be sure to consider the use of such a drainage scheme when choosing a place for installation of an external unit of a split system.

Connect drainage routes to the sewer only through a siphon, this has already been discussed above. Diameter plastic pipes sewerage - 50 mm, old cast iron - 70 mm. Be sure to consider this when purchasing fittings and adapters.

When you have organized the drainage system, insulated the routes with vinyl tape or corrugated pipe, you can already use the air conditioner without restrictions- it remains only to check it.

Air conditioning, like any refrigeration unit, works on the basis physical property refrigerant - cool with a sharp expansion in volume. This process takes place in special device which is called an evaporator. It got its name only because droplets of liquid (vapour) appear on the body of the device, it is also condensate from the air conditioner, which is collected in a special bath and removed from the household appliance.

Functions of the drainage system of the air conditioner

- this is, in fact, ordinary water. And the air conditioner is a complex electromechanical device. That is, condensation can cause the failure of the air conditioner. Moreover, up to 20 liters of moisture can be released from a working device in one day. And she must be taken away.

Condensate drainage options

There are several ways to drain air conditioners. The easiest way is to make a hole in the wall or window and pass a hose through it to the street, which at one end is connected to the nozzle of the bath located under the evaporator of the indoor unit of the unit. It is the simplicity of the operations performed that is considered a big plus of this method.

But it also has negative sides:

a hose hanging from the side of the wall does not increase presentability in any way appearance buildings, especially for a private house;
from the free end of the hose, during the operation of the air conditioner, water will drip all the time, which, if it gets on the neighboring ebb of the window (lower), will lead to a scandal with the neighbors.

The second option for draining condensate is to connect the drain pipe to the sewer. The method is ideal for many rooms, but he has one a big problem- the absence of a sewer section in the room where the indoor unit of the air conditioner is installed. Way out:

Carry out installation sewer pipes in this room with a slope of up to 3%.
Carry out the installation of drainage pipes to the nearest sewer section with the same minimum slope.

Which option to drain condensate from the air conditioner to the sewer to choose, everyone decides for himself. But it is necessary to indicate that the lowest costs, both in terms of finances and in terms of the labor intensity of the work carried out, relate to the second method. Firstly, drainage pipes can be laid both inside the wall along the strobes made, followed by sealing with repair mortars, and along the floor base with subsequent finishing.

Secondly, any hollow products of a sealed type can be used as drainage tubes. More often for this they buy corrugated pipe small diameter.

Attention! To prevent unpleasant odors from entering the premises from the sewerage system, at the junction of the connection of drainage pipes and pipes sewer system a water seal is installed in the form of a conventional sewer siphon. If there is no possibility of mounting a siphon, then the corrugated tube is bent in the form of the letter "S". It's also an effective option.

And one moment. If the air conditioner is not used for a long time, the water seal dries out, which leads to penetration unpleasant odors from the sewer. Therefore, periodically a little water must be poured into the drain system. And this is probably the only disadvantage of this method.

The third option for condensate drainage is the installation of a special pump. This drainage method is used only in two cases: long length drainage system, there are differences in it. AT domestic air conditioners pumps are not included, although they are sold as separate element, and purchase it, plus mount it will not be difficult. In almost all industrial units, drainage pumps are installed at the factory.

Pumps are necessarily included in the standard package of cassette and duct air conditioners. There are pumps that are installed in outdoor units, but more often they are installed in internal ones. Usually they are equipped with an additional container in which condensate is collected. And already from it the pump pumps out liquid.

Drain pipes for air conditioners

The system for draining condensate from air conditioners includes drainage pipes, which on the modern market are represented by two positions in terms of raw material. These are pipes made of PVC and polyethylene. And two positions in the form of manufacture: smooth and corrugated.

The former are most often used if the drain itself has a short length, in other cases corrugations are used. At the same time, the second variety has one big advantage - the high flexibility of the hose. Therefore, during the installation process, there is no need to use additional mounting fittings, as is the case with smooth tubes.

Installation of a condensate drainage system

This process is very simple.

It is necessary to remove the lower fasteners from the air conditioner housing so that it can rise.
In the lower part, under the fan that blows the evaporator, there is a tray for collecting condensate.
On its side there is a branch pipe, it is to it that it is necessary to attach the drain pipe for draining condensate from the air conditioner using a clamp.
The body of the indoor unit is lowered, installed in place. At the same time, it is very important that the corrugation passes through it through a special hole made in the side wall.
Fasteners are screwed into place.

Now it remains only to bring the attached corrugated hose either into the sewer or into the street. If the withdrawal process will be associated with the installation of a drainage route, then it is necessary first of all to decide how easier and more convenient it is to carry out the whole process. As already mentioned above, best option- make strobes in which to lay the hose. The most important thing is to maintain a tilt angle of at least 3%.

Major drainage problems

The most common malfunction of the condensate drainage system from the air conditioner is the clogging of the opening of the bath. Dust and dirt with condensate settles to the bottom of the pan, where sludge is formed. It grows and closes the branch pipe. The result is a flow of water over the edges of the bath. The liquid begins to drip onto the floor and leak along the walls.

And other faults:

If the air conditioner works for heating in winter, then often drainage tube it just freezes outside.
The slope of the drainage route was set incorrectly.
If the pump fails.
If the amount of refrigerant in the system has decreased, which leads to icing of the evaporator and supply pipes, so the ice begins to melt along the entire length of the route, pouring water onto the floor.
The evaporator may freeze over if the pressure regulator stops working. If the temperature outside the window began to decrease, this can lead to a decrease in the temperature of the freon due to a drop in its pressure.

Cleaning the drainage system

With your own hands, you can clean the condensate drainage system from the air conditioner only if the tub pipe is clogged. For this you need:

Remove the filters located on the body of the device in front of the evaporator. They must be washed well.
The air conditioner housing is raised.
Disconnect the drain tube from the sump.
The latter is removed and washed. Special attention exactly the hole.
If the tube is clogged in the same way as the drain hole, then it must be purged. If it does not work, then you will have to replace it with a new one.
All other steps for assembling the condensate drain system are performed in the reverse order.

For other malfunctions associated with the failure of one or another device or part, it is better to call the wizard. Independent actions can lead to irreparable consequences.

The most common breakdown of split systems faced by our compatriots is leakage. It is quite unpleasant when water drips from the indoor unit onto the equipment and furniture. It is much worse if an air conditioner leak leads to a short circuit in the electrical wiring and failure of the road. household appliances. The main reason for the “weeping” of climate technology, as a rule, is a clogged drainage system. How to clean the drainage tube of a split system on your own will be discussed in this article.

Why is the air conditioner crying?

As mentioned above, the air conditioner is leaking, most likely due to a clogged drainage system. During the operation of the split system, condensate inevitably forms on the heat exchanger of the evaporative unit, which flows into a special tray, and from there, through the drainage pipe, is removed outside the room.

But during the operation of the air conditioner, dust, particles of pet hair and other contaminants that the filter did not hold back stick to the wet heat exchanger. Pollution, along with condensate, enters the sump, and from it into the drain pipe. The problem is that the diameter of the drainage tube is only about 10 mm. Dust and dirt from the air conditioner very easily clog the drain holes, the condensate has nowhere to go and it simply flows out of the pan.

This is the most common cause of air conditioning leaks. But in some cases, the flow of climate technology indicates more difficult problems, for example:

Freezing of condensate on the heat exchanger. Frost appears on the evaporator in the event of a decrease in the performance of the air conditioner. The reason for this may be a decrease in the volume of refrigerant in the system, clogged filters and the heat exchanger itself. When thawing, moisture will not fall into the pan as it should, but will drain down to the floor through the internal elements of the block.

Broken pressure regulator. The drop in pressure in the system leads to a decrease in the temperature of the evaporative unit heat exchanger. hence ice and leakage as in the first case.
In some models of air conditioners, a special pump is used to remove condensate from the sump. When it fails, moisture is not pumped out and overflow occurs.
Damage to the condensate level sensor.

There are more common causes of leakage, such as icing and improper installation of the split system. How to clean climate equipment at home, will be described below.

If there are problems with pressure, pump and amount of refrigerant, then they can only be solved with the help of a master service center. Only a specialist can accurately diagnose the cause of the malfunction that led to the leak.

Instructions for cleaning the drainage system

First of all, you should know that clearing a clogged tube with wire or other folk remedies, gives a positive result, but not for long. Most often, a person will not have time to be happy with the solution of the problem, as the dust accumulated on the heat exchanger again clogs the drainage system and the air conditioner starts to flow again. That is why experts recommend cleaning the drainage system and simultaneously cleaning the filters, the heat exchanger of the indoor unit of the air conditioner.

The last step in cleaning is the disinfection of the system. To do this, it is necessary to treat the condensate collection pan and coarse filters with chlorhexidine, which is sold without a prescription in any pharmacy. It is very good if you pour a certain amount of the drug into the drain tube to disinfect it. After 15 minutes, rinse the tube with plain water. It will remove the remaining dirt and the drug, in addition, you can make sure that the drainage system is clear of blockage and will work normally.

Next, using a soft brush and a vacuum cleaner, clean the heat exchanger from dust and assemble the split system. As you can see, in some cases it is not difficult to solve the problem of "crying" of climate technology. In this article, you learned how to clean the drain tube of an air conditioner at home if it is dirty.

There are many reasons why air conditioning systems leak. It is better if professionals take up the diagnosis and troubleshooting.