Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine May 2024

HVACR NewsMagazine May 2024

Tech News

drain pan will also help you see if the drain has the proper pitch and is draining properly.

There is not much worse than having a service call where you can’t figure out where the water is coming from or where it came from before you got there. I have spent many hours scratching my sweaty head in attics while I stared into the riser of a drain line, waiting for water to start running down the Written by Matthew Burner and appeared in the April 25, 20224 of HVAC School Troubleshooting Water Leaks

Read the Installation Manual

Are there any specific instructions for the coil in regard to condensation? Is the coil designed to be installed horizontally or in the upflow/downflow position? Many manufacturers require kits for downflow applications. Many

manufacturers are also requiring splash guards for certain models in horizontal applications. Check to make sure the coil is installed correctly according to the manufacturer. Coils that are designed for splash guards and don’t have them can throw or “spit” water off the coil into the supply

drain. The sheetrock under the unit or floor under the unit is wet, but you can’t figure out how it got that way. Here is my troubleshooting process for tricky water leaks.

Make Sure he Unit is Level

W e need to start here, of course. But even this can be tricky. If the system is in a closet, where can you really check the level? Some units hung with straps can be warped or twisted because the sheet metal evaporator coil boxes are not incredibly sturdy. If the pitch of the unit is in question, open up the evaporator coil door and pour some water into the primary drain pan. Pouring water into the