Air conditioner drain above the condenser? Drain pump?

[OneMoreFarang]

Air conditioner indoor units have drainage pipes connected to drain the water. On new installation they are often hidden. But if maybe years later a new unit is installed then then maybe the existing drain pipes don't fit anymore and sometimes ugly pipes are visible on the wall.

I saw there are drainage pumps which can be installed near the unit and then those pumps allow that the pipe is hidden in the ceiling. But the pumps are visible (and possibly noisy). 

 

Are there better options? Are there i.e. certain brands or models which have such a pump build in or another mechanism to allow that drain pipes are hidden in the ceiling?

If those units exists, what are they called?

I looked at several air-con manufacturer pages and I didn't see anything like that advertised.

This is just a sample picture which shows a pipe and such a pump.

[Yellowtail]

The condensate pumps are visible, but they are effective and not (in my experience) noisy. 

 

Most installation rely on gravity rather than pumps. 

 

Cassette/ceiling units have integrated pumps. 

 

Cassette units are (IMO) much  better than wall mount units. 

 

[carlyai]

Wiffee decided to wall in the side and back verandas. In my eyes, this meant the drain pipes from the 3 aircons had to be rerouted upwards thru the roof of the varanda (instead of tripping over drain pipes). 

Eventually we put in 3 pumps like in your picture.

One failed under warranty and was replaced. Same one failed again but now they had a new model  I bought on Lazada and no problems.

Cost about B700 odd.

Only noisy when they have a problem like failing.

So from the drain to the pump then pump up about 200mm, 3m thru roof then down wall outside.

[Peterw42]

Any half decent installer should be able to attach a new unit to existing pipes (drainage and refrigerant).

I have had it done 3-4 times. Its just a bit of plumbing/soldering.

If the new indoor/outdoor unit is going in the same place, no reason you cant connect to the existing pipes, already hidden in the wall etc.

I see those pumps as an absolute band-aid last measure, if old pipes cant be re-used, or pipes cant be chased/hidden into wall etc.

[Yellowtail]

45 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Any half decent installer should be able to attach a new unit to existing pipes (drainage and refrigerant).

I have had it done 3-4 times. Its just a bit of plumbing/soldering.

If the new indoor/outdoor unit is going in the same place, no reason you cant connect to the existing pipes, already hidden in the wall etc.

I see those pumps as an absolute band-aid last measure, if old pipes cant be re-used, or pipes cant be chased/hidden into wall etc.

Pumps are typically used in installations that cannot rely on gravity to drain.

 

It does not matter how good the pipes are, if they have to go up from the evaporator, the condensate will have to be pumped out. 

[Yellowtail]

OP, if this is for the renovation you are planning, unless you really want the evaporator(s) on outside walls, you should go with a cassette unit, particularly for an open floorplan.  

[digbeth]

models with built in pump are usually big BTUs ceiling mounted type 

[Peterw42]

25 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Pumps are typically used in installations that cannot rely on gravity to drain.

 

It does not matter how good the pipes are, if they have to go up from the evaporator, the condensate will have to be pumped out. 

I agree, for a specific installation like a basement etc, but if you start considering pumps etc for a normal installation, maybe its time to reconsider the location/type of the unit. Or spend a couple of dollar getting pipes chased into walls/floor etc.

Whenever I have seen those pumps in use, its because someone was trying to do a job on the cheap, or an installer couldn't solder etc.

[OneMoreFarang]

34 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

OP, if this is for the renovation you are planning, unless you really want the evaporator(s) on outside walls, you should go with a cassette unit, particularly for an open floorplan.  

In principle I agree with you, this is what I would want to install.

But cassette units need space. And in the building/units which I have currently in my mind there is only 20cm space between the dropped ceiling and the concrete ceiling. All cassette units which I checked need a lot more space than that.

 

And I guess I can't change the dropped ceiling height because there is also the sprinkler system which is installed for about 20cm distance from the concrete ceiling. I don't think I am allowed to change that.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

Any half decent installer should be able to attach a new unit to existing pipes (drainage and refrigerant).

I have had it done 3-4 times. Its just a bit of plumbing/soldering.

If the new indoor/outdoor unit is going in the same place, no reason you cant connect to the existing pipes, already hidden in the wall etc.

I see those pumps as an absolute band-aid last measure, if old pipes cant be re-used, or pipes cant be chased/hidden into wall etc.

That depends a lot on the existing installation. If i.e. 10 years later a new aircon is installed maybe the drainage pipe is 10cm lower than a pipe which is in the wall (fitting for the old unit). And maybe it is just not possible to install a new unit in the exact same place.

[Yellowtail]

35 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

In principle I agree with you, this is what I would want to install.

But cassette units need space. And in the building/units which I have currently in my mind there is only 20cm space between the dropped ceiling and the concrete ceiling. All cassette units which I checked need a lot more space than that.

 

And I guess I can't change the dropped ceiling height because there is also the sprinkler system which is installed for about 20cm distance from the concrete ceiling. I don't think I am allowed to change that.

20cm is not much, I think you need about 25cm for a 24K unit up to about 35cm for a 60K unit. 

 

That said, assuming you have the height, were I doing a complete refurbishment, I would go with a relief ceiling anyway, regardless of how I were configuring my AC. This facilitates an open floorplan, yet with clearly defined areas.