Who's Job Is It?

jordanbragg

I work in custom residential construction plumbing and I don't complain much; work is work, but there is one thing I don't understand: Why do we have to run the condensate lines for the HVAC guys? I was asked once by the HVAC guy if we were going to run the condensate lines for HIS FAU's. I said "I thought maybe you would run YOUR pipe. He said, "Well usually the plumber does the plumbing" So I pointed at his 6" PVC flue pipe and said "Did you glue those pipes together?" He replied "Oh that's a flue, that's completely different" So, what is the difference?

drivewizard

If you are talking about a condensate drain for a high efficiency furnace, I believe it is required by code to be ran to a sanitary drain by a "Licensed Plumber". It rolls down hill doesn't it?

What are you complaining about, you get paid by the hour don't you.

Cobe1976

There is no requirement for furnace condensate lines to be ran to a sanitary drain, they're just water. you can run them to a sump pit if you wanted to. besides, the whole point is not whether the worker gets paid to do it, he of course will, the point is whether the company gets paid to do someone else's job. we never run the condensate lines for the Hvac guys, that's THEIR job.

drivewizard

I am not 100% sure about the code for 90+ efficiency gas furnace condensate as I don't do residential work. I thought it was code here in Oregon that they had to be ran to the sewer.
I do know it is not just water, the main component is water but there is a lot of nasty chemical by-products of combustion that are in there also. It will take off paint.

I am not talking about condensate from a Cooling coil, but from a gas furnace. I have never heard of plumbers having to run a regular cooling coil condensate line. That is HVAC work.

jordanbragg

actually, as a licensed contractor, most work is not by the hour.
condensates just need to exit the building, into the dirt, not needing a licensed plumber. If I need to put a 2X4 block in the wall for my pipe, i do it myself, i don't call the licensed carpenter.

Ron The Plumber

HVAC runs there own condensate lines here, it's not in my plumbing code book, if your a contractor then tell the HVAC to do his own job, you got your own work to handle.

Ron The Plumber

Hi drivewizard, where in Oregon are you, to answer your question, condensate lines do not have to connect to the sewer, if a line does drain to the sewer then only via indirect connect and never direct, most go to outside, but in some cases to a laundy or vessel of somesort.

ARCS

I'm not a plumber or a heating guy, but around here all I ever see is the heating guys use a piece of clear flexible hose and run it to either the floor drain or the sump, I am not sure if it is right or not, but if anyone is complaining of doing this 3 minute task, they should be going back to kindergarden. Now if this is a new construction home and the nearest drain or sump is 30 feet away, I would guess it is the plumbers job to get a drain in the near vicinity. If it is not on your bid for the plumbing, lesson learned and watch out for that next time.

Ron The Plumber

Only time this will be in a bid is in commercial, usally in the mecanical room and that is usally to a floor drain or floor sink, for residenial work, which the OP asked about, it will never be on the plans or bid, so it is up to the hvac to run his own condensate drain to where ever.

gitnerdun

He is taking advantage of you, that is his job.

kennewickman

If you are a contractor, and you dont want to run the condensate, exclude it in your proposal, done deal. I also believe it is the HVAC contractors job, but if I dont exclude it, sometimes I get roped into doing them.

tzzzz216

This goes back to chilled water units A/C that is , I use to work for a guy that would pipe into the unit , but after that he wanted no part of it , he said its not potable water after that .

Moonray

In Ky. the vent for the water heater and the condensate both fall under the plumbing code but the HVAC man usually always throws a wye in for your water heater and the plumber always runs the condensate. They're probably under the HVAC's code too.

thom

Here in Albuquerque my plumber runs the condensate lines, my HVAC company runs the vents.

If you don't want to run the condensate lines, the tinner will tell you to run your own vents. You're coming out ahead now, don't screw it up.

As for the wye in the vents, only if it's properly sized for both. The tinner could size it for the furnace and let you run your own.

Around here, we can't combine our vents. Furnace and water heater are separate vents. I believe that's code because the furnace is a pressurized vent system and the water heater is gravity.

Double-A

Depending on the area, the condensate can't go into the sanitary sewer without first going into a neutralizing interceptor of some sort.

Here they are run to daylight and the HVAC guys do them, although, they do an unbelievable poor job sometimes. Black roll plastic with plastic insert fittings and sometimes they even use a hose clamp.

Personally, I think the code should require a minimum of 1-1/2" drain for them. JMHO.

__________________
"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006