heat pump condense

[Canski]

Hi all. On my snagging list is to try to solve my problem of heat pump condense spilling across my footpath. The porcelain path is laid with a fall of 17 mm per m away from the house. The rubber feet of my heat pump rest on this so when the condense comes out it drains across the footpath and not into the gravel drain that I have against the house. I have seen heat pump drip trays advertised but how have other people got round this. It’s certainly more of a discharge than I had predicted. 
 

In hindsight I should have formed a recess for the condense to flow towards the house and maybe be diverted into a drain. Too late now without major work. 

[Bonner]

Mine drops into a small soak away, 4” pipe filled with gravel. Still overflows occasionally so would make it bigger.

[Canski]

1 hour ago, Bonner said:

Mine drops into a small soak away, 4” pipe filled with gravel. Still overflows occasionally so would make it bigger.

Overflows through a pipe from the unit or from general discharge beneath the unit ?

[Russdl]

I’ve not looked at the condensate drain of an ASHP in any detail but can you not cobble something together out of guttering for example to catch the condensate and send it where you want it to go?

[Canski]

1 hour ago, Russdl said:

I’ve not looked at the condensate drain of an ASHP in any detail but can you not cobble something together out of guttering for example to catch the condensate and send it where you want it to go?

I could do if it was just discharging in one place but it’s a random outfall from all around the base of the unit. 

[Russdl]

5 minutes ago, Canski said:

it’s a random outfall from all around the base of the unit.

 

Is that 'standard'? I had no idea, seems a bit odd.

[Canski]

2 minutes ago, Russdl said:

 

Is that 'standard'? I had no idea, seems a bit odd.

I’ve no idea. This is a small amount compared to when it’s in full flow. 

[Conor]

Tilt it back on it's feet to see if the condensate drips off the back of the unit and in to the gravel?

[Canski]

16 minutes ago, Conor said:

Tilt it back on it's feet to see if the condensate drips off the back of the unit and in to the gravel?

Thanks Conor, I thought of that but the pump is about 300 mm away from the wall and the gravel is only 150 mm wide. I think  I'll give it a go anyway to see if the condense falls out of one location then and then I could divert it into the gravel. Before the installation I thought that the condense would flow out of a pipe rather than from the 'tray' beneath it. Silly me.

[Russdl]

6 minutes ago, Canski said:

I thought that the condense would flow out of a pipe rather than from the 'tray' beneath it. Silly me.

Doesn’t sound silly to me. Even if the condensate comes from every element inside the box you’d think it would all be herded together so it would all fall out of one pipe.

 

Well I would anyway. 

[Conor]

1 hour ago, Canski said:

Thanks Conor, I thought of that but the pump is about 300 mm away from the wall and the gravel is only 150 mm wide. I think  I'll give it a go anyway to see if the condense falls out of one location then and then I could divert it into the gravel. Before the installation I thought that the condense would flow out of a pipe rather than from the 'tray' beneath it. Silly me.

 

row of old slates propped up on something to make s slope to the gravel?

[Canski]

4 minutes ago, Conor said:

 

row of old slates propped up on something to make s slope to the gravel?

 

Yes maybe. If I can get it draining to one location it will be easy. I wonder if the bolts to the rubber feet can be adjusted to raise the pump at the front end without having to pack the feet. I'll have a look later.

[JamesPa]

1 hour ago, Canski said:

 

Yes maybe. If I can get it draining to one location it will be easy. I wonder if the bolts to the rubber feet can be adjusted to raise the pump at the front end without having to pack the feet. I'll have a look later.

Probably best not to do that.  Many heat pumps (it is said) want to be exactly horizontal to balance the fan bearings.  I certainly wouldn't tilt the pump without asking the manufacturer if its OK.

[Bonner]

6 hours ago, Canski said:

Overflows through a pipe from the unit or from general discharge beneath the unit ?

It drains from an outlet in the centre of the unit, seems to have a tray in the base which collect the condensate and drains to the outlet (Grant Aerona)

[Canski]

1 hour ago, JamesPa said:

Probably best not to do that.  Many heat pumps (it is said) want to be exactly horizontal to balance the fan bearings.  I certainly wouldn't tilt the pump without asking the manufacturer if its OK.

Yes I thought that but seeing as it was placed straight on the paving that has a fall of 18 mm per m I am aiming to get it somewhere level or a slight fall to the rear 

[Canski]

27 minutes ago, Bonner said:

t drains from an outlet in the centre of the unit, seems to have a tray in the base which collect the condensate and drains to the outlet (Grant Aerona)

Mine is a daikin and it seems it drains randomly from the base. 

[Canski]

I’ve now got it perfectly level from front to back and left to right. It’s not condensing ATM. I’ll have another look in a bit and see if they have designed a fall in the tray. You would think that they have designed that in wouldn’t you ? 😀

[Russdl]

Yes. Can’t wait to find out 😃

[ReedRichards]

When my heat pump was first installed it seemed to drain randomly from the base but then my installer fitted a small drain pipe to the base that runs to a soakaway and that has worked perfectly.

[S2D2]

Is that a Daikin Altherma? For some reason they use a series of drainage holes compared to other manufacturers who channel it all to one hole:

 

 

If its not on a gravel soakaway the only real option is the condensate tray, which looks something like this:

 

[Canski]

4 hours ago, S2D2 said:

If its not on a gravel soakaway the only real option is the condensate tray, which looks something like this:

Many thanks that is what I have been searching for. Where did you find that ? You are correct it is the Altherma model with the sieve as a drip tray. On your photo it looks like the heat pump is raised up by about 100 mm from the rubber blocks. This would incur more work as it is already plumbed in. I think my options are either :-

a) wait for the ice rink in winter

b) make some sort of gutter that catches the condense from the 8 drain holes and discharges into my gravel strip 

c) disconnect the pump and dig out and create a gravel soakaway

d) disconnect the pump and lower the rubber feet and install a tray. 
e) start drinking heavily

 

any other tips or ideas welcome. 

[S2D2]

3 hours ago, Canski said:

Many thanks that is what I have been searching for. Where did you find that ? You are correct it is the Altherma model with the sieve as a drip tray. On your photo it looks like the heat pump is raised up by about 100 mm from the rubber blocks. This would incur more work as it is already plumbed in. I think my options are either :-

a) wait for the ice rink in winter

b) make some sort of gutter that catches the condense from the 8 drain holes and discharges into my gravel strip 

c) disconnect the pump and dig out and create a gravel soakaway

d) disconnect the pump and lower the rubber feet and install a tray. 
e) start drinking heavily

 

any other tips or ideas welcome. 

 

I spotted it in this video as I'm about to have a Daikin installed myself:

 

You're right that there are extra brackets to sit it in between the feet and the heatpump so it would be a pain if you don't have a flex connection that would accommodate the change. I'd be tempted by the gutter idea, quick and easy and it might just be enough. I really don't understand the design process of the drainage holes, I have a suitable drain nearby for a condensate pipe but there just doesn't appear to be a way to do this with the Daikins, unlike all other manufacturers, even my cheap A2A unit.

[Bonner]

On 14/11/2024 at 16:26, Canski said:

b) make some sort of gutter that catches the condense from the 8 drain holes and discharges into my gravel strip

Can’t you plug some of the holes so it drains to one point or at least one row of holes?

[Canski]

5 hours ago, Bonner said:

Can’t you plug some of the holes so it drains to one point or at least one row of holes?

By the time I have plugged then I could have implemented my new invention. The 300 mm off cut from my next rubber roof glued to 11mm OSB offcut propped up with a 25mm tile batten ( offcut) can anyone tell I’m at the end of my build and run out of budget? 😜😜