How is the MrCool Hyper Heat Condensate Drain Handled? - Ask the Expert Episode 132

The MrCool Hyper Heat ductless mini-split offers a few different options when draining the condensation. Video Script: Today's question comes from Joan in North Carolina: "Hey Dan. On a MrCool Hyper Heat, how is the condensate handled?" The MrCool Hyper Heat is a ductless mini split designed to be really warm in winter. It drains water just like any other mini split. Typically you will have an air handler on the wall and there will be a condensate hose in the air handler. You have to drill a hole in the wall and you put that condensate drain out through that hose. You run it down through the house and it drains out. It is a gravity drain, which is a fancy way of saying water flows downhill, so make sure the condensate drain always slopes downward. You can run your drain up into the attic, but the water would back up and it would drip all over your walls and your house. If you want to install the air handler on an interior wall, you can get a condensate drain pump. In that case, you could go up through the attic and to the outside of the house. They do cost a little more money, so if you can't use gravity, you should do that. Have more questions? Just ask them in the comments below or on Facebook or on Twitter. 
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Randy
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I'd like to install a mini-split for my unfinished basement. The walls where I intend to mount the air handler are Cinder Block and below grade. Can the line set exit the side or top of the air handler unit rather than the back of the unit? I'd like to run the line set up the face of the wall inside the basement then have it exit the basement wall above grade.
Rebekah Muller
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There are knockouts in the side of the air handler's cabinet, so the line set can exit out the side. If you are routing the line set upward, keep in mind that you will likely need a condensate pump for the drain line, as the drain line relies on gravity to drain in a typical installation.
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Scott M
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Love the informational videos. I’m planning to install (3) mrcool diy in ceiling cassettes in a condo. Handlers will sit anywhere from 15 feet to 30 feet away from the compressor, that sits on the balcony. Handlers will sit flush in the joist cavity, which are 2x12s. I will need to run the line sets from the heads to the compressor, which shouldn’t be too much an issue. But I’m wondering what is the best approach to run condensate lines? Since they will have to run 15-30 feet, almost parallel to the ground (not sure how much slope i can give them over that length), do I need a pump? Or will the long run with a very slight gravity direction be enough to hit the outside wall and then go downward to balcony drain?
Rebekah Quarles
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While a slope should be enough, if you'd like for the drainage to be more reliable, you may want to invest in a condensate pump.
Chris
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I am installing a 4th Gen Mr. Cool DIY in my basement. I cannot rely on gravity for the condensation so I need a condensate pump. The star tube and stop siphon device is not long enough to reach the exterior hole where the other line set exits my house. Can it be extended by connecting it to the condensation lines provided by Mr. Cool? The parts do not fit well together. Is there another way?
Dan Danowski
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You could always order a longer tube from a supply store, and use it instead.
Robert
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Can I mount a system unit to a slightly angled ceiling in the house
Rebekah Muller
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We would not recommend that, because the air handler would not be able to drain properly if it is not positioned as described in the instructions.
Curt
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I have a question on how best to connect the drain to PVC. Installing MrCool dyi 3rd gen air handler, I'm running drain out the left and lineset up through the roof... Once I exit the drain pipe out the left side, is there a fitting to connect to PVC? I plan to run PVC down separate of the lineset. To the ground. I will need to exit the lineset to the right and then up into the attic. This saves me almost 8ft of lineset. I'm concerned about doing this as I have not seen a single video on how to exit right. The factory leader points to the left side, so I need to spin it 180 degrees... Seems like a lot. any advice? After the rotation, need to make another 90 up to the Attic. Nail bitter...
Rebekah Muller
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There is not a specific fitting that we know of to connect the drain line to PVC. You may be able to do that extremely carefully with the line set, but it is not recommended to bend it more than three times, as the line set can become brittle and break. We do not recommend that the line set exit right, but it can be done if done so with extreme care.
Scott V. Smith
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OK, Yes,, I need a condensate pump to get the water to go up into the attic and then back down. WHERE does the condensate pump have to be installed though? Does it HAVE to be by the air handler, which is in the control room of my studio (the 3rd car garage converted where NOISE is a big issue) or could it be attached to the tube on the outside wall 20' away and suck it out that way? The reason I ask, I already installed the refrigerant lines and the drain tube to span my garage/recording studio to the outside wall, about 20', encased in 3" PVC before I realized that the condensate pumps all seem to work just one way, close to or in the air handler. I ran the lines from 18" below the ceiling in the studio control room where the air handler is, up to the top the ceiling in the recording room (the 2 car garage section, 8' tall), then back down to the hole which exits to the outside wall a span of 20'. That's all 3 lines, electrical, refrigerant lines & drain tube already encased in PVC. I was really hoping I could find a condensate pump that would suck the water out of the END of the tube which is outside and noise wouldn't be an issue. Does a condensate pump like that even exist?
Rebekah Muller
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Most condensate pumps that are designed for mini-split units are supposed to be installed right near the air handler unit, typically underneath the drain pan. Condensate pumps for central systems are placed on the floor in a safe location and are slightly larger. Condensate pumps work by having the condensate flow into the pump via gravity, and when the water gets to a certain level, it gets pumped to wherever the drain leads. As far as we know, there are not any condensate pumps similar to what you're describing. If you'd like, you can give us a call at 270-575-9595.
Kevin Becker
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Is there a concern about the condensate in the tubing freezing in the winter?
Kyle
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There shouldn't be. Condensate should only form on the inside coil during cooling. In heating mode, the indoor air handler should not produce condensate.
Mary
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On 12/29/2021, I had a Carrier Comfort 2.5 ton 14 Seers heatpump and air handler split system installed. During January very cold temperatures the outside heatpump often stops to defrost kicking in the auxiliary heat in the attic air handler. When auxiliary heat stops, I hear an evenly spaced rythmic drip, drip, drip noise behind the walls of my bathroom closest to the air handler location in the attic. It seems heater coils, metal either are cooling, or freon pressure problem or water dripping like in a faucet inside the air handler. But, there should not be any condensation during heat mode in the air handler. So, I am concerned for safety and integrity of air handler. I greatly appreciate your opinion.
Rebekah Muller
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Please give us a call at 270-575-9595 as soon as you can so that our tech support team can assist you with this issue.
Malcolm
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Is there anything prohibiting use of a condensate pump on a MrCool DIY air handler? Are the RefCo pumps a good match with the MrCool?
Dan Danowski
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You can definitely use a condensate pump on a MRCOOL DIY. RefCo pumps should be fine.
George
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Is it environmentally safe to run my MRCOOL minisplit condensate line into a pond/lake?
Dan Danowski
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Yes, it's just water.
Garry
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I installed the air handler in my 3 season room and the compressor outside. I was supposed to install a drain hose under the unit but didn't. Now the concrete pad is covered with ice. I am worried unit could get damaged. Is there water actually coming from under the compressor? I might just me melting snow refreezing.
Dan Danowski
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When used in heating mode, the exterior condenser can produce condensate, so some of the water could be coming from the condenser.
Mark Cutkomp
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Can I route the condensate line separately from the line set from the back of air handler? In other words I want to exit the condensate line from the left side of air handler and have the line set exit from the right side looking at the front of the unit on Mr. Cool DIY. This was something I saw that is an option for the condensate line can be from left or right of the unit and just make sure you plug the unused side. I would then be able to drill a separate hole to outside wall for condensate line and route line set up to attic and across attic to outdoor unit.
Dan Danowski
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Strictly speaking, there is no reason that the condensate drain and the lineset have to go out through the same hole. It's simply more convenient to do it that way in most cases. What you have to be certain of with the condensate drain is that it is angled downward to allow for smooth flow of the water. If it can't be done that way, a condensate pump would be required.
Andres
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looking to install a unit in a bedroom, not an exterior wall. can I run the refrigerant lines up into the attic and the drain line separately down to the basement and out from there?
Kyle
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That shouldn't be an issue as far as unit operation is concerned.
Rina
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Hello, We are going to have mini split unites in apartment building in interior rooms. Some units will be located not far away from kitchen sink, some not far away from lavatories in the bathrooms. Do you see any Code issues to install wye or tailpiece above p-trap (for lavatory or for disposer) and connect condensate line into this fitting? (I know about slope requirement and we can't use condensate pump). Thank you
Kyle
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It is our understanding that most local codes prohibit condensate drainage into sewer systems. You would need to consult your local code officials to see what they say.
James Salt
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We are looking at the new 4 unit mini split system for a number of rooms in our house, most of which don't have easy access to gravity condensate drain. All the issues I've ever seen with the mini split is poor drain--so adding a pump is an interesting solution but also another level of complexity and therefore potential for a system breaking down. A couple questions: 1. What pumps would you recommend for the new 4 unit system coming out and 2. can you share information about how the pump system works so as to evaluate its relative effectiveness? (for example, I assume the condensate drain is slow moving and also complicated by the potentiality of being fed by 4 units. How does the pump work in these contexts? Does it entail a suction vacuum in addition to a pump?)
Kyle
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In a mini-split, the condensate pump is installed inside the air handler. You would need an individual pump for each air handler that could not use the gravity drain. We typically recommend a RefCo pump. You can check here: https://iwae.com/shop/refco-gobi-ii-dual-voltage-ductless-condensate-pump-ha18340.html
Jason
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Awesome. Exactly what I needed to know! Thanks.
Joyce Robinson
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Is any additional insulation required when placing the condensate line inside an exterior wall?
Steven
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The condensate line is plastic tubing through which water drains. It shouldn't require any insulation.
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