At a client’s house recently, I saw a tiny stream of water pouring out of a small pipe near his 2nd story roofline onto his 1st story roof.
Why it matters: If the HVAC was installed correctly, I was looking at his secondary condensate line.
- Which likely means the primary condensate line is clogged.
🔬 Zoom in: The evaporator coil in your AC can produce 5-20 gallons of water per day.
- When debris gets into the drip pan, it can clog the primary drain line — which should be piped into your sewer line.
🥊 Reality check: If the lines don’t get cleared, water will build up in the drip pan or drain line, overflow and cause damage.
✅ For your Smart Homeowner list
- Walk around your house and make sure you know where the secondary lines (1 per AC unit) exit the house — look for 3/4” PVC pipe under an eave.
- Keeping your AC well maintained saves you money in electricity costs and helps prevent more expensive problems.
Best,
Travis
🔦 Pro Spotlight
Our friends at Quigley Heating & Air will take great care of you and have some new customer specials to help you save on maintenance.