Mini Split smell leaking thru drain line?

[Kilbudtwo]

I'm going to put a mini split 12,000 btu in my new sealed room. I'm concerned about running the drain line outside because of smells traveling through the line.

2 1000 watt lights on light rail. Lights not vented.
co2 burner
8x32 phresh filter

9H x 9W x 8H

Any feedback would be great!

 

[theother]

I'm going to put a mini split 12,000 btu in my new sealed room. I'm concerned about running the drain line outside because of smells traveling through the line.

2 1000 watt lights on light rail. Lights not vented.
co2 burner
8x32 phresh filter

9H x 9W x 8H

Any feedback would be great!

I have never felt like the condensate water was a security concern, but I guess it's relative to your proximity to other people. I suspect that if the smell from the condensate line is that much of a problem then other smell leaks are gonna be a worse problem.

Can u find a drain line to direct the mini condensate to?

 

[Kilbudtwo]

I'm really not concerned about smells through the room. I'm going to seal all existing electrical and lighting opening. I will tie into electrical lines and mount electrical on the wall. The room was previously a recording studio which is really well insulated and sound proofed already.

I doubled up on my filter and the room will be completely sealed. I'm not venting my lights, so the only potential smell outside is from the drain line.

The drain line if drained outside would go to a planter area in front of the house.

My other option is to just drain in a 5 gal bucket and empty once or twice a day.

 

[oldgrayhair]

How about taking one of those urinal pucks and placing under the drip outside. I'd think that would work....just thinking.

peace - ogh

 

[queequeg152]

wtf lol. your condensate line should have a u trap. otherwise you will leak air through the condensate line 24-7.

static pressure builds up across the coil... probably about .15 to.25 inches of water. if you dont have a utrap that static pressur will push air cold air down the tube and outside.

if your minisplit leaks air through the condensate line... idk what to tell you. install a trap, and dont buy any products form that company in the future.

 

[Kilbudtwo]

wtf lol. your condensate line should have a u trap. otherwise you will leak air through the condensate line 24-7.

static pressure builds up across the coil... probably about .15 to.25 inches of water. if you dont have a utrap that static pressur will push air cold air down the tube and outside.

if your minisplit leaks air through the condensate line... idk what to tell you. install a trap, and dont buy any products form that company in the future.

I don't know why I didn't think of that it makes perfect sense to use the water to block any air discharge through the condensate line. Thanks for smaking me upside the head.

 

[queequeg152]

I don't know why I didn't think of that it makes perfect sense to use the water to block any air discharge through the condensate line. Thanks for smaking me upside the head.

the utrap is absolutly fundamental to a split forced air hvac system.

mini splits should absolutely have a utrap, or a trap of some sort ALREADY. if they do not, its a gross oversight by whomever is producing the unit.

the only time you need to add utraps to equipment is for ducted home hvac systems.

 

[Asslover]

the utrap is absolutly fundamental to a split forced air hvac system.

mini splits should absolutely have a utrap, or a trap of some sort ALREADY. if they do not, its a gross oversight by whomever is producing the unit.

the only time you need to add utraps to equipment is for ducted home hvac systems.

Not one single mini split produced has a "trap" of any sort. It's not an oversight by any means. If you know anything about how a mini split works then you should know why. Static pressure pushing smell past water in a 1/2" drain tube? Never will happen.
To the OP, no smell comes outta the drain tube. NONE! Been using mini's for years, Mr Slims' to be exact...

 

[queequeg152]

Not one single mini split produced has a "trap" of any sort. It's not an oversight by any means. If you know anything about how a mini split works then you should know why. Static pressure pushing smell past water in a 1/2" drain tube? Never will happen.
To the OP, no smell comes outta the drain tube. NONE! Been using mini's for years, Mr Slims' to be exact...

no trap of any sort?

if it has a condensate pump. 99% of the time this pump will have a check valve.

this is a trap.

if its a gravity drain directly from the pan, it will have a u or p trap... if not it will leak cold air.

these are also traps.

you must be confused.

 

[Asslover]

No sir, you are confused. A condensate pump has a check valve so water doesn't back flow.
Because if one is using a condensate pump then they can't gravity drain for whatever reason.
There is NO TRAP in the indoor head units of ANY mini split. It is simple a tray that can be plumbed at either end. If a mini split user is gravity draining and is so concerned about anything escaping then they can make there own trap with a flexible drain hose.
I happen to have an LG unit that im trashing and will be happy to tear open the indoor air handler to show you theirs no trap.
I run 2 x 12k btu Mitsubishi's in a 10 x 10 flower room w/4k watts. I gravity drain both and no smell is anywheres near the drain. The mini split in my veg room, that drain never smells either.
No mini split air handler has any sort of trap built into it. Period.

 

[queequeg152]

yes i think we all understand how check valves operate.
the fact remains that the check valve is infact a condensate trap as well. when this valve is seated, no air will be able to escape via the condensate line( unless the valve opens at absolutely absurdly low pressures... it will not).

do your units leak air during operation? do you have a lighter or candle or stick of incense?
if they do leak air via the condensate lines then its a shame. for units that tout supposedly 18+ seer, its moronic for them not to design in a trap of some sort to prevent leakage of air.

regarding your proposed solution to this, bending a u trap out of the hose. id not advise this... as it will be difficilt to clean. yes all u and p traps WILL NEED TO BE CLEANED... its just the nature of water traps. also bending could introduce kinds at some point. its just a bad idea i wouldnt do it.

just buy an inline waterless trap and install it at the end of the condensate discharge, where it is accessible and low enough to function properly.

on an unrelated note.

while we are on the subject of minisplits... why are these units so popular in the first place? for indoor growing it seems laughable to try and save single dollar/ton amounts on electrical bills when you are powering a small HPS star indoors in the first place.

for the price of a 19-20 seer Mitsubishi 2 ton unit you can just about afford a 4 or 5 ton low end split 14 seer goodman unit. yea it will be more difficult to install, but it will also give you enough static pressure to be able to use REAL media air cleaners... scrubbing all sorts of dust and mold out of the air. for marginally more you could get into the 16 seer split units from york with good ECM blowers etc.

i never got why these were so popular... imo they are best suited for retrofitting hvac into old spaces, and or adding hvac to new additions.... but id take a well designed split unit with a proper utility closet anyday.

 

[Asslover]

Seems to me you don't know what you're talking about. To come here stating that HVAC companys don't know what they're doing because they don't put traps in the drain line? ROFLMAO!!!!!!!! You know more than the engineers who designed them huh? The fact that you don't know why they're so popular tells me you're clueless. The check valve in the condesate pump is for water, not air.
I don't understand guys like you who post something in a thread swearing by it and yet you're completely clueless to the subject. You don't even use a mini split! LOL!
To answer to OP's question; mini splits DO NOT leak smell through the drain line. Mini splits do not have "traps" anywheres in the drain system. If you want a trap then bend the flex drain hose.

 

[Asslover]

Oh, and mini split drain systems ARE NOT designed for anything other than GRAVITY OR CONDENSATE PUMP. Any other "device" installed inline could cause problems.
Don't listen to the dude ranting about traps, he doesn't even use a mini split...

 

[queequeg152]

Oh, and mini split drain systems ARE NOT designed for anything other than GRAVITY OR CONDENSATE PUMP. Any other "device" installed inline could cause problems.
Don't listen to the dude ranting about traps, he doesn't even use a mini split...

oh man... lol .
i dont know what else i can tell you, that will not fall onto the same profoundly retarded ears.

an inline condensate trap will not cause any issues provided its installed and serviced correctly.

i can pretty much guarantee you that i know far more about hvac than yourself. but what ever.

if you think engineers ONLY concern is for optimumizing efficiency above all else, ive bad news for you. engineers weight cost most heavily, followed by a myriad of other issues...safety, ease of manufacture/construction, potential litigation, styling etc.
i am an engineering student.

btw, why do you post in all bold

 

[the gnome]

I'm going to put a mini split 12,000 btu in my new sealed room. I'm concerned about running the drain line outside because of smells traveling through the line.

2 1000 watt lights on light rail. Lights not vented.
co2 burner
8x32 phresh filter

9H x 9W x 8H

Any feedback would be great!

last year i built my sealed bloom room.
when i got to the condensate drain line for the mini split, dehuey's and my homemade Co2 gen(tankless hot water heater) that was DTW
I thought about the stink be able to travel outside, but the amount would be pretty minimal,
also losing Co2 again probably minimal but it needed to be sealed regardless
my real concern is it was an easy vector for any bug small enuff to fit in a 3/4" pvc pipe
and dem bugs had a straight line into bug paradise
a simple pvc P-trap for a buck-1/2 at any plumbing supply house does the trick.
OR
just use a propane torch to soften the pvc line and bend to your needs like i did, it's not rocket science.
just run some bleach thru it a few times a year to keep the nasties from clogging it up
easy peasy.
hope this helps Kilbud

.

 

[queequeg152]

as an alternative to your solution i offer the below link.

http://www.amazon.com/Rectorseal-83..._sbs_hi_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0KCDZ4W6FZ9S7EFRJY1K

the two caps allow you to clean the trap a bit more easily. you can also fit float switches that would detect overflows.