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Condensate pump
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Condensate pump
A condensate pump is a specific type of pump used to pump the condensate (water) produced in an HVAC (heating or cooling), refrigeration, condensing boiler furnace, or steam system.
Condensate pumps may be used to pump the condensate produced from latent water vapor in any of the following gas mixtures:
Condensate recovery systems help reduce three tangible costs of producing steam:
Condensate pumps are used in hydronic systems that cannot discharge excess condensate water via a gravity feed. Condensate pumps are usually electrically powered centrifugal pumps. They are used to remove condensate water from HVAC systems that cannot be accomplished via gravity, and therefore the water must be pumped up. Home units are often small and the pumps are rated at a fraction of a horsepower, but in commercial applications, the pumps and motors are much higher. Large industrial pumps may also serve as the feedwater pump for returning the condensate under pressure to a boiler.
Condensate pumps usually run intermittently and have a tank in which condensate can accumulate. Eventually, the accumulating liquid raises a float switch energizing the pump. The pump then runs until the level of liquid in the tank is substantially lowered. Some pumps contain a two-stage switch. As liquid rises to the trigger point of the first stage, the pump is activated. If the liquid continues to rise (perhaps because the pump has failed or its discharge is blocked), the second stage will be triggered. This stage may switch off the HVAC equipment (preventing the production of further condensate), trigger an alarm, or both.
Some systems may include two pumps to empty the tank. In this case, the two pumps often alternate operation, and a two-stage switch serves to energize the on-duty pump at the first stage and then energize the remaining pump at the second stage. This second stage action is in addition to any triggering of other system changes as noted for a single pump installation. In this way pump runtime is shared between the two, and a backup pump is provided in case one pump fails to function.
Small pumps have tanks that range from 2 to 4 liters (0.5 to 1 gallon) and are usually supported using the flanges on their tanks or simply placed upon the floor. A plastic impeller in a molded volute at the bottom of the pump provides the pumping action; this impeller is connected to the motor via a metal shaft that extends downwards from the motor mounted above the tank's top. Large pumps are usually pad-mounted drawing liquid from a tank (sump) below the floor. The smallest pumps may have no tank at all and are simply placed within a container such as the drip pan of a dehumidifier appliance.
In most locales, condensate water must be pumped to the outside of the dwelling; generally feeding condensate water into sewer pipes is not permitted. Further, this would require a trap, to ensure sewer gas does not backfeed into a dwelling.
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Condensate pump AI simulator
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Condensate pump
A condensate pump is a specific type of pump used to pump the condensate (water) produced in an HVAC (heating or cooling), refrigeration, condensing boiler furnace, or steam system.
Condensate pumps may be used to pump the condensate produced from latent water vapor in any of the following gas mixtures:
Condensate recovery systems help reduce three tangible costs of producing steam:
Condensate pumps are used in hydronic systems that cannot discharge excess condensate water via a gravity feed. Condensate pumps are usually electrically powered centrifugal pumps. They are used to remove condensate water from HVAC systems that cannot be accomplished via gravity, and therefore the water must be pumped up. Home units are often small and the pumps are rated at a fraction of a horsepower, but in commercial applications, the pumps and motors are much higher. Large industrial pumps may also serve as the feedwater pump for returning the condensate under pressure to a boiler.
Condensate pumps usually run intermittently and have a tank in which condensate can accumulate. Eventually, the accumulating liquid raises a float switch energizing the pump. The pump then runs until the level of liquid in the tank is substantially lowered. Some pumps contain a two-stage switch. As liquid rises to the trigger point of the first stage, the pump is activated. If the liquid continues to rise (perhaps because the pump has failed or its discharge is blocked), the second stage will be triggered. This stage may switch off the HVAC equipment (preventing the production of further condensate), trigger an alarm, or both.
Some systems may include two pumps to empty the tank. In this case, the two pumps often alternate operation, and a two-stage switch serves to energize the on-duty pump at the first stage and then energize the remaining pump at the second stage. This second stage action is in addition to any triggering of other system changes as noted for a single pump installation. In this way pump runtime is shared between the two, and a backup pump is provided in case one pump fails to function.
Small pumps have tanks that range from 2 to 4 liters (0.5 to 1 gallon) and are usually supported using the flanges on their tanks or simply placed upon the floor. A plastic impeller in a molded volute at the bottom of the pump provides the pumping action; this impeller is connected to the motor via a metal shaft that extends downwards from the motor mounted above the tank's top. Large pumps are usually pad-mounted drawing liquid from a tank (sump) below the floor. The smallest pumps may have no tank at all and are simply placed within a container such as the drip pan of a dehumidifier appliance.
In most locales, condensate water must be pumped to the outside of the dwelling; generally feeding condensate water into sewer pipes is not permitted. Further, this would require a trap, to ensure sewer gas does not backfeed into a dwelling.
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