# AC condensate drainage



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Currently my AC is under the vberth in the bow. A hose drains the condensate pan into the bilge where an auto pump puts it overboard. I hate having a wet bilge so I wonder if anyone else has come up with a better system. I thought putting a wet/dry pump set on a switch with the switch in the pan but the sides of the pan are very shallow and i dont know if the water level would get high enough to trip the sensor before the water gets high enough to be pushed out the vent by the fan.

One thought i had would be to put a venturi valve on the drain for the pan. When the AC is on a water pump is pushing water thru the coils so maybe if i put a venturi valve on the line it could pull the condensate out of the pan. know the draw would not be strong but there isnt a lot of water that needs drained continuously.

Any thoughts from people who have done this before?

mike


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Why not just put a small shower-sump type setup in the bilge, and have the A/C unit drain to that... it's pre-wired with a small pump...


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

Have a sump for the drain with a small pump. the sump would be separate from the rest of your bilge. Maybe a tupperware tub _(they come in various sizes and shapes)_ could be used for the sump or something similar. And then your bilge will be not be wetted by the A/C drain... and if the bilge is still flooding then look for other problems.

The sump's nautical term is a Rose Box.


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## HerbDB (Sep 30, 2000)

Mermaid makes a venturi for just this purpose. Here is a link. Mermaid Condensator / Accessories / Marine Division / Home - Mermaid Manfucturing - Home of Mermaid Marine Air Conditioning


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

that is exactly what i had in mind...i wonder what the flow rate would need to be. we used those types of fixtures in organic chemistry labs...i dont see why it would be 2 hundred dollars though. i am looking for the faucet adaptors with ventur valves on the side arm for suction, they have got to be cheaper. thanks for the advice!

mike


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Mike, how much condensate does it make?

And is that small enough so that you could just stick a blivet (flexible tank, wine bladder, milk bladder, etc.) in the bilge, let the condensate run into the blivet, and then empty it manually once a day? Or run a very small bilge pump into the blivet to empty it too?

Or possibly run the line into a forward head sink drain?


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

$200!!!! Dream on!!

I will try and not regurgitate the info given above, but basically coming out of the pan you have it run into a catch basin with a float switch and small bilge pump. It is a simple design. THe hardest part is figuring out where you are going to discharge and running the discharge line.

I personally think that getting the water out of the bilge is a must. Not because it will really do any damage down there (this was debated in an old thread about a year ago), but because if you always have a wet bilge, how do you know where the water is coming from??

I have never seen that venturi water drain before... but $200 seems high to me! On a positive side, it would be a lot easier to install. On a negative side, it is one more potential area for failure and expensive.

Here is an idea that would take care of your problem and add a safety measure to your boat. Run the drain hose all the way to the bilge. Go into a shower sump system, like the one here: West Marine: Multiple Port Sump System Product Display

Instead of using a sealed shower sump system (as is popular), open it with holes in the top of the box. Thus: you have a condensation drain AND you have added a big safety measure to your boat. If the main bilge pump fails or becomes overloaded, you have a secondary pump. It wont cost you any more to do it this way, will keep your bilge dry, and will add a safety measure.

- CD

PS I am putting a patent on this idea - so don't steal it!! (HAHA)


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

thanks for all of the help guys!
i got this for arund 20 bucks...so far it has worked fantastically! i have a dry bilge and a dry condensate pan.
PVC Plumbing Fittings - PVC Valves/Venturis/Unions - Turbo Venturi Valve (1/2 Inch) : Aquariumpros.com

i am sure that someone has had this idea before...and i am cautiously optimistic. if it turns out not to work, i'll let y'all know. but for now, my AC (which in south tx runs 24/7 and makes copious amounts of condensate) is running well, and it did not noticeably diminish the cooling outflow. now my bilge is dry enough to scrub out and epoxy and paint.

mike


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Well, here is the update as promised, I have been using the 20$ venturi valve for 2 years and have had zero failures. It keeps my condensate pan dry and has zero moving parts. I cleaned it out this weekend while PMing the AC unit but it didnt have any growth or obstructions. I think this piece should come with every AC unit as it eliminates the need for any pumps or sump drains and requires only one drainage hose. 

mike


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## negrini (Apr 2, 2008)

Ouch Doc, this is really simple. I suffered for years with a wet bildge. Thanks for posting your results, and send us pics of your project.


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## SVCarolena (Oct 5, 2007)

Pictures would be great! I'm trying to decide what to do with my ice box drain, and this may be the perfect solution.


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## davmarwood (Jan 12, 2008)

*Mermaid Condensator*

I just purchased a Mermaid Condensator (see web address on HerbDB's post). With shipping it cost about $200 which I was willing to pay because of complaints from the Admiral about how the moldy smell from the wet bilge affected her sinuses.
It took about 1hr.15min. to install on our Beneteau 352. It is heavily made out of machined bronze and appears to be built to last as long as the boat. I installed it in the discharge line from the AC cooling water near the spot where it drains out of the hull (the instructions make it clear it must be installed ABOVE the waterline), and ran the suction line back to the condensate catch pan. It works like a charm, totally silent, and I now have a dry bilge with no mold to grow and create odor. This keeps the Admiral happy. 
I am not affiliated in any way with the company which manufactures and sells this item. I highly recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind the cost. If cost is a factor, perhaps the plastic one mentioned in an earlier post would be the answer.


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

Can't you just have it drain to the sink in the head?


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## k1vsk (Jul 16, 2001)

I've been using the venturi nozzle that came with my son's water bed fill/empty kit for years to suck the pan water out with the cooling water discharge. $15 retail if bought separately and is equivalent to the $200 'condensator". No moving parts so nothing to go wrong which begs the rhetorical question why pay top dollar for no value added.

I'd have run it to a sink drain had the elevation allowed but suspect this is the limiting factor for many folks.


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## davmarwood (Jan 12, 2008)

k1vsk is correct. The condensate pan in our boat sits about 1 inch above the sole. The sink in the head is approx. 30 inches above the sole. The only options are to let it drain into the bilge and pump it out occasionally when the level gets high enough to activate the automatic bilge pump, or to suck it out with a venturi device.
Also, in our boat, the gravity drain to the bilge was unreliable and only drained about 1/2 of the water in the condensate pan, and even then, only when the pan was almost full enough to overflow. When we left the dock and went sailing, the heeling of the boat drained the rest of the water all over the inside of the cabinet and it leaked out around the joint between the cabinet and the sole, leaving puddles on the surface of the sole. The admiral was not amused by this.
So, venturi device was the way to go.


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

Another less expensive option would be to use a "fertilizer injector" from Mazzei. Mazzei Injector Corporation - Fertilizer and Chemical Injection, Wastewater Aeration, Ozone Systems These are often used in hot tubs and aquariums and can sometimes be found on E-bay.

Folks on the C36 site have experimented with the 484X, 584 and 684. According to the postings on C36, the 484X worked but resulted in some loss of cooling due to reduced water flow. Replacing it with the 684 solved the problem. Apparently the fellow that used a 584 was happy as well.

I'm considering installing either the 684 or 584 over this winter.


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## gilsurf (Dec 12, 2006)

I tried the Mermaid but had issues with water flow. I have a 12K BTU with a March LC-3 pump. The Mermain Condensator seemed to decrease the flow quite a bit and thus I had issues with cooling the old AC unit.

And then I found the simple answer: Tom Aquatics Aqua Lifter-Dosing Pump. It can lift up to 30 inches and sucks my drain pan dry. My issue is that I can not even drain to the bilge due to a rise in the tubing path. This at least gets it to the bilge. And all for $15!


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## Zuzack.Tom (Aug 11, 2001)

Gilsurf, do you run the Aqua Lifter Dosing Pump continuously or have it wired to run only when the raw water pump kicks in?


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## chuck53 (Oct 13, 2009)

Zuzack.Tom said:


> Gilsurf, do you run the Aqua Lifter Dosing Pump continuously or have it wired to run only when the raw water pump kicks in?


This is a 4 year old post. Gilsurf hasn't posted in almost 2 years.


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## coxjam (Nov 24, 2010)

I have a generic question about these venturi devices. Do you just lay the tubing in the bottom of the condensation pan? My pan has two drain ports that have a 5/8 in ID hose that fits over it that runs to the bilge ( I don't have a sump pump in my boat). I'm reluctant to block the


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

coxjam said:


> I have a generic question about these venturi devices. Do you just lay the tubing in the bottom of the condensation pan? My pan has two drain ports that have a 5/8 in ID hose that fits over it that runs to the bilge ( I don't have a sump pump in my boat). I'm reluctant to block the


I think you lost part of your post.

I have installed the venturis on my boat. Got them for about $15/piece IIRC. I installed them on the exit side of the compressor, above the waterline, just before it goes overboard. From there, I ran the small tube directly into the condensate drainage. I put panty hose over that to keep any particles from clogging it up.

It works very well. However, it will reduce the flow of your water circulation. That could have some long term issues I might think?? I still think the best solution is a dedicated catch basin and having it pumped overboard. The venturi is only a lot cheper and easier to install. Who knows.... time will tell I guess.

Brian


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## coxjam (Nov 24, 2010)

Brian, thanks for the reply. I was wondering how you small tube was placed for the condensate drainage. Do folks just lay it in the drain pan? I hate to not connect the two drainage ports in the pan, if the condensator failed to work properly, there would be a heck of amess. I am installing a 900 gph pump which is over kill for my 16K BTU unit so some water reduction should be tolerated just fine I think. The panty hose idea is a great idea. I use to do that on my polaris swimming pool vaccuum to collect the finer particles in that.

James


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

coxjam said:


> Brian, thanks for the reply. I was wondering how you small tube was placed for the condensate drainage. Do folks just lay it in the drain pan? I hate to not connect the two drainage ports in the pan, if the condensator failed to work properly, there would be a heck of amess. I am installing a 900 gph pump which is over kill for my 16K BTU unit so some water reduction should be tolerated just fine I think. The panty hose idea is a great idea. I use to do that on my polaris swimming pool vaccuum to collect the finer particles in that.
> 
> James


The condensate vacuum tube is roughly 1/4 inch. It is small, but works. Now coming off the condensate pan should be a 5/8 inch hose IIRC. You need both because the venturi may fail. In Florida at least, it is shocking how much water you pull out of the boat!!

When putting the condensate tube in, make sure it is well above the waterline and secure it via tie straps into the condensate pan with the end down. It seems to work best when it does not get air sucked into the line.

Regarding the pump size, I am not sure how much more of a difference it will make. The issue is the venturi will reduce the size of the exit. I would guess it is no more than a quarter inch where it goes through. I have no idea how much (or little) the larger pump will make.

Brian


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## 67Therapy (Nov 30, 2009)

PalmettoSailor said:


> Another less expensive option would be to use a "fertilizer injector" from Mazzei. These are often used in hot tubs and aquariums and can sometimes be found on E-bay.
> 
> Folks on the C36 site have experimented with the 484X, 584 and 684. According to the postings on C36, the 484X worked but resulted in some loss of cooling due to reduced water flow. Replacing it with the 684 solved the problem. Apparently the fellow that used a 584 was happy as well.
> 
> I'm considering installing either the 684 or 584 over this winter.


Dragging up an old post...did you ever do this Mazzei modification?


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## dsmauney (Feb 29, 2000)

I'm using a 684 on a 16000 BTU unit and it is working fine. Flow seems OK as unit performance seems no different. 684 has a built in check valve and I put in a second plastic check valve from US plastics. If venture stops working condensate will continue to go to bilge through drain hole like it did before. Sure keeps most of pan dry. I only run unit when I am on board. 

Goodwinds
DaveM


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## 67Therapy (Nov 30, 2009)

Thanks for the feedback. I have a 16K and 12K running off the same water pump...been thinking about trying 2 684's.


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## scottthardin (Jun 4, 2012)

Was this the Kent Turbo Venturi unit? My second AC condensate pump has failed and spending $200 on the fancy Condensator isn't appealing to me. Did you install a check valve and did you have any issues plumbing it into the output hose?


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