Condensate Pump
Updated
A condensate pump moves the water your system produces to a drain when gravity cannot get it there on its own. High-efficiency furnaces make condensate as part of how they earn their AFUE rating, and air conditioning coils pull moisture out of the air all summer.
In a basement below the drain lines, that water has nowhere to fall. The pump collects it in a small reservoir and pushes it up and out when a float switch says the tank is full. When the pump fails, you either find water on the floor or the system shuts itself down through the pump's safety switch, depending on how it is wired.
Common Questions
What does a condensate pump do?
The pump collects the water your furnace or AC produces in a small reservoir, then pushes it up to a drain line when the float switch trips. It exists for installs where gravity cannot carry the water down on its own. Basements are the classic case.
Which systems need a condensate pump?
Basement furnaces and air handlers are the usual candidates, since the drain they need to reach often sits above them. High-efficiency condensing furnaces produce water constantly in heating season as part of hitting their AFUE rating, so a basement condensing furnace almost always has one.
What happens when a condensate pump fails?
Either water shows up on the floor around the equipment, or the pump's safety switch shuts the system down before the reservoir overflows. A summer no-cool call on central AC sometimes turns out to be nothing more than a dead pump. Checking it is an early diagnostic step.
Related Terms
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