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Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Discussions => Topic started by: toyman on May 09, 2015, 05:54:24 pm

Title: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: toyman on May 09, 2015, 05:54:24 pm
Blue Bird, Country Coach and other hi-line coaches run the condensate drains into the gray tank. My condensate runs down the side of the coach. Do I have a plugged drain, or did FT miss the boat on this ?
Title: Re: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: Bill Willett on May 09, 2015, 05:58:01 pm
The boat is still at the dock.
Title: Re: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: Kemahjohn on May 09, 2015, 06:10:55 pm
What?  Run the AC codensate into the gray water tank?  That would do away with the Foretravel automatic coach rinse feature.  In Texas you would have to dump the tank daily--- too much humidity.
Title: Re: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on May 09, 2015, 06:15:05 pm
That would do away with the Foretravel automatic coach rinse feature.
Also, where would the birds take a bath, if I drained the "swimming pool" on the roof of our coach?  (We have a flat roof)
Title: Re: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: John S on May 09, 2015, 08:19:53 pm
I think they do what most do, and remotely drain them to the bottom of the coach. I do the same thing. I put on a remote drain kit and the water drips down right behind the mud flap on the coach. SO much sometimes that a guy across from me knocked on the door and said I had a leak.
Title: Re: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: Michelle on May 09, 2015, 08:35:17 pm

You replaced the Dometic one you had MOT install?  Where'd you get the replacement system?
Title: Re: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: rbark on May 09, 2015, 10:50:46 pm
I'd like to know also!
Title: Re: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: Don & Tys on May 10, 2015, 01:52:30 am
I am contemplating whether or not to plumb A/C condensate drains down through the fridge vent... It is lower than the drain outlets on the A/C's, though not an ideal slope. I haven't really put together a plan to do it yet, but it seems doable. I would run the drain line down through the bottom of the coach near where the sewer notch is via the storage compartment. Anybody done this?
Don
Don
Title: Re: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: John S on May 10, 2015, 08:15:17 am
I replaced the existing cups that mot installed with bigger ones. Then I used the same two lines that mot installed. The cups are a bit longer so hold more until the slope changes and it all runs backward. Usually there was no issue but every once in a while the smaller cups would spill over the front.  Did it last winter and this is the first trip out and they worked. I had a local fried who is a fabricator make them. I tried it only on one AC unit first. I think james stallings made a mold for his bus AC units too as his broke and looking at his, I just copied the idea that he was talking about.
Title: Re: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: steve on May 10, 2015, 09:04:29 am
Blue Bird, Country Coach and other hi-line coaches run the condensate drains into the gray tank. My condensate runs down the side of the coach. Do I have a plugged drain, or did FT miss the boat on this ?
I think starting around 06 FT plumbed the condensate off the roof and down to the ground.

I am contemplating whether or not to plumb A/C condensate drains down through the fridge vent... It is lower than the drain outlets on the A/C's, though not an ideal slope. I haven't really put together a plan to do it yet, but it seems doable. I would run the drain line down through the bottom of the coach near where the sewer notch is via the storage compartment. Anybody done this?
Don
Not seen it done that way, just down to the endcaps/engine compartment.  On ours there is a right and left drain line, and you never know which side will be draining but its usually just one or the other at any particular time, all depends on how things level I guess.
Title: Re: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: toyman on May 10, 2015, 09:17:28 am
So, is there a drain tap on the Dometic pan, or is it something that has to be added? Looks to me like a sealed side tap into the gray tank vent wound be fairly easy on my coach.
Title: Re: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: steve on May 10, 2015, 10:01:31 am
Dometic Drain Kit # 3107688.016 are the kits that were used on mine Amazon.com: Dometic 3107688.016 Drain Kit: Automotive (http://www.amazon.com/Dometic-3107688-016-Drain-Kit/dp/B003BIR9VQ) has a good image of them.

The retro-fit is basically a double stack of AC roof gasket (else the cups don't clear the roof) and some additional gasket for support.

On ours MOT turned the cup outlets outboard and ran a drain line down each side of the roof, Tee-ing in to the other AC units as it went as shown in the attachments.  The kit was really designed to be used as shown in the other attached images, but maybe concern over leaks or the curved roof had them install them 180 to that (also attached).  At least that way if they or a connections fails the leak is generally outside the coach. 

The only problem I've had was the hose barb on the cups breaking off.  It seems the plastic used on them is not UV stabilized so they degrade with time.  On replacement, they were painted to help protect them.  I've not had the backwash effect that I've heard some report when stopping causing the water in the lines to flow back in the the pans and then into the coach. I've often though about adding a simple checkvalve to the setup to prevent that, but since I've not the problem, I've not pursued that.

Anyway YMMV
Title: Re: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: Don & Tys on May 10, 2015, 12:05:50 pm
Thanks for the pics Steve. Obviously the A/Cs have to come out to install this kit... Maybe I will better understand the need for the kit when I change out the covers and can see what is there.
Don
Dometic Drain Kit # 3107688.016 are the kits that were used on mine Amazon.com: Dometic 3107688.016 Drain Kit: Automotive (http://www.amazon.com/Dometic-3107688-016-Drain-Kit/dp/B003BIR9VQ) has a good image of them.

The retro-fit is basically a double stack of AC roof gasket (else the cups don't clear the roof) and some additional gasket for support.
Title: Re: A/C Condensate Drain
Post by: toyman on May 10, 2015, 12:18:45 pm
Thanks ! Pictures help.....a lot !