Draining Mr. Cool DIY 9k Wall Mounted Air Handler

[Frankengruvin]

Mounted one Mr. Cool DIY 9k Wall Mounted Air Handler on an exterior wall, but with soffit the actual distance from daylight is about one inch shorter than the built in drain line. This makes the connection point for the drain line extension they send with the unit happen almost inside the wall cavity, and as it is just a corrugated plastic tube with a friction connection I do not trust it. Hence, I have decided that I need to go custom. I took the drain line off the second unit that I haven't installed yet to use as my experimental unit, and discovered that the actual plastic tube uses a rubber or silicon sleeve with a small metal clamp to secure to the little plastic (PVC?) nub that is built into the drain pan of the air handler itself. My thought process since last night was initially, to simply solvent weld (glue) an appropriately sized PVC pipe to this and then plumb a drain pipe down the inside of the wall cavity and exit at the bottom of the wall. Slope is not the issue here. My main question is can I even attach PVC to that plastic part of the air handler itself? I am not a plastics expert, just an avid DIYer. I am not sure if I can use standard PVC here with the standard adhesives, which I have, or at least can get easily, or if I need to use some other method of attaching my own drain line to the Mr. Cool unit, such as a flexible tube of some sort. I measured the outlet pipe on the unit with calipers, although it was a weird angle, and it appears to have an inside diameter of 1/2" and an outside diameter of 5/8". The color of the plastic is gray, if that matters. By the way, in removing the insulating tube from the drain line I damaged the Mr. Cool plastic tube to the point that I wouldn't trust the connection if I put it back on. So I'm kind of committed to a DIY solution anyway at this point.

 

[ericm]

I was looking at the work on the mini splits in my house that's under construction. They ran PVC for the drain lines up to where the each head is. The heads are not on yet but it looks like they will have the drain tube empty into the PVC (going straight down, this is inside the wall). There was a larger diameter part of PVC right at that point.

I'd be leery of gluing materials I'm not 100% sure about especially if it's ending up in a wall.

I see a lot of A/C drain lines with standard PVC. It's just pure water.

 

[Frankengruvin]

I was looking at the work on the mini splits in my house that's under construction. They ran PVC for the drain lines up to where the each head is. The heads are not on yet but it looks like they will have the drain tube empty into the PVC (going straight down, this is inside the wall). There was a larger diameter part of PVC right at that point.

I'd be leery of gluing materials I'm not 100% sure about especially if it's ending up in a wall.

I see a lot of A/C drain lines with standard PVC. It's just pure water.

Do you mean that it looks like they are going to be using a washing machine drain - type of setup? As in, large diameter pipe with a smaller flexible tube that just slides into the larger pipe by a healthy amount? I thought about doing that, but as it is going to be sealed up in a wall I think the connection should be permanent in the same fashion other plumbing connections are made. I'm sure that's a code requirement as well. Those washing machine drain hoses that just sort of dump into an open pipe are made inside the room through a special wall insert so you can always see where the hose meets the pipe. I don't think I have that sort of option in my scenario. Plus, I don't have to do a chemical bond with PVC solvent. I can use flexible fittings with clamp-type connections. that might actually be better because it would be easier to separate in the future if I had to some maintenance. Of course, moving that head unit after installation pretty much guarantees that you're also separating it from the coolant lines as well, so it's going to require replacement parts or professional help anyway. I just mainly am looking for someone who has done this kind of thing before and knows the answer.

 

[ericm]

Do you mean that it looks like they are going to be using a washing machine drain - type of setup? As in, large diameter pipe with a smaller flexible tube that just slides into the larger pipe by a healthy amount?

I think so. The HVAC guys were not around to ask so I don't know for sure.

I thought about doing that, but as it is going to be sealed up in a wall I think the connection should be permanent in the same fashion other plumbing connections are made.

Yea I had that thought too. I could be wrong about the hose from the air handler just slipping in.

If that's how it works I better check the drain line outlets periodically to make sure they're not plugged.

I'll attach a pic. The air handler goes on the other side of the wall in this one.

I'm sure that's a code requirement as well. Those washing machine drain hoses that just sort of dump into an open pipe are made inside the room through a special wall insert so you can always see where the hose meets the pipe. I don't think I have that sort of option in my scenario. Plus, I don't have to do a chemical bond with PVC solvent. I can use flexible fittings with clamp-type connections. that might actually be better because it would be easier to separate in the future if I had to some maintenance. Of course, moving that head unit after installation pretty much guarantees that you're also separating it from the coolant lines as well, so it's going to require replacement parts or professional help anyway. I just mainly am looking for someone who has done this kind of thing before and knows the answer.