Water drain

[FL Guy]

I just recently purchased a mini icemaker for my garage. The water drain for the icemaker is an approximately a 3/4 inch tube.
Has anyone modified the output of their drain to accommodate a smaller hose that way I’m not putting a 1 inch hole in my wall to get the hose outside to drain?

 

[kbuhagiar]

I see your point, but I'll play the devil's advocate...

There may be a reason that tube is sized that large, perhaps to prevent a potential accumulation of small ice chunks from blocking the drain? I could be way off, but it was the first thing that came to mind, especially since I just recently had to clear an ice block from the drain in MY garage refrigerator.

 

[egdede]

I find that the smaller drain lines which used to be more common do not drain as well (I think due to capillary forces)

 

[jhelrey]

I'd be curious to know how much water you'd actually get from the drain.

 

[FL Guy]

I went ahead and reduced the drain to a 1/4” hose. So far so good.
if I had to guess, I’m draining probably a gallon or so of water a day.

 

[FL Guy]

I see your point, but I'll play the devil's advocate...

There may be a reason that tube is sized that large, perhaps to prevent a potential accumulation of small ice chunks from blocking the drain? I could be way off, but it was the first thing that came to mind, especially since I just recently had to clear an ice block from the drain in MY garage refrigerator.

the ice box is not refrigerate. Either use the ice or lose it.

 

[Higgy1300]

I went ahead and reduced the drain to a 1/4” hose. So far so good.
if I had to guess, I’m draining probably a gallon or so of water a day.

at least you have access to clean it out. the the water moves very slow and will build up gunk. just like your home ac. we run into this in the restaurant industry all the time

 

[CraigStu]

Having had an icemaker in the door of a frig that needed to get ice cleared from the drain every 4-5 months, I would have stayed w/ the original diameter. Also I am not sure that a 3/8" hole vs a 1" hole makes much difference. OTOH, I am hopeful that it works out for you.

 

[FL Guy]

Having had an icemaker in the door of a frig that needed to get ice cleared from the drain every 4-5 months,

my ice bucket/container is not refrigerated like those at gas stations. The unit makes ice until it’s full. As ice melts, the unit makes more.

time will tell if it’ll work.

 

[FL Guy]

at least you have access to clean it out. the the water moves very slow and will build up gunk. just like your home ac. we run into this in the restaurant industry all the time

do you give the Drain a squirt of bleach or vinegar Once a month or so?

 

[Higgy1300]

do you give the Drain a squirt of bleach or vinegar Once a month or so?

yes that would be regular maintenance

 

[Milton Shaw]

I have seen people try to use HVAC drain pumps for ice maker drains and each cycle of the icemaker would trigger the over full and turn the icemaker off until that HVAC drain pumps to catch up. This was not a good operating cycle for the cooling system. And add in the ice melting water and you need that 1" drain size.

 

[Jacko264]

Do you think they would use large pipe if small cheap pipe would do ?

 

[CV428]

The diameter on that drain pipe is less about flow rate and more about reduction of cost for component commonality. The bigger risk is that it starts to build up with sediment like someone's arteries after they eat at Arby's.

Don't neck that down too much or it's going to clog with slimy sediment sludge and algae. Same with HVAC drains. 13 years ago, I was sitting at my desk at work and water started coming from the ceiling tiles above me. I went outside and sure enough, the HVAC drain pipe was clogged. We pulled this monstrous pipe-booger out with an electrician's fish tape (he was very happy about it, too /s). That was a ~1.5" drain pipe. It happens. It happens faster when bugs crawl in to get to moisture, die, and start to build said pipe-booger.