Window A/C- No Evap Drain?

[Bruce Amacker]

Hey guys- I bought a used (prod 3-2012, model# AHH24DQH1) GE window unit A/C for cooling my shop, it's 24,100BTU, 220v. I installed it today per directions with a 5* slant, it cools my 1000sf work area great.

There's no water drain! I can look through the vents while it's running, the evap case in the front of the unit is dripping steadily toward the rear of the unit and the tray in the rear of the unit filled with water to maybe 3/4"+ deep, until the condenser fan appeared to be running its tips submerged. Is this normal? I always remember a drain in the tray at the back of units. Is this some kind of strategy to cool the condenser better by throwing water on it? Won't this permanent standing water rot the tray out, or was this a mfr error?


Thanks!

 

[danielzig]

It is operating as expected. You guessed right, the water is meant to be slung onto the condenser. Excess water will drip outside.

 

[wrench409]

Yep, that's the new design feature.

And not only the water gets slung up onto the condensor inside, all the dust and **** too. And when it stops cooling, you get to take it apart to clean it, and deal with a styrofoam fan casing.

I drilled drain holes in the two I had.

 

[JakeKohl]

The idea is that the cool water from the evaporator can be used to carry additional heat away from the condenser both through convection and evaporation. Draining it ~may~ help prolong the life of it but it will decrease it's rated efficiency and output.

 

[nehog]

Yep, that's the new design feature.

And not only the water gets slung up onto the condensor inside, all the dust and **** too. And when it stops cooling, you get to take it apart to clean it, and deal with a styrofoam fan casing.

I drilled drain holes in the two I had.

This (cooling the condenser coil with the evaporator's water) has been done from almost the first days of window AC units. If you defeat the system (which is engineered to work this way) you can greatly reduce the cooling efficiency of the unit.

Drilling drain holes is not a good thing to do. Instead do proper maintenance and clean the unit each season. It will then work much better.

 

[Milton Shaw]

My neighbor drilled holes in his and into the condenser itself. Outcome, had to buy a new unit. Yes the outside of the condenser fan has a slinger ring to splash water on the coil for additional cooling. Leave it alone and other parts will fail before the pan rusts out. If it's in a very dirty location you might need to clean coil every couple of years. I did see a unit in a sewing/woodworking shop that would clog up in about two or three weeks from all the air borne ****. I would hate to see what people's lungs look like from that shop. Eventually they had to go with spit units with the condenser out of the shop on the roof.

 

[Falcon67]

X43 on above - just make sure it has the required tilt to the rear and run it. I have to units, both operate the same as yours.

 

[Jagmandave]

I walked by the outside end of mine the other day while it was running and heard a strange noise that I couldn't pin point....I wonder if it was that?
(Water being slung onto the coil)

I don't use mine every day, but boy howdy is it nice when the humidity climbs here in Kansas!

Thanks for that info, I would have drilled some holes too, in my ignorance.....

 

[jwith68]

I have a 20+ year old Whirlpool 25k Btu A/C installed through-the-wall in my shop. It operates the same way, so its not exactly a new design feature. It's also still operating just fine after ~12 years cooling most of my in-laws' home, and another 7 years in my shop with no repairs or maintenance other than an occasional cleaning and blowing out the evap side filter. Thus, I don't think this design has compromised the life of the unit too badly.

 

[wrench409]

This (cooling the condenser coil with the evaporator's water) has been done from almost the first days of window AC units. If you defeat the system (which is engineered to work this way) you can greatly reduce the cooling efficiency of the unit.

Drilling drain holes is not a good thing to do. Instead do proper maintenance and clean the unit each season. It will then work much better.

My first big window unit came with a drain (many years ago). I used it for 8 years before it pooped out.

The next two I bought had no drains and required twice yearly tear down and cleaning. I drilled them and am even using one right now a small 8,000 btu. and I haven't cleaned it in two years now. The 18,000 btu one I sold and the buyer asked if it had the hole. He preferred it too.

So anyway, they worked for me.