High-efficiency furnaces offer substantial cost-savings benefits for homeowners. They can convert 95% to 97% of their consumed energy into heat. Older furnaces, on the other hand, may only convert 60% to 70% of their consumed energy into heat. If you’re going to upgrade to a high-efficiency furnace, though, you’ll need to ensure it has a condensate trap.
What Is a Condensate Trap?
A condensate trap is a drainage pipe that’s designed to trap a small amount of water. They are typically U- or P-shaped pieces of PVC pipe. Condensate traps are connected to condensation drainage systems. They allow water in the form of condensation to drain, but they prevent air or water from coming back up the drainage system.
How Condensate Traps Work
Condensate traps work by trapping a small amount of water. Condensation drainage systems don’t consist of a single vertical pipe. Instead, most of them have a condensate trap near the top.
Water will travel through the condensate trap and into the pipe to which it connects. The condensate trap, however, will remain filled with water. It serves as a trap for condensation. Water will remain in the condensate trap, thereby creating a seal between the condensation drainage system and your home’s exterior.
Why High-Efficiency Furnaces Need a Condensate Trap
High-efficiency furnaces produce more condensation than older furnaces with a lower efficiency rating. Some of them, in fact, can produce a half-dozen gallons of condensation per day. A condensate trap will help to flush all of this water to your home’s exterior while protecting against air leaks.
The main reason high-efficiency furnaces need a condensate trap is to prevent flue gases from entering indoor living spaces. High-efficiency gas furnaces produce condensation as a byproduct of burning natural gas. Therefore, their exhaust systems are directly connected to their condensation drainage systems. Condensation from the exhaust gases will enter the condensation drainage system where it’s flushed to the exterior.
Without a condensate trap, flue gases may not be properly flushed to the exterior. Some of the flue gases may escape and enter your home’s indoor living spaces. A condensate trap prevents this from happening by ensuring that condensation and flue gases can only travel out of your home.
In Conclusion
A condensate trap is an essential part of a high-efficiency furnace. It helps to remove all of the excess condensation while also preventing flue gases from entering indoor living spaces.