Questions re Condesation

[Yuv]

Hello everybody and thank you for the amazing wealth of valuable information shared in this forum. This is my first post, kindly make me aware if I am not following proper etiquette, and please excuse my English (foreign language).

I am considering a mini-split system and despite extensive research have not found conclusive answers to my question re condensation. I hope experts in this forum will be able to help.

We own a condominium unit in a high rise in southern Ontario. All of our rooms are exposed to the south and so is the one and only place were I can put the outdoor unit, under a window on a balcony. The unit is currently equipped with an old PTAC, supplemented with a portable A/C. After some research into mini-splits I convinced the condominium's board to allow me to replace the PTAC with a mini-split, however there is one stringent condition re condensation discharge: it is imperative that no water be permitted to drip down the face of the building or to balconies below.

My understanding is that condensate is produced by the indoor unit when cooling / dehumidifying and by the outdoor unit when heating. Is this correct?

I have seen condensation pumps for indoor units in manufacturers' brochures, and it seems to me that they simply evacuate outdoor. What are my alternatives if I can't evacuate condensate outdoor?

Can I collect the condensate from the outdoor unit and dispose of it indoor?

How much condensate can I expect?

Thank you in advance for your help and advice.

Yuv

[herlichka]

I think most of your questions can be answered by a competant installer; this probably won't be the first time that they have encountered this type of situation. If you can, try to talk to the installer, not the showroom salesman. The salesman may not have the intimate knowledge of the machines needed to answer you correctly.
As far as "how much condensate", Southern Ontario does have extended periods of damp, cool, hot and humid weather, so there will be times that you will struggle to keep up. If the layout of your condo permits then the safest way to deal with the condensate is to pump it directly to a drain under a sink. Sometimes you can hide this line under a baseboard so that it looks tidy. If you have to manually empty a collection pail be prepared to make that commitment, some days may produce a lot of condensate, and one overflow may ruin a lot of "goodwill" that you have with your condo board.
Lastly, beware of the potential of mold development in your condensate system, regular disinfecting of the equipment will be required.

Please keep us updated in your progress, I am curious as to how your installer will approach this problem.

[Yuv]

Originally Posted by herlichka

I think most of your questions can be answered by a competant installer

Thank you for the reply. At the moment I am looking for answers and knowledge on the internet because I want to be able to ask for specifics when talking with an installer.

Originally Posted by herlichka

As far as "how much condensate", Southern Ontario does have extended periods of damp, cool, hot and humid weather, so there will be times that you will struggle to keep up.

Where will it form/collect? in the inside unit or in the outside unit of the mini-split?

I have been living here for two years. The 12.000 BTU/hr PTAC in the condo is utterly insufficient so I am complementing it with a 9.000 BTU/hr portable A/C which has a water tank. On humid days the tank gets full every 3-4 hours. A floater-operated switch stops the A/C until I empty the tank and building such a tank / switch is trivial if I know where I am collecting from and what quantity to expect.

Originally Posted by herlichka

Sometimes you can hide this line under a baseboard so that it looks tidy

I am in the early planning stage of a complete remodeling of the condo. No wall will be left untouched. I am pretty sure there is room for tidying things up.

Originally Posted by herlichka

beware of the potential of mold development in your condensate system, regular disinfecting of the equipment will be required.

How is this different from potential mold development in a portable A/C? I have had the portable A/C for seven years and I regularly clean the air filters and disinfect the water tank. Vinegar does a great job. I am confortable with this level of maintenance.

The PTAC that came with the condo seems to be twenty years old and no instruction manual was provided by the previous owner. I opened all what seems to be user-serviceable. I found an aluminium filter clogged with dust to the point that even soaking it for 24 hours was not enough to remove the deposits. I also found condensate (with rust) in the tray underneath the filter.

Originally Posted by herlichka

Please keep us updated in your progress, I am curious as to how your installer will approach this problem.

At the planning stage it is all about how other users have approached this problem. I am just thankful for all the answers and experience reports from others.