Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Dripping

[srhlln]

Hello everybody, reaching out to hopefully get some advice with a little problem we've been having.

Our Mitsubishi Heavy Industries split a/c has been leaking recently, we've had the handyman in who managed to figure out the problem was that the condensation was backing up and not draining away down the pipe that leads outside. Since then we have had an a/c maintenance guy who came in, didn't even look inside the systems and then told our landlord it was clogged with dog hair (amongst other lies regarding services he charged us for that he never did) and another a/c guy who did a standard cleaning of the coils and when I pointed out that the dripping was still happening he poked at it with a screw driver and managed to stop the dripping long enough for him to make a hasty exit, 5 minutes later it was dripping again.

That's the background, my question is is there any way to access more of the drainage pipe (located on the right hand lower corner of the unit) or is this locked away behind the interior casing? And is there any reason why we're able to flow water up the pipe but water is still not draining through?

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[jonjon]

sounds like possible blockage further down the condensate . could do with a shot of nitro down the drain to clear the lines

[srhlln]

Yeah that's pretty much what we thought, managed to blast water down it and also up it but then when we try some 'low pressure' water (similar to how the condensate would be) the water just bubbles back out. So frustrating.
Thanks for your input!

[Tol]

I have come across a few situations like this where the drain has gone up above the tray, most times where the pipes go into the wall. Have a look in the wall penetration that the drain pipe is below the other pipes and wires and not above them. This will prevent water draining.

[back2space]

Have you any pics of the pipework outside where the drain terminates?

[srhlln]

Outside, all I can see is the end of the pipe. It does go through the walls and the only part I can access is the tiny bit shown on the picture.. I did think that the fact the pipe is higher than the drain pan and looks as though the water would have to travel up the pipe would be the problem...

[nyhvac]

If you have access to a wet vac. you can fill the drain pan with water under the indoor evaporator unit. Outside take wet vac and put wet vac hose over the condensate drain line and seal any gaps around the two pipes as best as possible. By vacuuming from there you can pull all debris and clear drain line. Once clear can pour water at indoor unit to flush any remaining dirt. Good luck :)

[subcoolfm]

Hi

Can you not cut into the wall to access some drain and fit a pump?

[Good^Man]

Sorry to hear about the two engineer visits that did not handle the problem.

Before you go cutting away at the brickwork, suggest two ideas:

a) Get a drain cleaner tool, which is basically a cable with a handle on one end. Feed that down the drain pipe and rotate it with the handle and that should loosen the debris or maybe you can drag it out of the pipe when you withdraw the wire. Try it from both ends - maybe from the outside first.

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b) There is a Drain Cleaner fluid available in UK - probably also something similar in Hong Kong - which you squirt into the top of the pipe (or in the drain pan if the pipe is not accessible). The fluid travels down the condensate pipe via gravity and loosens anything in its way. Remarkable stuff.

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c) The fluid would clear this but you could use the wire again to unclog anything in the short piece of pipe between the drain pan (just below the aluminium heat exchanger) and the other end of that short bit of pipe (ie just before it heads on down the rest of the drain pipe). Stick the wire in from the right hand side (and have a bucket ready for the gush of dirty water if that is where the blockage is).

[srhlln]

Hi! Thanks for all the helpful replies, still having the problem but we're trying to use the drain unclogging solution (somewhat unsuccessfully as the solution keeps bubbling back up out of the pipe! Planning on trying to fire some down the drain with a water gun (very professional).

Trying to avoid going into the wall as we're tenants and we're trying to sort it out without involving the landlord (due to her already being told that it's our fault that the air con is dripping!)

Fingers crossed it gets sorted..