Daikin mini-split air conditioners need to drain condensate to work competently, sometimes with the assistance of a drain pump.
Understanding the basic principles of how your Daikin mini-split system works can help you operate it efficiently and make informed decisions about maintenance and temperature settings.
Air conditioning systems cool the air in a room in which they are installed. In order to do this they need to make way for cooler air to be released into the room and reduce the temperature. This involves the process of extracting humidity and warm air from the room.
Home air conditioners need to eliminate warm air and humidity and expel it outside to allow cooler air into the space.
This process involves condensation of water, and the air conditioner then needs to drain the water. If you have a Daikin mini-split air conditioning system, the same process is used for cooling.
Daikin mini-split AC units and draining
Your Daikin mini-split air conditioner also needs to drain condensate moisture collected from inside the space.
Mini-split systems need to be connected to a drainpipe at the indoor unit to drain the condensate water to the nearest plumbing pipe.
With a Daikin mini-split air conditioner, your draining needs to be installed properly in order for the unit to work and drain the condensate.
For this to be possible, a wall hole needs to be drilled for the drain piping, refrigerant piping, and wiring to be positioned.
How a Daikin mini-split drain works
A Daikin mini-split draining process requires that the unit’s drain piping be installed correctly for condensation water to flow out smoothly.
Mini-split systems usually drain the condensate water via gravity flow. The inlet is at the highest point of the drainpipe where the condensate water flows out towards the outlet.
The drain hose of the air conditioner needs to be installed in a downward slope to allow the water to easily be drained via gravity. To extend the hose, a field supplied hose needs to be used.
When attaching the right-side, right-back, or right-bottom piping, the drain hose needs to be attached to the underside of the refrigerant pipes with adhesive vinyl tape and wrapped together with insulation tape to pass through the wall hole.
The same needs to be done for left-side, left-back, and left-bottom piping, but the drain hose now needs to be connected to the drain port instead of the drain plug, so that water can and flow out.
The drain hose then needs to be embedded between the inner and outer wall facing downwards at a depth of 50 mm for water to flow out and to prevent the hose from getting pulled out of the drainpipe.
Draining with the aid of a drain pump
Sometimes, when the drainpipe has been installed higher than its inlet, water may struggle to drain by gravity, which can result in water leaking due to insufficient draining.
In this case, a drain pump will come in handy as it will suck out the water that is not flowing out of the drain pipe.
If you are going to use a drain pump with your Daikin mini-split system, it needs to be installed lower than the mini-split unit so that the condensate water pushes against the inlet of the drain pump, which will provide suction pressure for the pump to function properly.
Drainpipe considerations for better draining
To successfully install the drain piping of a Daikin mini-split system, the piping needs to be done right.
It is important to keep piping as short as possible and to ensure that it is sloping downwards for the air to be expelled and not remain trapped inside the pipe. The pipe size should be kept equal or greater than that of the connecting pipe.
The drain piping should not be connected directly to sewerage pipes that smell of ammonia, as this smell may enter the indoor unit through the drainpipes and corrode the heat exchanger.
Checking for water leaks
Once your Daikin mini-split air conditioner piping is done and set to drain properly, you first need to check that the unit will drain properly without any water leaks. The best way to check for water leaks is to test draining using water.
Remove the air filters to expose the drain pan of the air conditioner and slowly pour some water into the drain pan, observing whether there is any water leaking from anywhere instead of travelling through the drainpipes to be expelled outside.