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ISSUE

A sweaty condensation drain line is dripping and causing mold in a ceiling panel:

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The condensation drain pipe is lengthy and spans two rooms:

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QUESTION

Is insulating the pipe an effective means to counter this drip / mold problem? If you have successfully solved this problem please state this in your response and include details / context. Thank you

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gatorback
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2 Answers2

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Yes. Isolating the pipe from moist air has been the common fix for decades.

isherwood
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  • Good. I was contemplating re-routing (re-piping) but it would be easier to insulate, because new piping would require a hole through the building wall. – gatorback Jul 21 '17 at 18:09
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    Make sure you seal the gap in the insulation. If moist air can get in, you'll have condensation inside the insulation. – Tester101 Jul 21 '17 at 21:59
  • To seal the gap, I am interpreting that that the insulation's slit (gap) must be closed with tape? – gatorback Jul 22 '17 at 12:34
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    Yes. Duct or packaging tape at work well. Some products are self-sealing. – isherwood Jul 22 '17 at 12:41
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Not sure where you live but in humid climates it is standard practice to insulate condensate drain lines for that very reason.

user76730
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  • The site is in Florida – gatorback Oct 21 '17 at 03:09
  • So just for kicks I looked up the dew point in Tampa. It is currently 69 degrees. Where I am right now the dew point is 42 degrees. The condensation coming off your coil is around 40 degrees and will warm up a little going down the line. Anything below the dew point will likely condense. That is why where you live everyone insulates their condensate drain and where I live almost no one does. – user76730 Oct 22 '17 at 21:32