Condensate from a rooftop air handling unit has to be piped to a point of disposal. Where does the code require that condensate to be discharged?
- ATo the nearest roof drain in all cases, since condensate is clean water that the storm drainage system is built to carry away
A roof drain is sometimes an approved destination, which makes this look right. It is not a universal answer, since some jurisdictions do not accept condensate in the storm system, and continuous discharge invites ice damage.
- BInto a plumbing vent terminal above the roof, where the water falls into the drainage system below it
A vent terminal is an open pipe on the roof leading to drainage, which is the whole appeal. It carries air, and pouring water into it wets the vent, promotes frost closure and defeats what the vent is there to do.
- To an approved place of disposal, and not onto a street, sidewalk, alley or similar area where it would create a nuisance
- DInto the sanitary drainage system through a direct connection made at the nearest available stack
The sanitary system is a legitimate destination in many jurisdictions, so only the word direct is wrong. Equipment discharges connect indirectly through an approved receptor, which is what the indirect waste provisions require.
Why C is correct
Condensate must be conveyed to an approved place of disposal, and discharging it onto a street, sidewalk, alley or other area where it would cause a nuisance is prohibited. Where the sanitary system is the chosen destination, the connection is made indirectly through an approved receptor so that no direct connection exists between the equipment and the drainage system.
What this question is testing
The item tests knowledge of approved condensate destinations and the prohibition on nuisance discharge, and whether the candidate understands that connection to the sanitary system must be indirect.
On the job
The sidewalk drip is a slip-and-fall claim waiting to happen and it freezes into a hazard every winter. On a service call, follow the condensate line all the way to its end before you certify the unit, and expect to find secondary pans piped into thin air above a ceiling, primary drains without traps that will not flow at all, and lines routed into a vent because it was the closest pipe on the roof.
Memory technique
Approved destination, never the sidewalk, never a direct tie.
Exam tip
Condensate questions turn on two ideas: an approved point of disposal, and no direct connection to the drainage system.
Where to look it up
Chapter 3, the condensate disposal provisions, read with the indirect waste requirements in Chapter 8. Condensate rules are split between the plumbing and mechanical codes differently in UPC jurisdictions, so verify against your adopted set.