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This shoebox thing near my furnace (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 1 month ago by CrackedLinuxISO@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/whatisthisthing@lemmy.world
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What's this device (circled in blue) that's attached to my furnace? It recently got replaced and I forgot what the HVAC technician called it, or what its function is.

I do rember that they said to put some vinegar in the U-bend (circled in red) once or twice a year. I forgot to ask why this is necessary, but I'd guess that it tends to collect moisture, and the vinegar will prevent mold?

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[-] boaratio@lemmy.world 54 points 1 month ago

It's a condensate pump. When you run your AC, that's the thing that pumps the condensation that is produced out of your house.

[-] DeltaWingDragon@sh.itjust.works 27 points 1 month ago

That's the condensation pump. Without it, your furnace would build up condensation.

[-] Trex202@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago

It wouldn't build up, it would just spill onto the floor. Houses with drains near the furnace don't need these pumps.

[-] OldManBOMBIN@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

It builds up condensation anyway; this just removes it

[-] OldManBOMBIN@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago

Also, it's not really necessary to treat with vinegar, but it is very helpful. Over time, a substance called Zooglea grows in the line and can cause clogs.

[-] Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 month ago

And a bunch of other microbes too. A single species may dominate the population, but it’s highly likely that there are several other species hanging around as well. Adding some vinegar will make the conditions more challenging for most of them, so many will just die while others may struggle and grow very slowly.

In ELI5 speak: Gross bugs growing in there. Add vinegar to make it a bit nicer.

[-] OldManBOMBIN@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago

Condensate pump. It fills up with water and then pumps it up that pipe and outside somewhere.

[-] ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 month ago

Googling the brand name on the product shows "condensate pump" as the result.

https://www.asurityhvacr.com/product/view/10360

[-] i_stole_ur_taco@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 month ago

Condensate pump?

[-] Retreaux@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

Unrelated, a clean looking install.

[-] OldManBOMBIN@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Hey OP, I was cleaning out condensate lines at work the other day and thought you may want to see a bad case of build-up:

this post was submitted on 15 Apr 2025
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What is this thing?

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