Hi,

We are in the middle of fixing a home we just purchased from water damage in the basement. We recently discovered that the basement has significant water damage which has now turned to mold and will require the gutting of the basement.

In the process of doing this, we just discovered that the basement does not have a floor drain in the room where the furnace is. Since the home has forced air and an air conditioner, this is a problem. The condensate from the air conditioner has no place to drain. Significant amounts of water are generated and have ended up spilling on the floor.

To complicate matters, the house is in a rural area and has a septic tank. The sump pump for the tank is across the basement (which was separated by drywalls, doors, etc). My mother thinks we should just cut a small hole in the concrete floor and "drain" condensate there. I can't imagine this is to code, however. Will this work or what will?

You can either install sump-pump or have your furnace person to install automatic condensation pump designed for a/c coil condensation run-off with discharge tub leading to the exterior of your house. For both systems, elevation will not matter.

Milo nailed it with the AC Condensate Pump,(see image) I have one of these installed for my air handler. It pumps up into the attic and back down outside to discharge. They are small and for the last two years it's been trouble free. Good luck, Tom