Every year multi-residential buildings experience floods originating from suites. Such floods cause thousands of dollars in damage. In-suite fan coil units and heat pumps (AC & Heating System) are where many of these floods originate from. In the case of the fan coil unit and heat pump, during the summer months condensation forms on the coil during the cooling process (dehumidification); the drain pan is designed to collect the moisture and drain it away through the drain line. Occasionally, the pan or drain line may become clogged, causing the drain pan to overflow onto the suite floor’s and almost always to the unit below.
Finding your building in this situation will result in: costly repairs, higher insurance premiums, higher health hazards from bacteria/mould and finally cause a major inconvenience. Installing Merrit’s low cost drain pan overflow controller will greatly reduce these risks. In condos or rental buildings where the corporation or landlord is responsible for the repairs, a onetime purchase of the Merrit’s drain pan overflow shut-off switch for the building will easily offset one flood repair alone. Its continuous use will provide a further benefit by avoiding future flood repair costs. When it’s adjustable sensor comes into contact with water it provides an early warning alarm of a flood situation.
Should Merrit’s drain pan overflow controller detect an overflowing drain pan the unit will cut off power to the fan coil unit or heat pump. With the air conditioning not operating, the resident will take necessary steps to resolve the overflowing drain pan and avert a flood.
Installation requires an experienced technician to properly adjust, mount, and wire the device into your fan coil unit or heat pump. Once installed, no further maintenance is required. When performing any future maintenance on the fan coil unit or heat pump simple testing of the unit is recommended.
If it’s not your unit leaking, in many cases the source of the flood is from the apartment or condo owner above leaking into the suite below. Merrit’s drain pan Flood Prevention Controller will provide early detection.
