Why is this pipe dripping water from the outside wall?

Question

My home outer wall pipe is dripping small quantities of water now and then. Upon checking with the builder on my home which was built 3 years ago, he responded that it's a secondary drain pipe and he mentioned it might be dripping because your primary drain which is on first floor might be clogged and asked me to reach out to HVAC company.

My HVAC dripping water through secondary drain pipe is something I saw first time. When water was dripping it was around 10pm and outside temp is around 80 F and my ac was set to 76.

Answer 1

An A/C unit generally has two drains: the first is a drain that carries water away from the condenser, which often drains into a waste pipe behind a nearby sink. The second is the drain on the overflow pan that the A/C unit should be sitting in. This is usually a cheap metal pan 2"-3" deep. The overflow pan typically drains out a small pipe, like the one shown in your photo, to make any overflow noticeable.

There should never be water in the emergency drain pan or dripping from its pipe, since that means the primary drain is clogged or undersized. If the pan is dry but there is evidence of water accumulation in the past (such as rust or staining), then monitor the pan & drain to make sure it doesn't start up again.

If you do see water in the pan or its drain, then the primary drain needs to be cleaned or repaired. Mold can often grow in the primary pipe and block it.

Answer 2

Go to your air handler. If there is water in the pan it sits in, or stains that indicate there has been water there, it isn't draining correctly.

The drain for the unit can be maintained, but you may just want to call someone to clean it out, they know how to do this.