Condensate pan for a heat exchanger

Abstract

A furnace for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a condensate pan including a base wall and a plurality of side walls extending from the base wall. The base wall and the side walls define an internal volume configured to receive liquid condensate from a tube of the furnace. The condensate pan also includes a first mounting aperture, a second mounting aperture, and a plurality of drain ports formed therein, each drain port extends through the base wall and is formed at an intersection of two side walls of the side walls. The condensate pan is configured to mount to a panel of the furnace via a first fastener extending through the first mounting aperture. The furnace also including an inducer blower configured to mount directly to the condensate pan via a second fastener extending through the second mounting aperture.

1 . A furnace for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, wherein the furnace comprises:
 a condensate pan comprising a base wall and a plurality of side walls extending from the base wall, wherein the base wall and the plurality of side walls define an internal volume configured to receive liquid condensate from a tube of the furnace, the condensate pan comprises a first mounting aperture, a second mounting aperture, and a plurality of drain ports formed therein, each drain port of the plurality of drain ports extends through the base wall and is formed at an intersection of two side walls of the plurality of side walls, and the condensate pan is configured to mount to a panel of the furnace via a first fastener extending through the first mounting aperture; and   an inducer blower configured to mount directly to the condensate pan via a second fastener extending through the second mounting aperture.   
     
     
         2 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the condensate pan is a single, integrally-formed piece. 
     
     
         3 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of drain ports comprises:
 a first drain port, wherein the first drain port is formed through the base wall at a first corner of the internal volume, and the first corner is defined by a first side wall and a second side wall of the plurality of side walls; and   a second drain port, wherein the second drain port is formed through the base wall at a second corner of the internal volume, and the second corner is defined by a third side wall and a fourth side wall of the plurality of side walls.   
     
     
         4 . The furnace of  claim 3 , wherein the first drain port and the second drain port are diagonally opposite one another relative to the internal volume. 
     
     
         5 . The furnace of  claim 3 , wherein the condensate pan is configured to drain the liquid condensate from the internal volume via the first drain port in a first orientation of the condensate pan, and the condensate pan is configured to drain the liquid condensate from the internal volume via the second drain port in a second orientation of the condensate pan. 
     
     
         6 . The furnace of  claim 5 , wherein the condensate pan comprises a first pressure port formed through the base wall proximate a third corner of the internal volume defined by the second side wall and the fourth side wall, and the furnace comprises a pressure detection conduit extending from the first pressure port to the inducer blower and configured to monitor a pressure within the internal volume in the first orientation of the condensate pan. 
     
     
         7 . The furnace of  claim 6 , wherein the condensate pan comprises a second pressure port formed through the base wall proximate a fourth corner of the internal volume defined by the second side wall and the third side wall, and the pressure detection conduit extends from the second pressure port to the inducer blower to monitor the pressure within the internal volume in the second orientation of the condensate pan. 
     
     
         8 . The furnace of  claim 1 , wherein the condensate pan comprises an outer flange extending from at least one side wall of the plurality of side walls, and the first mounting aperture extends through the outer flange. 
     
     
         9 . The furnace of  claim 1 , comprising a metallic screw boss disposed within the second mounting aperture, wherein the second fastener is configured to engage with the metallic screw boss to mount the inducer blower directly to the condensate pan. 
     
     
         10 . The furnace of  claim 9 , wherein the condensate pan comprises a third mounting aperture formed therein, the third mounting aperture is offset from the base wall, and the inducer blower configured to mount directly to the condensate pan via a third fastener extending through the third mounting aperture. 
     
     
         11 . The furnace of  claim 10 , wherein the condensate pan comprises an extension extending from a side wall of the plurality of side walls, and the third mounting aperture is formed through a distal end of the extension. 
     
     
         12 . A condensate pan for a furnace of a heating, ventilation, and/or air-conditioning, (HVAC) system, wherein the condensate pan comprises:
 a base wall;   a plurality of side walls extending from the base wall and crosswise to the base wall;   an internal volume defined by the base wall and the plurality of side walls, wherein the internal volume is configured to receive a heat transfer fluid and a liquid condensate from a heat exchanger of the furnace;   a first drain port extending through the base wall and formed at a first corner of the internal volume defined by a first side wall of the plurality of side walls and a second side wall of the plurality of side walls, wherein the first drain port is configured to drain the liquid condensate from the internal volume to an exterior of the condensate pan in a first orientation of the condensate pan; and   a second drain port extending through the base wall and formed at a second corner of the internal volume defined by a third side wall of the plurality of side walls and a fourth side wall of the plurality of side walls, wherein the second drain port is configured to drain the liquid condensate from the internal volume to the exterior of the condensate pan in a second orientation of the condensate pan.   
     
     
         13 . The condensate pan of  claim 12 , wherein the first corner and the second corner are diagonally opposite one another relative to the internal volume. 
     
     
         14 . The condensate pan of  claim 12 , comprising a plurality of outer flanges extending from the plurality side walls and crosswise to the plurality of side walls, wherein the plurality of outer flanges comprises a plurality of mounting apertures configured to receive a plurality of fasteners to mount the condensate pan to the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         15 . The condensate pan of  claim 12 , comprising a plurality of mounting apertures integrally formed in the condensate pan, wherein the plurality of mounting apertures is configured to receive a plurality of fasteners to mount an inducer blower directly to the condensate pan. 
     
     
         16 . The condensate pan of  claim 15 , wherein a first mounting apertures of the plurality of mounting apertures is formed through the base wall, and a second mounting aperture of the plurality of mounting apertures is offset from the base wall. 
     
     
         17 . The condensate pan of  claim 12 , comprising an air flow aperture formed through the base wall and configured to direct the heat transfer fluid from the internal volume to an inducer blower of the furnace mounted directly to the condensate pan. 
     
     
         18 . The condensate pan of  claim 12 , wherein the condensate pan is a single piece structure. 
     
     
         19 . A furnace for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, wherein the furnace comprises:
 a vestibule panel comprising a first side and a second side, opposite the first side;   a burner assembly coupled to the vestibule panel and disposed on the first side of the vestibule panel, wherein the burner assembly is configured to generate combustion products;   a first plurality of tubes coupled to vestibule panel and disposed on the second side of the vestibule panel, wherein the first plurality of tubes is configured to receive the combustion products from the burner assembly;   a second plurality of tubes coupled to the vestibule panel and disposed on the second side of the vestibule panel, wherein the second plurality of tubes is configured to receive the combustion products from the first plurality of tubes;   a condensate pan coupled to the vestibule panel and disposed on the first side of the vestibule panel, wherein the condensate pan defines an internal volume configured to receive the combustion products and a liquid condensate from the second plurality of tubes, the condensate pan comprises a first condensate drain port formed in a first corner of the internal volume and a second condensate drain port formed in a second corner of the internal volume, diagonally opposite the first corner, and the first condensate drain port and the second condensate drain port are each configured to direct the liquid condensate out of the internal volume in different orientations of the condensate pan; and   an inducer blower mounted directly to the condensate pan and configured to draw the combustion products out of the internal volume.   
     
     
         20 . The furnace of  claim 19 , wherein the condensate pan defines a first mounting aperture, a second mounting aperture, and an air flow aperture, the first mounting aperture and the air flow aperture are formed through a base wall of the condensate pan, the second mounting aperture is offset from the base wall, and the inducer blower is mounted directly to the condensate pan via a first fastener extending through the first mounting aperture and a second fastener extending through the second mounting aperture.