Re-Evaporation Pans vs External Drains: How Modern Mortuary Coolers Handle Condensate

Every refrigeration coil makes water. How your mortuary cooler gets rid of it comes down to two mechanisms: internal re-evaporation or an external drain.

How the re-evaporation pan works

Indoor PRO³ P2 and P3 cabinets place a pan beneath the compressor. Hot refrigerant discharge gas passes through the pan and evaporates condensate collected from the evaporator coil during normal operation. In most cold-storage applications, that's the whole story — no plumbing, no pump, no drain.

When re-evaporation isn't enough

The pan has a capacity limit. High indoor humidity and extended run times produce more condensate than the pan can evaporate, creating overflow risk. That's when the built-in 3/4″ NPT external drain connection earns its keep: route it to a remote drain via a field-supplied condensate pump or external drain line.

The P1 exception

Compact P1 cabinets skip the pan entirely — they ship with a 5/8″ external condensate drain line that must always be connected. Know your cabinet class before install day (see our P1/P2/P3 breakdown).

Three habits that prevent water problems

1. Establish the P-trap liquid seal at startup by adding water to the drain line.
2. Heat-trace and slope any drain run exposed to freezing.
3. Inspect and clear drain lines on your maintenance schedule — a plugged drain shows up as ice in the pan.

The complete condensate drainage notice, responsibility terms, and current manuals are on the Packaged Refrigeration Manuals & Startup Guide.