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We boast the largest array of available products out there. Currently offering 21 different wattage/voltage options that go into 11 different pans, we are able to build solutions that will meet your specific requirements.

What is an Evaporation Pan?

A condensate evaporator pan is a special tray that catches and automatically gets rid of water produced by a refrigeration unit. In any refrigerator or freezer unit whether it’s a glass-door display case or a reach-in freezer—moisture is constantly being pulled from the air. This moisture, called condensation, collects on the cold evaporator coils and turns to frost or ice. The pan’s job is to safely collect all the water that melts from these coils (during a defrost cycle) and allows it to evaporate so it doesn’t leak all over your floor or cause problems with the unit.

How It Works: The Two-Step Process

The pan’s function is a continuous cycle of two main steps.

Catching the Water (Condensation)

  1. During Cooling: The evaporator coils (the part that gets cold) pull humidity from the air inside the unit. This moisture freezes onto the coils as frost.
  2. During Defrost: To prevent this frost from building up and blocking airflow, the unit regularly runs a defrost cycle. A heater near the coils warms them up just enough to melt all the accumulated frost and ice.
  3. Draining: As the frost melts, the water drips down and is channeled through a drain tube, emptying directly into the condensate evaporator pan, which is located at the bottom of the unit.

Evaporating the Water (Disposal)

Unlike a home air conditioner that might have a drain line going outside, a self-contained refrigeration unit needs to get rid of this water on its own. It does this in one of two ways:

  1. Passive Evaporation (Using Waste Heat): Most commonly, the pan is placed near the unit’s hot components, the compressor and the condenser coil. The fan that cools these parts blows hot, dry air across the surface of the water in the pan. It’s a very efficient design that uses the heat the unit is already producing.
  2. Active Evaporation (Heated Pans): Some units in very humid environments produce more water than passive evaporation can handle. These models use an electric condensate evaporator pan. This pan has its own built-in heating element that warms the water, significantly speeding up the evaporation process to keep up with the load.

Evaporation Pan Benefits

Without a properly functioning condensate evaporator pan, you may incur many problems:

Condensate Management

The pans solve the issue of condensate disposal when no drain is available.

Durable Materials

Our evap pans feature highly corrosion-resistant stainless steel material throughout. The float is made of electro polished 316 Stainless Steel and the rest of the components are made of 301/304 Stainless Steel.

Prevents Damage

Our evaporator pans help protect the refrigeration unit from rust and corrosion and also protect the floor areas from water damage.

About

Formed in 1992, Birmingham Manufacturing’s mission is to build the highest quality condensate evaporation pans on the market and become a reliable supplier to OEM’s, distributors, and service companies.

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All Birmingham Mfg., Inc. condensate evaporator pans and components are ETL certified using UL recognized components.​

*We service all 50 of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia. From orders large or small, custom or standard, get your order fast. Same day shipping fast, on orders placed before 2:00 pm CT.

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