What Is A Drip Loop?
A drip loop is a small U-shaped bend in a wire, tube, or pipe right before it connects to equipment. Picture a playground slide from the side. Rain lands at the top and runs straight into whatever’s at the bottom. Now flip that path into a U. Water runs down, hits the low point, and falls off before it reaches the connection. That’s the whole trick: route water away from the vulnerable spot.
What Is A Drip Loop Used For?
Outdoor HVAC units are the big one. At heat pump and AC condensers, we shape drip loops on refrigerant lines and the flexible electrical whip that runs from the disconnect to the unit. The loop hangs a touch lower than the connection so water sheds before it can track inside the cabinet or into the disconnect.
Hose reels count too. If a hose leaves the reel and immediately pitches toward the wall penetration, you’re basically pouring water at your siding and flashing. A simple loop right before the bib stops that.
Air-to-water heat pumps and hydronic heating systems benefit as well. Any exterior line set, wire, or flexible conduit that could send water to a termination, valve, or penetration deserves a loop. If it can carry water, it can carry water the wrong way without this detail.
How Does BPC Use Drip Loops?
No special product, no fancy brand. We form the materials we’re already installing—refrigerant lines (with proper insulation), flexible electrical conduit, garden hose—so the lowest point sits just before the connection.
The loop needs enough slack to keep its shape over time, but not so much that it rubs, kinks, or looks sloppy. Secure it cleanly. Give water a place to fall that isn’t your equipment or wall.
Why Drip Loops Matter In High-Performance Homes
Great building envelopes and careful mechanical design deserve great terminations. Drip loops protect the weak points: terminations, valves, and electrical ends. Even with thorough home flashing and air-water control layers, gravity loves a shortcut.
The loop removes the shortcut. At BPC we treat this as part of our belt-and-suspenders mindset—right alongside meticulous flashing and sealed penetrations. It’s a tiny move that helps prevent nuisance trips, corrosion at lugs, wet insulation at line sets, and premature equipment failures.
Common Drip Loop Mistakes
Pointing the loop the wrong way
If the lowest point ends up past the connection, you’ve made a water slide, not a barrier.
Making the loop too tight
Kinks invite restrictions and cracked insulation.
Skipping support
Unsecured loops sag and migrate; secure them so the low point stays the low point.
Relying on the loop alone
It complements good home flashing and sealed penetrations; it doesn’t replace them.
Learn More About Drip Loops
Want a simple visual? Here’s a short, homeowner-friendly explainer on drip loops:
Why BPC cares about details like drip loops
At BPC, we obsess over details—big and small—because they add up to a quieter, healthier, longer-lasting home. Drip loops are one of many small moves that protect connections and improve moisture prevention.
