Seeing water where it shouldn’t be is scary. It’s not supposed to be there, yet you still see it.
At the moment, the water is leaking from the base of your furnace. Did something rupture? Is there a water leak somewhere? You didn’t know there could be water in a furnace.
Well, all your questions will be answered, and you’ll learn what we can do to make it stop. Delaware Heating and Air has been helping homeowners like you figure out all sorts of issues, including ones like this.
High-Efficiency or Conventional?
The first thing homeowners need to find out is what kind of furnace they have. There are two you have to worry about.
One is a high-efficiency condensing furnace and the other is the more traditional furnace. Knowing which one you have will make it easier to know what to do next and to understand what’s going on with this strange water leak.
Thankfully, there are simple ways to tell what you’ve got in your home. Those who see a PVC vent pipe sticking out of the furnace, usually on the top of the furnace, have a high-efficiency condensing furnace.
Sometimes, you’ll find this pipe sticking out on the side of the furnace. This means it’s a high-efficiency condensing furnace.
You can tell when the pipe is PVC because it has an obvious plastic look. The plastic may be heavy-duty, but that doesn’t stop it from having that look. Those who look for a PVC pipe but find a metal vent pipe have the other type of furnace. You’ve got a conventional furnace.
Why is Your High-Efficiency Furnace Leaking?
Okay, you did your visual test and found out that your piping is PVC, and that means you’ve got a high-efficiency furnace.
If this is you, then you can take a breath of fresh air. Most likely, repairing the problem won’t be too challenging. This means a number of things, like if it is a small repair, then it may not be too costly.
We know the reasons homeowners don’t want to call us. They usually involve the following:
- The service will be too costly.
- The inspection is going to take a long time.
- Repairs will take too long as well.
- Additional fees may pop up.
This doesn’t refer to us alone. It’s something all furnace repair specialists hear at some point.
The reason you can rest a bit is that this is a condensing furnace after all. This means it’s meant to condense, so a little moisture is more than normal. The only hiccup here is that it’s leaking for some reason, and we’ve got to find out why.
The most common reasons this happens could be the following:
- There’s a blockage in the condensate drains.
- There could be an issue with the condensation lines.
- There might be problems with the condensate pump.
- There might be installation issues.
If an experienced person performed the device installation, our team will find the issue and take care of that. Delaware Heating and Air has been earning the trust of the people by being thorough and helpful.
Let’s talk about why these types of furnaces produce water at all. With all that heat, it’s surprising to find out that water won’t evaporate immediately.
Water creation occurs because these furnaces come with two heat exchangers instead of one. Traditional furnaces have one exchanger, but we’ll talk more about them later.
Having two exchangers absorbs so much heat that exhaust gas transforms.
Yes, the exhaust gas that’s naturally created through this process is robbed of so much heat that it turns into a liquid. That’s so wild, right? We think so, but we love furnaces and the way they work.
The condensation that forms drains through the condensate line.
If for some reason, there’s a blockage or a leak, then water will begin to leak, and you’ll see the pool of water somewhere under your furnace. There’s no way around the fact that taking care of this as soon as possible is vital.
That water could cause other issues, like water damage, mold, and much more. Sometimes, that water could attract bugs to your home.
Keep in mind that these other issues could get so bad that you’ll need to work with other specialists to get your home back to normal. That’s going to be costly, and you still have to deal with the furnace. It’s better to deal with the furnace before you deal with any other issues.
How to Fix a Leak?
The best thing you can do is have the professionals take care of the issue, but if you want to continue investigating the issue, there are a few things you can do.
For one, you could just check the drain trap. Check your owner’s manual to find out if you don’t know where it is.
The drain trap usually collects all sorts of things over time, and it could get clogged. This is especially true if you don’t normally have your furnace serviced and cleaned.
If you notice that the drain trap is filled with all this muck, then use a vacuum to clean it up and get rid of the clog that’s giving you so much trouble. This is one of the easiest fixes you can do yourself.
Now, for any other issue, you’ll likely need to give us a call.
If the condensate pump is malfunctioning or the humidifier is not working, you’ll need our help. If the drain line is the problem or you simply can’t figure it out, then you’ll need our help.
We understand that taking care of issues on your own makes you feel good as a homeowner. Not only that, but it can also save you money.
The problem is that bigger issues could be dangerous for you, and you could cause even bigger issues that’ll cost more to repair. Your Delaware technicians are here to take care of your furnace, so let us handle it.
Why is Your Conventional Furnace Leaking?
You know you’re dealing with a conventional or traditional furnace. You also know that condensation isn’t supposed to be happening.
If you’re wondering what else could be happening, there are three reasons your furnace may be leaking, and it could be one of the following:
- You may have humidifier issues.
- The vent pipe was poorly designed.
- The furnace leaks when the AC is on.
Some furnaces contain a built-in humidifier. This is not the case all the time, but it does happen from time to time.
If your furnace happens to have one and it’s malfunctioning somehow, then that could be the source of the leak. Humidifiers naturally collect water so that they can create humidity.
This is how they add moisture to the home, which helps keep you comfortable even when you’ve got the heater running. Look at your owner’s manual to find out if the furnace has a humidifier. Most of the time, these are visible outside the furnace.
Once you’ve found the humidifier, look for leaks around the machine. It could be on the drain line or the feed tube. You might even find leaks on the casing of the device. You should also look for potential clogs around the device.
Give us a call if you think you’ve found something or if you aren’t sure what to look for. Either way, our technicians can assist.
The problem could just be a poorly-designed pipe, and that could be a challenge to fix since it is metal. It’s not like you can bend it to the correct shape by hand.
The metal pipe or the flue is there to help carry gases from the combustion process to outside of your home. This needs to happen to ensure that the gases don’t have enough time to condense into moisture.
If the pipe is not right, then this whole process starts to fall apart. If the pipe is too big or the slope isn’t right, then too much air is going to get in, and that traps those exhaust gases that should go outdoors.
When all this happens, the gases lose too much heat. Condensation happens, and you get that leak you’ve been dealing with.
If you think the pipe is the issue, you’ll notice there’s no slope, or the pipe will be too big. If that’s the case, give us a call so that we can inspect it fully.
Of course, the issue could also be your AC instead of the furnace. Those who notice that the furnace leaks when the AC is running are probably dealing with an AC issue.
When your AC is running and trying to keep you cool, it also dehumidifies the atmosphere. It’s doing this to help cool down the house by sucking out the moisture from the warm air that’s making your house feel so hot.
The moisture leaves if everything is working as it should. It drains through the condensate drain line, but that drain line could get clogged up or damaged.
If it’s damaged, then it could develop a leak. A leak could also develop on the drain pan or the AC system.
Most of the time, the AC system is sitting on top of your furnace. If this is the case, you’ll probably think your furnace is making the mess when it’s not.
Either way, we can help you diagnose the issue. Once the issue is found, we can take care of it before it does any more damage to your home or belongings if they’ve been getting wet because of this leak. Delaware Heating and Air can solve the issue and help return life to normal as it should be.
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