The scariest nightmare in winter is freezing in your own home in case of a breakdown in your heating system. Being wet is exhausting and tiring. Furnace leaking water is a common problem in households that even causes severe damage to your valuable furniture and carpets, making you stay cold.
A neglected small leakage will fan the flames. The result is a total unit breakdown that adds an extra expense to your monthly budget. If the issue is revealed as per your keen investigations, it can be cured without much effort.
What Is A Furnace?
A unit that is responsible for warming up the air and distributing heated air all over the house is the simple definition of a furnace. Usually, this is located in places like the basement, garage, or laundry room.
The furnace produces warm air then, those are distributed by heaters. Without a furnace working, a heater can blow the air inside, but the air will not be warm.
How to Identify The Type of Furnace in Your Home?
It is essential to know the type of your furnace as the very first step of troubleshooting. As the first method, we can check the vent, which is also known as the exhaust pipe. If PVC is the material used for the pipe, then it is a high-efficiency furnace. If the vent is in metal, it is a standard efficiency furnace.
There is another method. Look for a yellow sticker on the plain area of the machine. There it contains the AFUE value. (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) 90 % or more of the value makes the furnace high efficiency. Standard efficiency machine has a value lower than 90%.
But some models do not display AFUE value. But still, those can be easily identified with the help of the first method we have discussed above.
Why Furnace Leaking Water?
There are particular significant reasons for both types to have a leakage. Let’s clarify one by one.
Leakage in a high-efficiency furnace
Condensation of released gas happens in this type of furnace. Usually, this water is transmitted to an underground drain or a pump via the PVC vent. Here by can cause water leakage, and it is displayed in various places.
- Condensate drain horse-This sends the condensate water away from the machine. If this horse gets clogged by dirt and dust, we can observe a water leak around the base of the machine.
- Condensate pump- The pump where the condensate water moves can also be clogged, and it will lead to leaking. Leaking water can be seen on the ground around the unit, and sometimes the sign can be stains of rust on the cabinet walls.
- Drain line- A water leak occurs if this line is fractured or has spaces when connecting. This also will move the condensate backwards.
- Humidifier- If the lines that carry water to the humidifier are damaged, it will cause a river of water around your high-efficiency furnace.
- Drain pan- Sometimes, when the AC is on if you see leakage, it may be a problem with the drain pan of the air conditioner. If the drain pan is broken, the condensed water will be leaked.
- Inducer assembly- Water from the vent pipe is moved into the condensate drain hose. The next destination of this condensate is the inducer assembly. When there is a fracture, it causes water leakage.
Leakage in standard efficiency furnace
In this type of furnace, no leakage of water happens. But still, if you have got a water leakage, it is a confirmed fact that there is no matter with the furnace but with other machines connected to the furnace.
- Leakage in the humidifier.-A humidifier has vents that carry in water. If these lines are damaged or clogged, we can observe water leaking in the neighbor areas.
- Leakage in hot water heater
The explosions of the water heater caused by the highly warmed water make water leakages. There is a possibility that the valves connected to the heater are not connected properly or have been damaged. In this situation, too, a water seeping could be seen.
- Leakage from AC unit
The drain pan of an air conditioner that collects condensate can be cracked by chance and leak water. It is also evident that sometimes if the drain line is full of dirt, it does not pass the water properly, causing a wet floor under your AC machine. If the coil of the machine has ice around, then also we can see forming water.
What To Do When You Identify a Furnace Leakage?
When you identify a furnace leaking water issue, there are a few simple steps to follow before calling a technician.
First is to switch off the furnace. The switch must be on the furnace itself. When you switch off the system, the process is stopped, and the water flow will be stopped. Then clean all the wet mess and open the front panel. Wipe out the water inside it too. Then without delaying any more, get the help of an HVAC technician.
Further, you have to keep on regular checkups by a professional to maintain the performance of the machine. It will avoid any severe damage.
The Danger of A Furnace Leaking Water
- Rust develops in the areas of a furnace that are touched by leaking water.
- When rust contacts with heat exchange, harmful gases form, and it is a health risk factor for the family members.
- When the electrical circuits are exposed to a leaking surface, they will be damaged.
- Destroying the flooring can even extend up to causing disintegration of concrete, as this water leak is acidic.
Final thought
Furnace leaking water is a serious issue that must be treated at the primary stage. This uncomfortable situation can be controlled by regular checkups. Please make sure to get the help of a professional in the field. We have discussed all the ways of detecting a leak and the things you must immediately do after a diagnosis in this article.
We hope you will surely follow up on these guidelines for a trouble-free home!
Similar Articles:
