Furnace leaking water? Discover out why and repair it

Stepping right into a puddle of water close to your furnace is commonly the obvious symptom of a leaking unit. There are a number of doable causes behind your furnace leaking water, a couple of you might handle your self and others that may require a technician to treatment the issue.

To raised troubleshoot why your furnace is leaking water, you want to know the kind of unit you’ve in your house. We’ll stroll via the 2 major forms of furnaces and inform which you personal.

When you’ve narrowed the sector, we’ll dive into the doable causes of a leaking furnace, highlighting the fixes you’ll be able to strive at house and noting when it’s finest to name in an HVAC specialist.

What to do a few leaking furnace

Even in the event you finally name in a furnace restore firm, understanding why your furnace is leaking water empowers you to decide on the perfect answer and ask questions to know how the restore shall be made.

Beneath are our really helpful steps to take after discovering a furnace leak however earlier than you contact a restore firm:

1. Decide the kind of furnace in your house.
2. Contemplate the almost certainly leak sources based mostly in your possession of both a high-efficiency condensing furnace, or a traditional furnace.
3. Set up whether or not the furnace leaks when the air conditioner is on.
4. Examine the unit to search out the supply of the leak.
5. Contemplate the benefit and your comfortability in performing small DIY assessments.
6. Name a restore technician if the leak persists.

Our information is supposed to stroll you thru doable causes and options however actually doesn’t exchange the experience of a dependable trade technician. Keep away from additional harm by calling on an area firm if water leaking from furnace parts is considered one of a number of points you’re experiencing together with your unit.

What sort of furnace do I’ve?

A high-efficiency condensing furnace and a traditional furnace have so much in widespread. Nevertheless, there are three essential differentiators that will help you decide the kind of furnace in your house.

Furnace exhaust pipe

The furnace exhaust pipe materials is the largest indicator of the kind of unit you’ve. The exhaust pipe, sometimes called the flue pipe, is liable for venting the exhaust out of your furnace out of your property. If the pipe is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which means it seems like white plastic, you then seemingly have a high-efficiency furnace. A steel pipe suggests you’ve a traditional commonplace effectivity furnace. 

Furnace AFUE score

One other approach to decide the furnace kind is to find the Annual Gas Utilization Effectivity (AFUE) score. The score needs to be printed on a yellow EnergyGuide label on the unit. Standard commonplace effectivity furnaces have an 80% effectivity score, which means they convert 80% of the vitality created to warmth your property. The opposite 20% is misplaced via the chimney, air leaks, and different openings. Excessive-efficiency furnaces have an AFUE score of 90% or above. Your AFUE score ought to enable you decide the furnace kind.

Age of house

Most newer properties have a high-efficiency furnace. In the event you’ve lately moved right into a new-construction house or a house the place the heating and cooling methods have been changed, you seemingly take pleasure in the advantages of a high-efficiency mannequin. Older properties that haven’t been up to date usually have a traditional commonplace effectivity furnace. 

Excessive effectivity condensing furnace is leaking water

Now that you just’ve efficiently decided you’re coping with a high-efficiency unit, let’s focus on the most typical causes for why your furnace is leaking water. 

Condensation is created when the 2 warmth exchangers contained in the furnace soak up a lot warmth that the gasoline that’s sometimes expelled out of your unit via the exhaust pipe turns to liquid. That water is normally carried out of your property by the condensate drain.

If the condensate drain or line turns into clogged, the water has no alternative however to leak from the furnace. Clearing the road could also be so simple as pouring an equal ratio combination of scorching water and white vinegar via the road.

Flush the road a number of occasions with the combination if wanted. This condensate line cleansing methodology sometimes removes small clogs. To keep away from a clogged furnace condensate drain or line, have the furnace inspected and cleaned at the least yearly.

Even when the condensate drain and line are clear, an issue together with your condensate pump can create a furnace leak. The pump is liable for pushing the condensation (water) out of the unit and into the pipe.

The common lifespan of a condensate pump is 3 to five years. In case your pump has aged previous that timeline, it could not carry out optimally. The pump will value about $50, and to have it professionally changed can vary between $100 to $200.

Standard furnace is leaking water

Water leaking from a traditional furnace is often a symptom of both a malfunction with the built-in humidifier or an ill-fitted exhaust pipe. The humidifier empties extra water via the furnace drain line. If the drain line is clogged, the water will construct up, leaking from the humidifier into the furnace. It can seem that water is leaking from furnace parts when the humidifier is the challenged half.

Examine the furnace humidifier water strains for cracks or pinhole leaks. Double-check the match of the strains to the humidifier. Ailing-fitted strains can simply create leaks.

If the humidifier seems to work appropriately, examine the exhaust pipe. If the pipe is free or improperly fitted to the furnace, water that’s meant to be expelled will leak from the unit.

Be cautious as you’re inspecting the pipe. Don’t contact it. A traditional furnace exhaust pipe can develop into dangerously scorching. To keep away from the potential for damage, contact a furnace professional to restore or exchange the pipe.

Furnace leaking water when AC is on

If the puddle of water round your furnace solely appears to develop when the air conditioner is on, the issue is probably going together with your AC, not the furnace. When the AC runs, it’s not simply cooling your property, it’s additionally dehumidifying the air.

The air conditioner should launch the moisture it has pulled from the air, and sometimes does so via the unit’s condensate drain line. If that drain line turns into clogged or kinds a leak or there’s a leak within the drain pan, the water will accumulate on the bottom.

In lots of circumstances, the AC drain line is situated close to and even on prime of the furnace. So, it’s very simple to query, “why is my furnace leaking water?” when, in reality, it’s the AC drain line.

If, nonetheless, your AC hasn’t operated currently, the drain line isn’t the supply of your leak. Name in an HVAC skilled that will help you decide the subsequent finest step.

Restore or exchange leaking furnace?

Lots of the challenges that trigger a furnace to leak might be repaired for a a lot smaller funding than changing all the unit. The common furnace restore value, in accordance with Residence Advisor, is round $300. The associated fee to exchange a furnace is $4500 on common.

Whereas the distinction between the 2 investments in giant, it could be time to exchange all the system if:

• The furnace is 16+ years previous.
• You’ve lately made a number of repairs or upgrades to your furnace.
• Power payments proceed to extend.
• Unit constantly makes unusual noises

Don’t ignore the warning indicators of a failing furnace. It’s higher to exchange an aged unit whereas it’s nonetheless operable somewhat than wait till the winter months and need to battle dropping indoor temperatures when you await an out there firm.

Tricks to rent furnace restore firm

When it’s time to restore or exchange your furnace, do your company-review homework. Learn on-line critiques about earlier buyer experiences.

Ask for a quote in writing. It’s finest to get at the least three firms to estimate your furnace restore or substitute value. This fashion, you’ll be able to instantly remove any estimate that stands in stark distinction to the others.

Additionally, remember to request a duplicate of the corporate’s guarantee on elements and labor. Most furnaces final 16 to twenty years, but it surely’s good to know you’ve entry to skilled help when wanted.

If a leaking furnace isn’t the issue you face, discover our furnace troubleshooting information to assist determine why your unit isn’t performing correctly.