Why is my Furnace Leaking Water?

You head to the basement to change your furnace filter and you see a puddle of water on the floor by your furnace. You may think, “This doesn’t make sense, my furnace doesn’t even use water, does it?!”

No matter the reason, you will need to call Godby to get your furnace Checked out. Want to know what might be happening? Keep reading to educate yourself on some reasons why this mysterious puddle has shown up.

Condensation
If you have a high efficiency furnace, one that is rated 90% or higher, it has cool exhaust. This cool exhaust creates condensation. Normally the condensation is routed to a floor drain.  The pipe that routes the condensation to the floor drained could have gotten clogged, perforated or gotten breaks in it allowing that moisture to leak. Is your floor drain backed up? This could be another reason for the puddle.

If you have an older furnace that is not high efficiency should not have the condensation build up. Its exhaust pipe is metal. If your standard furnace has condensation it could mean the flue pipe was sized wrong. An incorrectly sized flue pipe can cause condensation when the hot exhaust cools down. This condensation would drain back to the furnace, leak out and cause that puddle on your floor.

Clog in the Internal Drain System
Your furnace may share an internal draining system with your air conditioner. If this drain becomes plugged or clogged it could be pushing water into the furnace and causing that water leak.

Furnace Humidifier
Does your furnace have a humidifier? If so, these humidifiers are connected to your home’s plumbing system. They use water to add moisture to your home’s air. If your humidifier clogs or cracks, it will cause water to leak from your plumbing onto your furnace. This gives you the perception that your furnace is leaking water, causing that puddle on the floor.

Heat Exchanger
Still can’t figure out why your furnace seems to be leaking water? It may be your secondary heat exchanger. If this is the case, be forewarned that this is an expensive fix and in fact, it may be time to replace the unit.

What Do I Do?
If you have a furnace that seems to be leaking, call Godby. Any leak could cause a lot of damage. The leak can cause damage to equipment, floors, walls and any items that are close by. Water can also create mold, making your family sick. When it comes to your heating/cooling, plumbing and electrical needs, remember, It’s Gotta be Godby!

Consider joining Club Godby. Club Godby offers discounts on services in all three trades, priority scheduling and more!