There's a small puddle of water right by my furnace. There is no humidifier , so no water line connections to leak. It's on the return air side of the furnace ducting, right before it goes through the air filter. I've mopped it up more than once and it comes back. Could I be getting condensation some how and it's not going out the regular condensate drain for the AC coil? Ideas?
Is it near your flue/exhaust vent? My furnace pukes some condensate from time to time. Seems to be a weather dependent thing. I have double wall vent and I'm glued it happens when the furnace works for just short while then the pipe cools causing the condensation. Another option is similar in that maybe it is building up in the ductwork but that seems difficult in the return unless it goes through some drastic temperature changes on the way back to the furnace.
If it is a gas furnace, the exhaust will have water in it and can run back towards the unit.
Mine does this all the time.
its annoying.
The act of combustion can create water as well as from what's in the air inside your house.
Newer furnaces usually pull combustion air from outside and exhaust through 2 1/2 PVC pipe since their exhaust is cool enough that metal pipes are not required.
When the exhaust cools water condenses out and on my system the water drains down to a tray and then out a small pipe to a floor sump that the laundry drains into.
In reply to jimbbski :
Mine is a gas fired high efficiency unit and pulls outside air through a 2" PVC pipe for combustion .I think that mine should be draining to a tray connected to the floor drain.. Maybe I'll pull the cover off and see if I can see the condensate tray. Drain may be plugged. Furnace is ten years old and has never done this before.
Yup... drain is likely clogged. The combustion of the gas causes water vapor to condense on the heat coils as it gives its heat up to the air on the other side.
The drains in my house are above the basement floor, so mine has a condensate pump that pumps the water from the furnace up to a drain line.
Had one yesterday where condensate drain tube clogged and water backed into the flue chamber shorting out the flue high temperature fuse. Those condensate tubes have a way of growing algae in them causing small floods. Had one over the summer where the attic unit clogged and flooded out the master bedroom ceiling.
tr8todd said:Those condensate tubes have a way of growing algae in them causing small floods.
Yup, they can get pretty funky. Look for clogs in the tubing.
Warren, make certain that you get that drain cleared out and check the exhaust for blockage. I made a little piece of rubber to go into my blow gun nipple and gave a few quick shots of air through the exhaust pipe to outside. I've had debris in the old furnaces exhaust.
I use ny shop vac on the outside of the house to suck out my HVAC condensate drain pipes every year or so.
On my furnace, the condensation is collected and then pumped directly to the drain.
I just had to wait for SWMBO to leave the house to take the furnace apart (she doesn't like me berkleying with stuff in the house). We had called for service a couple of weeks ago because the unit wouldn't fire. It was a blocked combustion air inlet. The tech had the main cover and an internal one offthat day. I took both off and found the drain tube not connected. It's fixed now, spouse happy.
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