Even if you do everything right when it comes to caring for your furnace, it’s still unavoidable that occasionally something is going to go wrong with it. Even keeping up with consistent maintenance every year and moderating your usage won’t guarantee a consistently healthy appliance. However, if you’re knowledgeable about potential problems that may arise, you can recognize the symptoms quicker and have more information to give a heating technician.
One such problem you may notice is that your furnace is leaking water, and there are a few different reasons why this may be happening. It’s important to get it resolved as quickly as possible as it can not only be problematic for the furnace itself, but it may also result in water damage to your home or mold growth. The following covers some of the reasons you could find water around your furnace.
Condensation Leak
All modern, high-efficiency furnaces create condensation while they’re working to heat your home. This results in a relatively small amount of water building up. Typically, this water is drained and pumped out of the furnace via a drainage system that’s built into the appliance.
This system includes drainage tubing and a condensation pump, and if either of these things become clogged up or damaged, it can lead to the water from that condensation leaking onto your floor. In this case, the leak will present itself around the base of your furnace. If you think that you may have a condensation leak on your hands, you’ll want to bring out a heating technician to either make repairs or remove the clog.
Clogged Air Filter
Each furnace is equipped with an air filter that has the important task of blocking dust, dirt, and other debris from making its way into the heating system. Without this filter, your furnace would have a much more difficult time heating your home, and the quality of your indoor air would likely be significantly worse.
The air filter becoming too clogged can have a similar effect on your household, and can also result in piping within the furnace becoming clogged as well, which can lead to a leak. If you notice your water leak coinciding with ineffective heating and worsened air quality, make a point to inspect your furnace’s air filter. If you find that it has become clogged with dust, dirt, and debris, you’ll simply need to replace it with a new, clean filter. This is something you should do on a regular basis to keep your furnace healthy and efficient.
Leaking Humidifier
Although not every furnace has one, many modern furnaces come with in-line humidifiers installed. These humidifiers serve to raise the moisture level of your home’s air, which helps with heating and has a positive overall effect on your indoor air quality. However, because these devices are consistently working with moisture, there’s always the risk of a water leak if something goes wrong with the humidifier.
In addition to the water damage and mold growth that these leaks can cause, this moisture leaking from your humidifier can cause significant damage to your furnace as well. You never want to wait long to bring out a heating expert when you notice a furnace leak, but it’s especially important to act quickly if you think it may be the humidifier that’s causing it.
Air Conditioner Problem
In some home HVAC setups, the air conditioner will coexist with the furnace, and the two appliances will share a drainage system. Your air conditioning system will need to utilize condensation to provide cool air to your home, and if any type of clog or blockage occurs within the drainage system, it can result in water leaking onto the floor.
If the two systems are connected, it may be difficult to tell which appliance the leak is actually coming from, so even if it appears to be the furnace, it could still be an issue that’s related to the air conditioner. Much like with a furnace-caused condensation link, a trained HVAC technician will be able to take care of this problem for you with a home visit.
Heat Exchanger Leaking
Typically, a leaking heat exchanger is the most serious potential cause of a furnace leaking water. If your heating system is leaking, and it isn’t due to the humidifier or a blocked/damaged condensation drainage system, there’s a good chance that it’s being caused by the heat exchanger.
Your high-efficiency furnace will have two heat exchangers: a primary one and a secondary one. If either of these parts has a significant leak, they’ll need to be professionally repaired, but it tends to be an especially expensive part to fix or replace. For this reason, in many cases, a leaky heat exchanger actually results in replacing the furnace entirely. If your heating system is leaking water, and you’ve ruled the other possibilities out, there’s a very real chance it’s being caused by a heat exchanger, but you’ll want to bring out a professional to really be sure.
Bring in the Professionals
When your furnace has a leak, it’s important that you don’t try to handle the job on your own. Instead, you will want to schedule a visit from a trained HVAC technician as they will have the tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to diagnose the problem and make any necessary repairs.
By trying to fix any of these parts without really knowing what you’re doing or having experience, you’re not only risking the long-term health of your furnace and home, but you’re also risking your own safety. The one exception to this is with replacing the furnace’s air filter as that’s a job that doesn’t require real risk or professional knowledge. With any of the more serious causes of leaks, though, don’t give in to the temptation to try and fix it yourself. It will cost more money to bring in a technician, but that’s a worthwhile investment you’re making in your furnace and your household.
Since 2013, the team at Shines Energy has been providing high-quality HVAC services to the residents of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and the surrounding areas. In addition to our dependable heating and cooling services, we can also provide skilled assistance with your indoor air quality, water heaters, ductless mini-splits, UV lighting, and refrigeration. We are proud to offer a wide variety of household services as it’s our top priority to ensure that all of our customers are completely comfortable in every way possible all year long. We are a locally owned and operated company, and we strive to always have the best interests of our clients in mind. In an effort to save you money, we work with Energy Star products, and we also take pride in being an award-winning Lennox Premier Dealer. We offer a full satisfaction guarantee with all of the work we do, so you can rest easy that we will be giving each job our complete effort and dedication.
If your furnace is leaking or you need skilled assistance with any other household issues, make sure you go with local professionals that care about your comfort. Give us a call at Shines Energy today, and make an appointment with a friendly member of our team.
