Finding a puddle of water at the base of your furnace can be particularly worrisome. It's not like your furnace is a sink or toilet, so you may initially be confused as to why there is water near your furnace in the first place. However, most modern furnaces are condensing furnaces, which means they re-burn the "leftovers" from the first burning process. That generates condensation, which is typically released into a drain. And if something goes wrong with this system, that's when you get water all over the floor. With that in mind, take a look at a few key repairs your furnace may need if it is spilling water all over the floor.
Replacing the Condensate Drain Tube
There is a tube that carries the condensate from the furnace to a drain. This tube is usually made from flexible, rubberized plastic and can be clear or white in color. Sometimes, grime or dirt may get stuck in the condensate drain tube, blocking it. Water will then have trouble getting down the tube and will instead spill onto the floor. Most furnace repair companies deal with this simply by replacing the condensate drain tube. Since it is such a simple and inexpensive part, there is really no reason to try and fix a clogged or broken one.
Clearing the Vent Pipe
The vent pipe is meant to allow the vapor generated by your furnace to travel outside. If the pipe becomes blocked, then the vapor may instead condense and drip down the furnace, eventually forming a puddle on the floor. A lack of ventilation may also keep the second phase of burning from happening, which only leads to more water forming. An HVAC contractor can clear the vent pipe, which should do the trick. In some cases, they may need to run a longer vent pipe to keep this from happening again.
Replacing the Drain Pan
Some furnaces have a drain pan at the bottom that is meant to catch the condensate so it can then be pumped out to a formal drain. If this drain pan develops a leak, you get water under your furnace. Luckily, a furnace repair contractor can easily unscrew your current drain pan, remove it, and put a new drain pan into place.
If you see water leaking from your furnace, don't be too alarmed. Most of the issues that can cause this are easy for a furnace repair contractor to fix.
Contact a local furnace repair service to learn more.
