Sump pump running, Water from furnace, WTF???

[core_upt]

So I come home yesterday and happen to notice that there is a gurgle coming from the basement and a hum. I walk downstairs and notice my sump pump is running - strange considering its -30 outside.... In addition to the sump pump, there is a hose that runs from the humidifier/furnace to the hole where the pump is. I raised the hose and a bunch of water runs from it to the hole. I check the hole and there is definitely water in it, and warm water at that. You can feel the moisture/humidity by running your hand over it and there is condensation on the little board that covers the hole.

Sorry for the crappy iPhone pics....

Here is the hole:


Here is a shot of the hose on the ground:


Here is where the hose connects to the furnace:


We have a furnace, humidifier and UV scanner built together.

I honestly don't know shit about fuck when it comes to this stuff, but this seems weird. Anyone know what is happening and if this is something I should be concerned about.

Thanks.

[BlackArcher101]

Valve stuck on the humidifier? There should be a shutoff valve around there for the water going into it. Try that and see if the flow stops.

[Davetronz]

I'm pretty sure that's normal. I have a newer furnace with a humidity/water hose that runs into my basement drain.
A few days ago my house windows were fogging up so I adjusted my humidifier and turned on my air circulation fan, this resulted in a fairly large puddle of water (I have a slow moving drain in my basement). I would estimate the volume of water to be around 2-4L.

I don't know why you would have a sump pump in your basement... Rural area? Problems with flooding in the past? I also don't know anything about UV scanners or how they function... But from what I can tell and your pictures, everything is ok...
Are there any light sequences blinking on your furnace? Record the light sequence and google your manufacturer/model. If there is anything wrong the blink code will tell you whats up. The new furnaces are pretty smart and can self-diagnose many of their problems quite well.

[x.staygold.x]

What kind of humidifier do you have?

And if the water just keeps flowing constantly though it, without shutting off, that probably means the solenoid valve connected to it is stuck open.

If it runs continuously, you will frost up all the windows in your house and if the humidity gets too high, mold will start to grow.

This is only a problem in the summer though, as the realitive humidity outside during the winter in so low.

If you can't get it to close, then shut the water off to the humidifier until you can repair it.

[core_upt]

It is a newer furnace and humidifier (2006), but I'll check the valves and see if any are remaining open.

The only adjustment I have made to the heating system in the past two+ weeks is changing my furnace fan to remain 'on' instead of 'auto' on my thermostat. There hasn't been any fogging up or very much frost on the windows. The house is older (1950's).

The sump pump was installed by the previous owner as there was a bit of water that came into the basement in 2005. Guess it's good to know it works, but since it is a little warmer today I'll make sure the hose that runs from the pump outside and make sure it isn't frozen or blocked and the water is flowing back into the sump hole.

I'll post up what kind of humidifier I have too.

[ExtraSlow]

I'll throw in my two cents.
Condensing furnaces (Wiki link) do just that, condense water vapor out of the combustion exhaust gases. This means you have water in your furnace, which will need to be drained or pumped out somehow, depending on the layout of your basement.

Your humidifier will also have a drain line, and as has been mentioned before, that should not be full all the time. if it is, then something is stuck open, and you need to get it fixed.

[TACO.VIDAL]

In my house, whenever the furnace turns on, theres water running out the tubing at the bottom of the humidifier. Not just a trickle but a pretty steady stream.

Is this normal? Or should only a small amount be running out?
Furnace is only a couple of years old and same with the humidifier.

[x.staygold.x]

It depends on what kind of furnace you have and what kind of humidifier you have as well.

A high efficiency furnace (+90%) will condense the flu gases to get the most out of the heated air, but a mid efficient will NOT do that. And if you have a flow through humidifier, then it will have a small amount of running water while it is on. A steam humidifier will not, unless it is broken. A tray-type humidifier will NOT have water running through it as well...

[x.staygold.x]

The easiest way to tell if you have a high efficiency furnace is look for a PVC pipe running outside from the furnace...a mid efficient will usually have tin venting...

[CRX-R]

Originally posted by x.staygold.x
It depends on what kind of furnace you have and what kind of humidifier you have as well.

A high efficiency furnace (+90%) will condense the flu gases to get the most out of the heated air, but a mid efficient will NOT do that. And if you have a flow through humidifier, then it will have a small amount of running water while it is on. A steam humidifier will not, unless it is broken. A tray-type humidifier will NOT have water running through it as well...

exactly right, if there is a condensate drain running out of the furnace, not the humidifier than you've got high efficiency. that hose looks more likely to be from a flow through style humidifier though. to check if the valve is stuck, remove the call for humidity (turn your humidistat all the way down), this should de-energize the solenoid on that controls the valve (to verify this put a screwdriver on top of the solenoid and check for magnetism. if the solenoid is de-energized and there is still water flowing over the humidifier pad then the valve is pooched. remember that on a humidifier can go through as much as 20 gallons of water in a day, on a residential unit, so with these low humidity conditions a decent flow of water can be expected from the drain. hope this helps