Water leaking from the bottom of the furnace

[Redlyne_mr2]

So I have a humidifier attached to my furnace. The setup is about 3 years old. I've had the humidifier running for the last few days as it's been super dry out. I noticed this morning in the furnace room that there is water pooling under the furnace. Does anyone have a diagram of a standard furnace with an attached humidifier so I can see the internal workings and try and figure out where it's leaking? Any ideas where the leaks could be coming from?
Thanks guys

[sputnik]

You should probably check the hoses that run to and from your humidifier.

[lilmira]

What kind of humidifier is that? I have the cheapass drum style and the valve leaks now from calcium buildup. So whenever the humidifier isn't on long enough the reservoir will get full and drip.

Have been wanting to switch to the Desert Spring, any one knows about the product?

[Pacman]

I was having the same problem with mine (cheap builder humidifier) and the drain hose was blocked and water was backing up and leaking out.

I need to get someone in here to replace the humidifier, so if you find a good plumber/HVAC guy.....let me know.

[Redlyne_mr2]

Cool mines just an el cheapo as well Im sure. Ill check for buildups and leaks.

[BokCh0y]

Mine had a crack in the hose that sprayed water all over the place for like 12 hours. Was horrible to clean up.

Anyways check your hose for leaks. Also check that that device that bobs up and down that controls water flow is working correctly. In my old place, the damn thing broke and wouldn't shut the water off when full, so i had a puddle on the floor around my furnace.

Also if you can replace the hose, i'd repalce it with a steel braided line.

[kevie88]

The core in my humidifier was so caked up with calcium last year it was leaking out the sides and on to the floor. I replaced the core and cleaned out as much of the calcium as I could and it was all good after that.

I took the old core down to Home Depot and matched it up to one they had.. I think it cost around 10 bucks.

[kenny]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
So I have a humidifier attached to my furnace. The setup is about 3 years old. I've had the humidifier running for the last few days as it's been super dry out. I noticed this morning in the furnace room that there is water pooling under the furnace. Does anyone have a diagram of a standard furnace with an attached humidifier so I can see the internal workings and try and figure out where it's leaking? Any ideas where the leaks could be coming from?
Thanks guys

Sounds like hardwater build up. The float is jammed from the build up so it doesn't get into the proper position to stop the water flow. Open up the outer casing, take all the parts out and soak it in a vinegar/water solution to clean it all up, rinse well and reassemble.

Clean it a couple times a year and you shouldn't have any problems.

[Tik-Tok]

Thanks for the reminder, should probably clean mine now that the furnace is running everyday

[Redlyne_mr2]

Just an update here guys I managed to find the source of the leak.

It would appear that the water is leaking out of the furnace exhaust pipe. What I'm assuming is that so much humidity is building up from the humidifier that it's going right through the furnace and out the exhaust. Can anyone explain to me why I'm getting such an excessive amount of humidity? Its so much that's its leaking through the exhaust pipe and dripping onto the floor causing a large puddle.


Thanks for the help

[spikerS]

sounds like it is a condensation issue. hot air going up the pipe with high humidity, getting flash frozen as it goes up the pipe into the attic, condenses on the pipe, and then drips back down.

I had this issue in a house I rented when I was younger. Ran to home depot, grabbed a couple pieces of insulation and a roll of duct tape. climb into the attic and wrap the exhaust pipe with the insulation. what this does is allow the hot gas to escape into the atmosphere before it can condense and drip back down.

[S4maniac]

Originally posted by lilmira
What kind of humidifier is that? I have the cheapass drum style and the valve leaks now from calcium buildup. So whenever the humidifier isn't on long enough the reservoir will get full and drip.

Have been wanting to switch to the Desert Spring, any one knows about the product?

I had two Desert Springs on my furnaces. I would highly recommend them. Easy to clean and the intuitive design does a great job humidity-wise. Just watch for buildup on the little gears.

[Dilmah]

You could have a condensing furnace. In that case you need to check the drain hose on the furnace. Does the furnace vent out the side of the house?

[codetrap]

Originally posted by lilmira
What kind of humidifier is that? I have the cheapass drum style and the valve leaks now from calcium buildup. So whenever the humidifier isn't on long enough the reservoir will get full and drip.

Have been wanting to switch to the Desert Spring, any one knows about the product?

I posted in the other thread. I have the desert spring rotary disk one installed, and have had it for almost 2 years now. I ran it for a year without the auto flush because I couldn't find it in a store, then finally ordered it and ran it with the auto flush unit. The disks shed the calcium in small flakes into the bottom of the tray, and I'd have to periodically empty it, so what I did initially is I hooked up a garden hose with a small tap and ran that to the drain. Then I pour clr into the pan, allow it to dissolve the calcium and drain out the water a few times. Now, with the autoflush, I don't have to clean it out nearly as often. I check it once a month, and have only had to clean it out int he spring and fall. The water softener made a huge difference in that as well. Along with using less soap, and not having any more hard water stains anywhere in the house, softer clothes, nicer skin etc.. It puts out so much water into the air that I had to shut it off over this cold spell. RH in the house was pushing 75%.

Installation was pretty cheese. I got some metallic tape and some patch from home depot, and use my dremel to cut a new opening for it. Took me about 2 hours in total from start to finished clean up. Had to run power down for it, but that was also required for my final electrical inspection.

I'm quite happy with it, and with the warranty service I received. I had a motor fail on me, so I called them, and they immediately shipped me out a new motor/plate for it express with no issues at all. 15 minute phone call. It's also super easy to clean. I ran the plates drum through the dishwasher to clean off any scunge with no issues as well. VERY happy with it, and with my water softener too.

Pics..

[lilmira]

Sweet. I'll go get one when I have time. It looks like it's cheaper to order from them directly than getting it from Canadian Tire.

I wonder if I can use the existing opening for my crappy drum unit.

[codetrap]

I couldn't because the opened was blocked by the NG lines and that furnace exhaust vent. The opened was right behind it on the right side of the first pic. I also didn't have enough clearance to run that ducting on the back of the furnace to the wall. Not if I wanted to build a wall behind it anyways, so I had to cut new openings for everything. Otherwise I would have been on that action in a heartbeat, and the install would have taken half as long.

Oh, and I bought mine at Rona. I think they're at Lowes too. Might be worth checking there.

[lilmira]

I think I might be able to use the existing opening since they are on the front side. I'll see how it works. Thanks for the write up, I may ask you questions later.

[Kloubek]

Originally posted by Pacman
I was having the same problem with mine (cheap builder humidifier) and the drain hose was blocked and water was backing up and leaking out.

Weird. I experienced the EXACT same issue a couple of days ago myself. Noticed there was water everywhere, and turns out the flimsy hose they use to drain the humidifier was kinked and backing up.

[thetransporter]

Originally posted by Kloubek


Weird. I experienced the EXACT same issue a couple of days ago myself. Noticed there was water everywhere, and turns out the flimsy hose they use to drain the humidifier was kinked and backing up.

you have the exact furance i do, well at least from the outside.

it could be water from the air intake that brings Ventilation to the furance. as its been cold outside