Water leaks are frustrating, time-consuming, cause costly damage, and are one of the most common disasters a house owner can face. There are many reasons your furnace may be leaking water. While you can fix most of them yourself, you may require expert furnace repair in Hamilton for others. To better troubleshoot your leaky furnace, you first need to understand the type of unit you have at home.
Understand your Furnace Type
You may either have a high-efficiency condensing furnace or a conventional furnace installed in your home. Although they have a lot in common, they differ from each other in three aspects:
| High-efficiency condensing furnace | Conventional furnace |
|
|---|---|---|
| Exhaust pipe material | Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) | Metal pipe |
| AFUE rating | 90% or above | 80% efficiency rating |
| Your home’s age | Most new-construction homes or home’s where HVAC systems were replaced | Older homes with outdated heating systems |
Now that you should resolve what character of furnace you are dealing with: let’s find out the most common reasons your furnace is leaking water.
Why is your Furnace Leaking?
1. If it is a High-Efficiency Furnace
A high-efficiency furnace has two heat exchangers that sometimes produce so much heat that you should remove the gas from your unit through the exhaust pipe, turning liquid.
Typically, the water gets drained from your home through the condensate drain. However, if the drain is clogged or has a leak, you may find a puddle around your furnace. You can quickly remedy this by pouring an equal amount of hot water and white vinegar into the drain.
You may also find water leaks if the furnace condensate pump, which pushes the water through the pipes and away from your furnace, is old.
2. If it is a Conventional Furnace
An incorrectly fitted exhaust pipe may be the reason for water leaks from your conventional furnace. It is responsible for carrying the gases produced during combustion and expelling them outside your home. If the pipe is not the correct size for your furnace or is improperly fitted, the gasses may get trapped and eventually cool down–leading to water leaks.
Word of caution: Exhaust pipes can become dangerously hot. So, avoid touching them during an inspection and call a furnace expert to repair or replace the exhaust pipe.
3. Maybe it’s Your Humidifier or Air Conditioner
If you have a humidifier added to your heating system, it may not be your furnace that has a water leak. Humidifiers constantly move water through them, and if they become clogged or spring a leak, you may think it’s your furnace that’s leaking water.
Similarly, ACs also have water condensate lines and a drain pan. A problem in them may lead to a water leak. Contact heating experts for furnace service in Hamilton to help you diagnose the cause of the water leak in your home.
Get your Furnace in Working Order With Experts.
Finding a puddle of water near your furnace is one of the most obvious signs that you have a leaking heating unit. At B & G Heating Air Conditioning & Ventilation, we help you diagnose a furnace problem and have it up and running again as soon as possible. No subject what variety of heating systems you have, our team of certified experts can make the necessary repairs.
Find out more about possible causes and solutions for furnace or Water Heater Replacement Binbrook at info@bgheating.ca.
