Did you know that nearly 50% of homes use natural gas for water and space heating? Your furnace is an integral part of your home. It keeps your house nice and toasty during the cold months and ensures that you have hot showers throughout the day.
It can be alarming if you notice one day that your furnace is leaking water. It’s important to keep calm if you make this discovery while contacting a heater repair company. You should act quickly if you have a leaking furnace since unresolved water damage to your home can result in additional headaches.
This guide will discuss what you need to know about leaking furnaces and why you should contact a Littleton heating repair company.
What Causes a Leaking Furnace?
There are a few reasons why your furnace might be leaking water. Let’s discuss some of the most common ones.
Condensation Leak
The most common cause for leaking furnaces is related to condensation. As furnaces extract heat from combustion gases, the gases cool down. The resulting condensation is routed to the drain.
The condensation tubing or drain in your furnace might be clogged. You could also have a crack in the furnace’s condensation line. Additionally, the condensation pump could be having issues.
Humidifier Leak
Some furnaces have a humidifier attached to them. Humidifiers add moisture to your air, providing you with numerous benefits.
If there’s a leak in the humidifier’s system, it can result in water dripping on the floor. A humidifier leak usually occurs when there’s a clog or broken component in the appliance.
Leaking Air Conditioning Unit
Homeowners who live in mild climates might use their furnace and air conditioner at the same time throughout the year. Your air conditioner’s condensation pan fills with water as the unit operates. If the pan gets too full, the water might drip onto the furnace.
You might think that your furnace is leaking water, but the problem could be that the pan is overflowing. If this is the case, dump out the pan and see if that fixes the issue.
Plumbing Leak
The water collecting on the floor in front of your furnace might not be coming from it. Your plumbing system could be what’s leaking.
This can be good news — it means that your furnace isn’t leaking. The bad news is you’ll need to determine what in your plumbing system is causing the leak.
Your home’s plumbing pipes might be located around or above your furnace. You could have a clogged or damaged pipe. A reputable plumbing company can help diagnose the problem.
Clogged Filter
Your furnace’s filter might be dirty or clogged. The filter is designed to keep us healthy by keeping harmful debris out of the air.
Unfortunately, dust and grime get trapped in the filter over time. As the filter collects more debris, airflow through the furnace’s coil can get restricted. Sometimes the coil can freeze.
Another problem that might arise is leaking water. If you notice water leaking from your furnace or that the coil is frozen, a professional HVAC company in Littleton will need to fix this issue.
Vent Pipe Issues
A conventional furnace has a flue pipe that takes the gases produced out of your house. If the pipe is too big or doesn’t slope, too much air might circulate through your furnace. The gases can get trapped in the flue pipe.
Condensation can form in the flue pipe if the gases stay in there for too long. Leaking water can start to drip onto the floor. You should contact an HVAC company for Littleton, CO, furnace issues.
What Should I Do if My Furnace Is Leaking?
If you discover that your furnace is leaking, you should do a few things before getting HVAC repair in Littleton. The steps you should take are:
- Turn off your furnace
- Clean up the water on the floor
- Check the furnace’s air filter
- Contact a professional
You might need to use a wet-dry vacuum if you have large quantities of water on your floor. It’s important to get the water cleaned up as soon as possible so it doesn’t damage your flooring.
Is a Leaking Furnace Dangerous?
As we’ve mentioned before, water can cause a lot of damage. A leaking furnace itself doesn’t pose a risk to your safety. Failing to remedy your furnace problems can result in issues in the future.
Dripping water can cause rust to develop on your furnace. Rust can decay and break down your furnace. Your furnace will become less efficient, leading to repairs and breakdowns.
The worst place for rust to accumulate is on the furnace’s heat exchanger. Harmful gas can start to leak out if rust creates a crack or hole in the furnace’s heat exchanger.
Internal water leakage in your furnace can negatively affect the appliance’s internal electrical features. Your furnace can stop working or need costly repairs.
Are There Ways to Prevent My Furnace From Leaking?
You can take a few steps to prevent your furnace from leaking in the first place. One of the things you can do is schedule routine maintenance for your furnace.
An experienced HVAC technician will notice signs of problems that might arise that could cause leaks. They can prevent future issues from arising by keeping your furnace running efficiently.
Contact Doctor Fix It Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electric for Heater Repair in Littleton
While a leaking furnace doesn’t pose an immediate risk to your safety, it’s important to have the issue fixed right away. Not addressing any furnace problem right away could result in more costly repairs in the future.
Doctor Fix It Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electric understands the importance of heater repair in Littleton. We provide comprehensive HVAC and plumbing services in the Denver, Aurora, Parker, Littleton, and Centennial areas. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help you.
