Spotting the signs of any type of leak in your home is stressful. Leaks can spring from many different home appliances, including your home’s furnace. With water damage being a legitimate concern with any at-home water leak, it’s important to catch them before they get out of control. Furnace leaks in particular not only have the potential to cause water damage to your home but lead to serious safety risks.

Total Comfort is here to answer your dire furnace-related questions such as “Why is my furnace leaking water?” We’ll look into the common causes and the appropriate avenues to take when a leaking furnace strikes in your home.

What To Do About a Leaking Furnace

When you suspect a leaking furnace in your home, follow these steps:

Determine your home’s furnace type.
Evaluate likely leak sources based on whether you have a high-efficiency furnace or a standard-efficiency furnace.
Check to see if the furnace leaks when the air conditioner is turned on.
Inspect the furnace to search for the source of the leak.
Perform small DIY testing.
If the leak continues, call a local professional from a company such as Total Comfort for furnace repairs.

We’ll touch on how your furnace can begin to leak below.

What Kind of Furnace Unit Do I have?

The first thing you’ll want to do when your furnace is leaking is find out what type of furnace you have. Thankfully, identifying the type of furnace your home has is easy. All you have to do is look at the furnace and see what type of pipe it uses. High-efficiency furnaces have a white plastic furnace PVC pipe and standard-efficiency furnaces have a metal exhaust pipe. Nailing down which type of furnace your home has will allow you to narrow down the root of the leak.

Causes of Water Leaks on High-Efficiency Furnaces

Here are some causes that could be the reason behind water leaks with your home’s high-efficiency furnace:

Condensation Leaks

Condensation leaks can result from multiple areas of a high-efficiency furnace. High-efficiency furnaces release exhaust gasses, which create condensation. The resulting condensation can be a significant amount of moisture on the PVC pipe. This condensation can either be drained into a floor drain or condensation pump, but a leak occurs when that condensation has nowhere to go.

Malfunctioning Heat Exchanger

Water leaks can also be caused by a malfunctioning secondary heat exchanger. These types of furnaces have a primary heat exchanger and a secondary heat exchanger to extract more heat from the fuel. Malfunctioning heat exchangers are known to result in a condensation leak.

Broken Humidifier

Humidifiers attached to furnaces use water to add moisture to dry, heated air. If lines are cracked or poorly fitted, water can begin to leak. Excess water is channeled into the furnace drain line and if the drain line is clogged, water begins to build up and leak.

Why is My Standard Efficiency Furnace Leaking Water?

While a standard-efficiency furnace and a high-efficiency furnace share some similarities, they can leak water for different reasons. Here are some reasons as to why your standard efficiency furnace may be leaking water:

Air Conditioner Leaking

A running air conditioning unit generates water, making it a prime candidate for a water leak. A leak in this area can also be related to the upcoming reasons.

Frozen Coils

A frozen evaporator coil will cause your AC unit to leak. Frozen evaporator coils can stem from multiple AC issues like a dirty air filter, insufficient airflow, or a backed-up drain.

Broken Condensate Pump

The condensate pump is an important component that drains condensation from the HVAC. If the condensate pump is broken, it’s common to see a water leak as a result.

Clogged Drain Line

Dealing with a clogged drain can result in a messy water leak. This issue causes the line to be disconnected from the drain pan, preventing water from passing through. Instead, water will end up leaking and pooling around the unit.

Damaged Drain Pan

When a drain pan is affected by damages such as cracking, it’s unable to catch condensate. Cracks or holes in the drain pan can cause excess water to spill and leak.

Why Is There Water Under My Furnace During the Summer?

If you find water under your furnace during the summertime, it most likely has to do with a clogged condensation drain. This is the most common reason. Leaks persist in this case because the humidity that is tuned into the water has nowhere to go due to clogging.

Total Comfort’s Furnace Repair Services in Minneapolis and St. Paul

If you notice that your home’s furnace is leaking, don’t wait to respond. Failure to adjust a leaking furnace can result in extensive water damage, costly repairs, and health hazards for your household.

If your home’s furnace is leaking in Minneapolis, Minnesota, or the St. Paul area, contact Total Comfort. Total Comfort’s reliable furnace repair services will help get your home’s furnace back to its original condition.

Why Choose Us?

When you need services to address furnace leaks, why choose Total Comfort? Choosing Total Comfort means choosing a company that prides itself on exceeding customer expectations with service, education, and pricing. Whether you need installation, repair, maintenance, or heating services for your home, Total Comfort is ready to answer the call.

Choosing Total Comfort also comes with these benefits:

Certified technicians
No hidden costs
Quality installation
Customer satisfaction
Financing options
Quick response time

Why is My Furnace Leaking Water?