Does Your Furnace Have a Leak?

As a homeowner, you might find leaks in various places throughout your home. A leaking dishwasher or washing machine might be a surprise, but you realize it happens. How about a furnace leak? What if there’s a puddle of water by your furnace; what then?

Today’s high efficiency furnaces have the ability to extract heat from natural gas faster than older models. Because this also cools the air faster, extra condensation may be the result. Older furnaces don’t produce condensation, but today’s high efficiency furnaces can.

How can you tell if you have a higher efficiency furnace installed in your home? Find out what AFUE rating your furnace has.

AFUE stands for annual fuel utilization efficiency. It indicates how efficiently your furnace can convert energy into heat. To be considered a high efficiency furnace, it must be rated at 90 percent or higher. That means that 90 percent of the energy becomes heat while the remaining 10 percent is lost. The easiest way to tell if you have a high efficiency furnace is to look at your furnace’s vent pipe. If it’s white PVC pipe, it’s high efficiency.

Why would your furnace be leaking?

The floor drain may be clogged. The condensation should have somewhere to run off to. If you haven’t cleaned the floor drain, check it and clean it out.

The furnace tubing may have cracked or broken. Check it for holes and ensure it’s in good working condition.

While these are two of the most common reasons for condensation, they aren’t the only ones. Your furnace is a complex machine made up of dozens of parts. Other problems could exist such as with the secondary heat exchanger, or problems with the humidifier.

Not sure why your furnace is leaking? Hire one of our experienced HVAC contractors and we’ll assess the problem and find the solution to get you back on track.