Furnace Guy or Plumber?

[dwedmon]

I have a mid efficiency furnace that has a humidifier attached to it. The excess water line from the humidifier goes to a thing that looks like a box. The condensate line also goes into the same box.

I am getting clean water pooling under the furnace. If I shut the water main the pooling stops so I know it is a leak from somewhere and not water coming up from the foundation. Both the saddle valve that takes water to the humidifier and the drain line from it to the box on the furnace are dry. My guess is that something has failed with the box attached to the furnace, and its time to call in the pros.

Any idea as to whether I should be calling a furnace guy or a plumber?

Thanks

[dewalt18]

Since it has a drain, in a assuming it’s a pass through humidifier, not the old drum style. My guess is the solenoid has failed in the open position, or the wiring is incorrect and the unit is not shutting down, causing excess water flow, leading it to pool at the bottom of the return air drop, and leaking out from there. Easy test would be to disconnnect one of the two wires to the solenoid, and see if that shuts off the water flow.

[MK2750]

If the drain from the humidifier is blocked, water can enter the furnace and end up under it.

If you have a condensate line from the furnace, then your furnace is high eff not mid. If the box you are referring to is as condensate pump it can cause issues, however this would not come and go when you turn off the main so my guess would be the humidifier.

Turn the saddle valve off (or if seized pinch the line) and I think your problem should go away.

[acrtech]

OP could still have a mid efficient furnace and the condensate line he refers to is the one from the AC coil. The Op mentions he turns the "main " off and water doesn't pool.... Not sure what they mean by "main"
Disconnect drain at humidifier, apply a bucket to catch water. Energize a call for heat and humidity, go down and confirm water draining from humidifier. Now remove the call for humidity and leave furnace heating, check again for water drainage from humidifier like before. If it stops your humidifier is working normally and the Lil' Giant condensate pump could be the issue and the float is stuck or the motor itself is seized. Remove the call for heat now.
If humidifier would continue to run with the call for humidity removed, confirm 24 volt power circuit to it is de energized in which case you would possibly require a new solenoid valve. These may or may not be avail at the retail level depending on brand of humidifier.

It's been 5 days since the post, I'm guessing things have been repaired/solved.

.

[dwedmon]

Thanks everyone for your advice. Turns out it was a pump that was connected to the humidifier. The humidifier was installed in a manner that the drain line went to a pump instead of the floor drain.

[ccmckee]

Not sure why you have a pump if you have a floor drain near by. I have a pump on my furnace because my nearest floor drain is on the other side of the basement. my humidifier and ac drains run into it.

[dwedmon]

I think it was just a lazy install job. To get to the floor drain they would have needed to run the drain line behind the washer and dryer. Instead they took the easier route and put in a pump and pumped everything straight up into the panel ceiling where they could run the drain line a lot easier.

Originally Posted by ccmckee

Not sure why you have a pump if you have a floor drain near by. I have a pump on my furnace because my nearest floor drain is on the other side of the basement. my humidifier and ac drains run into it.