Air Conditioning - Basement condensation w/central air

I've got central air that runs through the furnace/ductwork in my basement. i recently noticed that water had begun to pool next to the furnace as a result of the air being on. upon further inspection, i found that there is a tube that runs from the furnace to a little rectangular box on the floor next to the furnace. (is it some kind of condensation catcher?) that little box is currently full of water and is essentially overflowing very gradually, leading to the pool of water on the basement floor. there is another, flexible tube that goes from the box up to the ceiling and across to a basement slop sink; however, it doesn't seem to be working at all (given the pool of water and the dryness of the tube...)

any ideas on what this box is, what it's supposed to do and how i might fix this problem?

thanks.

Yes you have a condensate pump there in that small pan that should pump the water from the AC out side or where ever that other line goes. Get it fixed for now put a 5 gal bucket under that line from the furnace.

ED ;)

thanks. is it safe to assume that fixing the pump entails just buying a new one and installing it?

YES . Get the name and ### of it and just get about the same kind. Does it pump or run???? got stuff in the pipes ??? check it out first.

ED ;)

where can i get a replacement? i checked home depot, but they don't carry them. is this something i can order online?

as for what type of pump it is, it doesn't seem to match the furnace or a/c. it just looks like a little plastic box that sits on the floor. it's got an electrical connection to the furnace; has a piece of 1" pvc that drains from the furnace to the box; and then has a piece of flexible plastic tubing that loops up to the ceiling, across the basement and is meant to be drained in a slop sink. rather than get the same one again, ideally i'd like something a bit more efficient -- or is this just the way these things work?

Make sure it has power and its on... plug something into the same outlet to make sure its on, give it a shake, sometimes the float hangs up. Its called a condensate pump. Should be able to get one online easily. Get a 110Volt Beckett or Hartell... I think Little Giant makes them too!
Swap them out and your back in business.

thanks for all the feedback. i think i'm ready to go. i checked the one in my basement and it is in fact a "little giant" and looks very similar to one i've found on the web.

as one follow-up though, before i buy another of the same product, do they make something with the same function that doesn't have to be connected by a long tube to drain in a sink?

The pump will not care where the condensate water is terminated as long as the pipng is the correct size and does not have to much rise. Do you have a diiferent spot in mind to send the water? If so it should not be a big deal to reroute the pipng after the pump to wherever you want within your local codes

so the water has to go somewhere. that's what i thought. unfortunately the furnace through which the a/c is routed sits in the middle of my basement. so i will have to run some kind of pipe either to the pump or from the pump to a drain of some kind. the nearest drain is a corner of the basement.

does the pump that collects the water have to be near the furnace? is there a way to collect the water near the a/c?

The A coil is normally located just above the furnace. This however isn't etched into stone. The other thing to consider is, is there something else draining into this condensate pump? Like say condensate from a condensing furnace? If not, then I would buy a roll of 3/8" soft copper from Home Depot and some support clips, and a few band clamps. Use a small section of the clear vinyl tubing to connect to the copper and run the copper to the drain in one continuous run straight up and a soft bend along the ceiling and down toward the drain area, another bend downward to the drain. Keep the bends gentle to avoid kinking the tubing. A coffe can as a jig to form around would be safe. The rolls are 25' long, and don't sag like vinyl will. Support every other joist with a clip use plastic or copper.
Have fun!