Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - Furnace won't come on, "leaking" water?

Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.




flbuzzzz
03-24-08, 08:26 AM
Hi - I have an Amana furnace about 8 years old. The initial flame will come on but then it won't ignite. The first time this happened I cleaned the black rod that is in the flame compartment and that helped. It has done this a few times since and always cleaning this has helped. Now it won't come on at all. And the pipe that goes to the drain is draining a lot of water - a steady stream really. Any help appreciated.


pflor
03-24-08, 09:07 AM
I would imagine you have a humidifier that has gone haywire.
Do you? If so, shut the water off. That would stop the continuous draining of it.

Michael Thomas
03-24-08, 09:07 AM
Hi - I have an Amana furnace about 8 years old. The initial flame will come on but then it won't ignite. The first time this happened I cleaned the black rod that is in the flame compartment and that helped. It has done this a few times since and always cleaning this has helped. Now it won't come on at all. And the pipe that goes to the drain is draining a lot of water - a steady stream really. Any help appreciated.

Is there a humidifier? You might have a malfunctioning or improperly drained humidifier that is spilling water when the furnace stares and its water supply valve opens.


flbuzzzz
03-24-08, 09:35 AM
Thanks - I, too, thought it was the humidifier but turned off the water supply to that and it's still draining. I noticed that the tube that drains from the humidifier also comes out of the sealed portion of the furnace so that is why I thought it may be coming from there somehow. Thanks

pflor
03-24-08, 09:53 AM
On a condensing furnace, and form your posting that is what seems you have; the generation of condensate and subsequent draining are normal so long the furnace has been firing...but if it has not, there would be no condensate being produced on the sealed section of the furnace's heat exchanger...it has to be the humidifier.

Granted, you may very well have shut off the water supply n that humidifier...or thought you did so...but if that little shut-off valve is a cheap one (like a saddle valve perhaps), water may still be flowing through it, never mind you turned it off.

Put your hand on the line that brings water to the humidifier. Does it feel cold? Do you feel a small vibration like if something is moving on the inside of it? Those would be tell tales of water still flowing.

Jay11J
03-24-08, 12:18 PM
Can you post a photo for us to see where the water is coming form?

It would help us out for sure if it's a humidifier or not.