Heat pump leaking water. Why?
#1
10-21-05, 06:46 AM
Heat pump leaking water. Why?
I have two heat pumps - 1st and 2nd floor units. One of them is leaking lots of water in winter time. Tech said that the pan that collects water is all rusted through and the water is not being collected and pumped out via pipes.
The other unit does NOT leak any water, nor does it pump it out via pipes (into french drain). It seems that no water is being produced by it. This seems strange.
Both units stand in the basement and vent to the outside throught the wall, just above the ground. I noticed that on a cold day the vapor that comes out of those vents creates some condensate that drips on the ground.
Question: the water that ends up in the unit, is it that same condesate that just drips back inside the vent pipe?
THe only difference between those two units is one vent has an elbow that kinks the pipe down first and then horizontal. The other exhaust pipe is horizontal all the way.
Question 2: Is it possible that if I create an elbow in the other pipe that's horizontal I will avoid the water leakage problem? Wouldn't the water vapor just drip to the outside and not leak back into the unit?
The other unit does NOT leak any water, nor does it pump it out via pipes (into french drain). It seems that no water is being produced by it. This seems strange.
Both units stand in the basement and vent to the outside throught the wall, just above the ground. I noticed that on a cold day the vapor that comes out of those vents creates some condensate that drips on the ground.
Question: the water that ends up in the unit, is it that same condesate that just drips back inside the vent pipe?
THe only difference between those two units is one vent has an elbow that kinks the pipe down first and then horizontal. The other exhaust pipe is horizontal all the way.
Question 2: Is it possible that if I create an elbow in the other pipe that's horizontal I will avoid the water leakage problem? Wouldn't the water vapor just drip to the outside and not leak back into the unit?
#2
10-21-05, 12:03 PM
When you say heatpump then the vent pipes to the out side . Just for sure what do you have there. A heatpump alone sure dont have a vent pipe on it?????
ED
ED
#3
10-24-05, 06:30 AM
ED,
You are absolutely right! I am very ignorant about HVAC issues. I looked and found out that the vent pipe is going from the furnace (Trane XL90) that surves as a backup/emergency heat for our heat pump. So, that's what's leaking in the winter! The rusty stains appear right around the place where the vent pipe connects to the furnace (top) and also the bottom of the furnace is all rusted through. I assume the water collects at the bottom and rusts it. So, does my previous post make sense? Can the slope of the exhaust pipe outside matter? If I will kink it down, would the condensate not drip back? It may be a coincidence but the other furnace unit does not have any rust stains where the pipe connects, only at the bottom of the cabinet.
Also, there's a small box affixed to the furnace that says - Trane Add-on Heat Pump. Is that the heat pump portion of my system, I assume?
I hope I cleared up the confusion.
Thanks!
You are absolutely right! I am very ignorant about HVAC issues. I looked and found out that the vent pipe is going from the furnace (Trane XL90) that surves as a backup/emergency heat for our heat pump. So, that's what's leaking in the winter! The rusty stains appear right around the place where the vent pipe connects to the furnace (top) and also the bottom of the furnace is all rusted through. I assume the water collects at the bottom and rusts it. So, does my previous post make sense? Can the slope of the exhaust pipe outside matter? If I will kink it down, would the condensate not drip back? It may be a coincidence but the other furnace unit does not have any rust stains where the pipe connects, only at the bottom of the cabinet.
Also, there's a small box affixed to the furnace that says - Trane Add-on Heat Pump. Is that the heat pump portion of my system, I assume?
I hope I cleared up the confusion.
Thanks!
