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Furnace water drain problem in my basement

13 years ago

My furnace has a water drain pipe leads towards the floor drain. The furnace is in the middle of the basement. Just recently I found the floor area surround the floor drain was wet with water. I remember house inspector (4 years ago) told us to use pump to remove the water from furnace. Since we never had water problem and we did not pay attention to it. Last week was pretty hot so we turned on AC for few days and then we see water coming on the floor. After I wipe out the water and used the heat fan to blow the wet, I discovered there was a 'sweat' spot near the floor drain that keep producing 'sweat-like' wet. See two pictures below:

1. Furnace and pipe:

2. Floor drain and 'sweat' spot:

Any suggestion what is the problem? Should I call plumber or this is a simple problem that I can fix myself?

Thanks,

-J

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Comments (7)

worthy
13 years ago
If there's a bit of moisture, it may just be condensation on that part of the floor that's colder than the rest from the water pouring into the pipe. It's summer. Use a dehumidifier. (Btw, insulation without an air barrier isn't much use.)
jhome2007
Original Author
13 years ago
I am just wondering what is under the floor drain pipe? Where does the water go? Going to the ground or there is a underneath drainage system.
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worthy
13 years ago
am just wondering what is under the floor drain pipe?

It would usually connect into the house drains. Here, installers often just wire a drainage hose onto the grille in a floor drain. In some jurisdictions, the furnace drain water may have to be ph adjusted before being allowed into the drains.

But anything's possible! I've found bathrooms that simply drained into sand fill. Fun digging and trucking that muck out!
jhome2007
Original Author
13 years ago
One more question, do you think the moisture/sweat is coming from the ground or the humidity in the air and cools down to the cement floor?

-J
jhome2007
Original Author
13 years ago
In the last few weeks, I observed that when I turn off AC there is no water / sweat at all. Today I turned on AC for just 5 hours, I can see standing water in the area. I feel this is not a 'sweat'. I don't know where it is coming from. The floor drain spot is wet but no water standing around it. Maybe it is the time to call plumber?
worthy
13 years ago
I can see standing water in the area

It's not clear in which area you see standing water. And you don't mention how much. I generally see standing water around the drains where the ac line is wired to the top of the grille. Just not enough to form a puddle to flow into the drain. If you have more than that, it's possible that the drain line under the floor is clogged or cracked. If you have a floor drain elsewhere in the basement, pour water into it and see if it drains properly. Your concern is not for the bit of condensate water, but that the drain is operable in case you get minor flooding from a burst water line, hwt or the like.
lapouhne
13 years ago
I know exactly what your problem is. We had the same. Our house being built in 1972, we noticed just recently that we had less than 2 inches of gravel under the basement floor. Therefore, the water was not draining away from the ac pipe. Because of that puddle of water under the floor, our ceramic tiles came unglued. We corrected the problem by diverting the ac pipe in the floor drain. Our floor has been dry since.By the way, I think the building code requires 4 inches of gravel minimum.

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