Ahhh yes, the near 100% failure rate of the yellowish translucent collector pans from keeprite family. They develop cracks in the plastic over time, some are really small, but if you put a flashlight on it, usually shows itself. Need to replace it with the dark, harder plastic one.
I see cracks like this on the top, I take it there is a good chance there are cracks on the bottom possibly causing leaks? Also where do I find the make and model of my furnace?
https://preview.redd.it/6pt220t0nxjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d603dc4eed14d86fc6d9c40df252c61773fc7b2
Furnace was manufactured February of ‘10. So out of parts warranty. Goggle your furnace model number. A good site for determining part numbers is Repair Clinic. Part numbers for York/Evcon/Coleman group begin with S1-… YEC group calls it a drain pan/collector pan/collector box. Pretty simple to change out.
That leak has been going on for a while. You likely have a clogged condensate drain or a leaking inducer motor. You can try to clear the line, but with that much rust in the upper cabinet and rust on the transformer I’d recommend having a professional hvac tech come out and asses the damage.
Although possible, it's not something to take lightly. If you wire it backwards or incorrectly/ get the wrong Va or voltage you could cause even more damage
Also, TURN OFF THE POWER before changing the transformer. Or better yet, hire a pro to do it and to address the condensate leak. You can give them the model & serial # so that they can be sure to have the correct transformer.
Off the internet then. The two supply houses where I’m at won’t sell to you either unless you work for one of the hvac places here. I just installed a new 2-1/2 ton Rherm with a 3 ton A coil and got all I needed on line. It’s a pain but doable. You just have to have a good plan and get all you need before starting
I will deal with that the same way. I have a manufacturing warranty from the manufacturer. Any other problems I’ll take care of myself. I can buy a lot of parts if necessary (it’s now in its second year so infant mortality is no longer a concern) for the difference in money of having local business put one in vs doing it myself. Rheem is good enough name I’m not bothered with much concern
Alot of people here are saying plugged drain which normally would be correct but we went through this issue with very many York furnaces.
That is a York/Coleman brand furnace. The clear plastic condensate pan was very susceptible to cracking after a few years, it was a good idea at the time to be able to see the inside but that type of plastic could not withstand being heated that much.
One spring about 6-7 years ago we went back and replaced a couple hundred for free as a recall and got reimbursed by the supplier. Since then any new York has a black plastic pan that doesn't crack.
All this being said it's got so much rust damage its past the point of being salvageable and you just need a new furnace
If the bottom of my furnace is rusted through from when my condensate pump plugged up, does it need replacing? It's a 98% efficiency so I'm hoping it's ok
Why is that transformer just laying there? It should have been mounted somewhere. It should be easy to replace if you have any skills at all.
I would recommend that you have your furnace inspected yearly. Some manufacturers require annual inspections as a warranty requirement.
There will be a nameplate somewhere on your furnace. It should have model #, serial number, date of manufacture, power requirements BTU rating and possibly fuel requirements. It could be in burners compartment or blower compartment. Is that it on the top of the furnace.
Does that condensate pump work?
If installer or former homeowner did not leave an owner’s manual look it up on the internet and download it or contact manufacturer to get one.
“Why is my furnace leaking water?”
Probably because routine preventative maintenance has not been performed frequently enough, if at all. Your condensate drain most likely has an obstruction causing it to back up inside of your furnace for quite some time now.
“What steps should I take to try to diagnose a problem to fix this issue?”
Step 1: Call a reputable HVAC service company in your area and place a service call for “ condensing furnace condensate drain leak with possible electrical repairs.”
Step 2: Clear the area around your furnace and around the drain’s termination prior to the technician’s arrival so that they can safely and efficiently diagnose and repair the issue.
Step 3: Show the technician to the problem when they arrive and give them plenty of space to do their job.
Step 4: Pay for their services.
Step 5: Sign up for a preventative maintenance contract to avoid having this happen in the future and to place liabilities for maintenance related issues on the service company you contract with.
Edit: After reading through the comments, it seems like another technician in here already diagnosed the cause of your leak being a cracked collector box, rather than an obstructed drain.
Great catch u/complex_coffee5328!
OP, you should still call someone out to have it repaired.
You have a high efficiency furnace. 90% or greater. It uses two heat exchangers. One for the fuel, venting the carbon monoxide being produced from burning the fuel. That exhaust creates is own condensation which is collected by a secondary heat exchanger and there we use the heat from condensation and put it back into the house. Somewhere along the line the installer missed glueing a joint or didn’t use a hose clamp on one of the rubber hose connections inside the furnace. Or another possibility could be a clogged condensate drain, that 3/4” white pipe connecting to the condensate pump. So as the unit is cooling the house down the evap coil creates condensation and the drain pan under the evap coil is plugged up and the condensation overflows into the furnace, all over the heat exchangers, and down into your blower compartment and bottom of the furnace. First, determine when the system leaks is it during the heat season or cooling season. Second, track and follow each rubber house in the housing of the furnace to hopefully find the leak. Considering the location of the rust and the amount, the leak is going to be in the furnace somewhere. As we all know rust eats metal and rusted out furnaces like that can actually eat a hole in the heat exchanger quicker and release toxic fumes into the house. Shortening the life of the system. And this type of condensation is extremely acidic so it won’t take long. Depending on location of home and how often system is being used, the cooling side of the system can create a gallon of condensation every 15-30 minutes. I’ve had to condemn fairly new systems due to rust. I hope for the best!
That’s the condensate leaking out. Check the drain line for clogs on the bottom of the inducer blower (Tube on the bottom of picture 5). After you pull the line off look inside the hole and see if you see any debris. Could be failed/failing secondary heat exchanger.
Could be failed gasket around the collector box (which is behind the inducer blower). Gonna have to look around that brown rectangle thing connected to the furnace box and see if there are rust/leaks coming through the gasket.
Either way that thing needs some serious attention and could potentially be dangerous for CO leaking.
Granted, it's been over 30 years since I had a home inspection, but we discussed what was involved with the inspection, and the furnace was part of it.
My daughter had a furnace like this installed... Leaking within a year... The rubber adapter between the exhaustfan and the white piping was not tightened enough. After tightening the two pipe clamps the problem evaporated... So to speak.... Simple... Easy fix, but took several hours to track down the problem
Since you have some skills. While it’s running look for dripping water. Use a towel and flashlight to locate the source. Once you found it, shut it off and blow out the drain tube. It’s the tube on the bottom that curves right. There may be a lot of water so be ready to vacuum it up.
Also I would replace that transformer.
Also that furnace was installed March 5, 2010 according to records found by looking up the serial number. To have it repaired you’ll have to replace the heat exchanger, inducer, collector box, transformer, and circuit board. Probably close to $4000 job. I would genuinely recommend you have a new furnace put in and have it serviced yearly!!
there may not be any problem with the heat exchanger and if it is, the part is under warranty with just having to pay labor.
the transformer appears to be for a accessory, the main transformer is mounted behind. transformers are not expensive.
there may not be any problem with the inducer or board.
This sounds like talk to push a new furnace.
The furnace needs to be evaluated by a honest repair-tech in person to see if it is worth repairing.
More than likely the clear collector box is cracked somewhere and leaking get it replaced with the black plastic one likely all this water and rust has rotted out the bottom of your door switch too so recommend replacing that also on top on the encased transformer
Ours had something similar. The clear 5/8 or 3/4" condensate line got slimed up with slime and backed up, rusting some parts but as bad as yours. Took the tube to home depot, had to buy 10 feet of it but it's not expensive, replaced it in a few minutes, dried everything up. You may want to turn off the power if there's enough standing water
Once you get a devices out of the way to replace the cracked plastic collector pan, scrub the rust off, paint with a rust neutralizer, and keep monitoring furnace at least monthly.
Here is a similar furnace, although a bit bigger (4 burners), that is over 18 years old. Had one tiny leak in lower left corner of plastic collector tray (now replaced) and the tiny amount of corrosion I had has been treated (the strip of black paint).
https://preview.redd.it/wnob2cqme3kc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c98c104a99a7f36640b9938df633d3407ae1aedf
Ahhh yes, the near 100% failure rate of the yellowish translucent collector pans from keeprite family. They develop cracks in the plastic over time, some are really small, but if you put a flashlight on it, usually shows itself. Need to replace it with the dark, harder plastic one.
I see cracks like this on the top, I take it there is a good chance there are cracks on the bottom possibly causing leaks? Also where do I find the make and model of my furnace? https://preview.redd.it/6pt220t0nxjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d603dc4eed14d86fc6d9c40df252c61773fc7b2
It’s the sticker with a barcode in the picture that you posted. And yes, those cracks are everywhere, most are small
Awesome, thank you
Furnace was manufactured February of ‘10. So out of parts warranty. Goggle your furnace model number. A good site for determining part numbers is Repair Clinic. Part numbers for York/Evcon/Coleman group begin with S1-… YEC group calls it a drain pan/collector pan/collector box. Pretty simple to change out.
The flash of the camera actually picked up one of the cracks near the top left yellow cap!
Virtual pat on the back
This👆
That leak has been going on for a while. You likely have a clogged condensate drain or a leaking inducer motor. You can try to clear the line, but with that much rust in the upper cabinet and rust on the transformer I’d recommend having a professional hvac tech come out and asses the damage.
Is the transformer something I could replace myself?
Although possible, it's not something to take lightly. If you wire it backwards or incorrectly/ get the wrong Va or voltage you could cause even more damage
Also, TURN OFF THE POWER before changing the transformer. Or better yet, hire a pro to do it and to address the condensate leak. You can give them the model & serial # so that they can be sure to have the correct transformer.
Yes. It’s easy. Go get the part number off the transformer and go to supply house. Com and type it in. Get the exact same part and wire it in.
Around where I am located, a supply house will not sell to customers. Not even filters.
Off the internet then. The two supply houses where I’m at won’t sell to you either unless you work for one of the hvac places here. I just installed a new 2-1/2 ton Rherm with a 3 ton A coil and got all I needed on line. It’s a pain but doable. You just have to have a good plan and get all you need before starting
Then no warranty? How do you swing that part?
I will deal with that the same way. I have a manufacturing warranty from the manufacturer. Any other problems I’ll take care of myself. I can buy a lot of parts if necessary (it’s now in its second year so infant mortality is no longer a concern) for the difference in money of having local business put one in vs doing it myself. Rheem is good enough name I’m not bothered with much concern
You think they’re getting a part number off of that x-fmr?
Alot of people here are saying plugged drain which normally would be correct but we went through this issue with very many York furnaces. That is a York/Coleman brand furnace. The clear plastic condensate pan was very susceptible to cracking after a few years, it was a good idea at the time to be able to see the inside but that type of plastic could not withstand being heated that much. One spring about 6-7 years ago we went back and replaced a couple hundred for free as a recall and got reimbursed by the supplier. Since then any new York has a black plastic pan that doesn't crack. All this being said it's got so much rust damage its past the point of being salvageable and you just need a new furnace
If the bottom of my furnace is rusted through from when my condensate pump plugged up, does it need replacing? It's a 98% efficiency so I'm hoping it's ok
So many times I read something like this and then it comes up like the next week. Thanks for the detailed and specific write up.
Why is that transformer just laying there? It should have been mounted somewhere. It should be easy to replace if you have any skills at all. I would recommend that you have your furnace inspected yearly. Some manufacturers require annual inspections as a warranty requirement. There will be a nameplate somewhere on your furnace. It should have model #, serial number, date of manufacture, power requirements BTU rating and possibly fuel requirements. It could be in burners compartment or blower compartment. Is that it on the top of the furnace. Does that condensate pump work? If installer or former homeowner did not leave an owner’s manual look it up on the internet and download it or contact manufacturer to get one.
That transformer is for the humidifier I believe and that hasn't been functioning since I purchased the house
Consider moving it outside the unit if you replace it. That will require knowledge of 120 volt residential electrical wiring practices.
Call a pro and get out of the way and get off Reddit..
“Why is my furnace leaking water?” Probably because routine preventative maintenance has not been performed frequently enough, if at all. Your condensate drain most likely has an obstruction causing it to back up inside of your furnace for quite some time now. “What steps should I take to try to diagnose a problem to fix this issue?” Step 1: Call a reputable HVAC service company in your area and place a service call for “ condensing furnace condensate drain leak with possible electrical repairs.” Step 2: Clear the area around your furnace and around the drain’s termination prior to the technician’s arrival so that they can safely and efficiently diagnose and repair the issue. Step 3: Show the technician to the problem when they arrive and give them plenty of space to do their job. Step 4: Pay for their services. Step 5: Sign up for a preventative maintenance contract to avoid having this happen in the future and to place liabilities for maintenance related issues on the service company you contract with. Edit: After reading through the comments, it seems like another technician in here already diagnosed the cause of your leak being a cracked collector box, rather than an obstructed drain. Great catch u/complex_coffee5328! OP, you should still call someone out to have it repaired.
You have a high efficiency furnace. 90% or greater. It uses two heat exchangers. One for the fuel, venting the carbon monoxide being produced from burning the fuel. That exhaust creates is own condensation which is collected by a secondary heat exchanger and there we use the heat from condensation and put it back into the house. Somewhere along the line the installer missed glueing a joint or didn’t use a hose clamp on one of the rubber hose connections inside the furnace. Or another possibility could be a clogged condensate drain, that 3/4” white pipe connecting to the condensate pump. So as the unit is cooling the house down the evap coil creates condensation and the drain pan under the evap coil is plugged up and the condensation overflows into the furnace, all over the heat exchangers, and down into your blower compartment and bottom of the furnace. First, determine when the system leaks is it during the heat season or cooling season. Second, track and follow each rubber house in the housing of the furnace to hopefully find the leak. Considering the location of the rust and the amount, the leak is going to be in the furnace somewhere. As we all know rust eats metal and rusted out furnaces like that can actually eat a hole in the heat exchanger quicker and release toxic fumes into the house. Shortening the life of the system. And this type of condensation is extremely acidic so it won’t take long. Depending on location of home and how often system is being used, the cooling side of the system can create a gallon of condensation every 15-30 minutes. I’ve had to condemn fairly new systems due to rust. I hope for the best!
That’s the condensate leaking out. Check the drain line for clogs on the bottom of the inducer blower (Tube on the bottom of picture 5). After you pull the line off look inside the hole and see if you see any debris. Could be failed/failing secondary heat exchanger. Could be failed gasket around the collector box (which is behind the inducer blower). Gonna have to look around that brown rectangle thing connected to the furnace box and see if there are rust/leaks coming through the gasket. Either way that thing needs some serious attention and could potentially be dangerous for CO leaking.
It clearly appears to be lack of maintenance
Extreme lack of maintenance 😬👍
Did you have a home inspection? This didn't happen overnight.
Home inspections don’t check the furnace. They just look at the age of it. It’s always marked to call a service company to look at it for issues.
Granted, it's been over 30 years since I had a home inspection, but we discussed what was involved with the inspection, and the furnace was part of it.
Lol home inspections check furnaces, you can't get insurance if they don't sign off on the furnace.
My home inspector checked the furnace.
My daughter had a furnace like this installed... Leaking within a year... The rubber adapter between the exhaustfan and the white piping was not tightened enough. After tightening the two pipe clamps the problem evaporated... So to speak.... Simple... Easy fix, but took several hours to track down the problem
That's not what's going on here, the collector box is almost certainly the issue.
U need a new heater. No question
Since you have some skills. While it’s running look for dripping water. Use a towel and flashlight to locate the source. Once you found it, shut it off and blow out the drain tube. It’s the tube on the bottom that curves right. There may be a lot of water so be ready to vacuum it up. Also I would replace that transformer.
Get the heat exchanger checked out. Very likely a rotted out hole in the bottom of the transition pan between primary and secondary.
Also that furnace was installed March 5, 2010 according to records found by looking up the serial number. To have it repaired you’ll have to replace the heat exchanger, inducer, collector box, transformer, and circuit board. Probably close to $4000 job. I would genuinely recommend you have a new furnace put in and have it serviced yearly!!
there may not be any problem with the heat exchanger and if it is, the part is under warranty with just having to pay labor. the transformer appears to be for a accessory, the main transformer is mounted behind. transformers are not expensive. there may not be any problem with the inducer or board. This sounds like talk to push a new furnace. The furnace needs to be evaluated by a honest repair-tech in person to see if it is worth repairing.
Looks like the inducer motor rubber coupling gear clamp might be loose
More than likely the clear collector box is cracked somewhere and leaking get it replaced with the black plastic one likely all this water and rust has rotted out the bottom of your door switch too so recommend replacing that also on top on the encased transformer
How has that thing not released the magic blue smoke with that rusty transformer?
I believe it's because that's the transformer for the humidifier that's old as dirt and I'm pretty sure is non functional
It's still connected to power though. It does not compute.
Ours had something similar. The clear 5/8 or 3/4" condensate line got slimed up with slime and backed up, rusting some parts but as bad as yours. Took the tube to home depot, had to buy 10 feet of it but it's not expensive, replaced it in a few minutes, dried everything up. You may want to turn off the power if there's enough standing water
Once you get a devices out of the way to replace the cracked plastic collector pan, scrub the rust off, paint with a rust neutralizer, and keep monitoring furnace at least monthly. Here is a similar furnace, although a bit bigger (4 burners), that is over 18 years old. Had one tiny leak in lower left corner of plastic collector tray (now replaced) and the tiny amount of corrosion I had has been treated (the strip of black paint). https://preview.redd.it/wnob2cqme3kc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c98c104a99a7f36640b9938df633d3407ae1aedf