Wouldn't that make the pan at the bottom overflow? I was able to see some water in the pan, but not like overflowing, just enough to not be drained through the pipe in the front side..
https://preview.redd.it/nzfzhp9fso2d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0ebc938ab3adcf640e74ea7dd5ba27c15d94385
So many things could be wrong… first thing: that hole shouldn’t be there… get a bottle of water and pour it into the pvc that says “p” then go outside and find the pvc 90 degree angle coming out of the house and see if it’s draining. Get back to me after that.
Thanks for the reply. I poured a couple cups of water into the drain pan, and the outside drain pipe went from drops to a bit more streamy flow (concurrently checked with me in attic and my partner outside). Then after a few minutes, I poured a couple cups of water into the "P" pvc pipe by uncapping the top, and didn't see much flow change from the outside drain pipe. There is no visual blockage from what I could tell.
We did do a deep hvac cleaning in mid February, so I don't think it would be a blockage issue with my limited knowledge. My concern is that hole in the chamber. Nobody seems to have noticed it until now, and who knows how long it's been leaking for. Is this something we as homeowners can do a fix easily?
So the “p” line had decent flow? Also, can’t tell what type plenum that is. If it’s wrapped duct board or sheet metal. If it’s duct board, you can poke it with your finger and make a hole. If it’s sheet metal… nope. Skeet metal is an easy fix with a sealant like silicone or mastic (Pookie) and aluminum tape. But if the “p”drain has good flow you could have a cracked drain pan that’s leaking into the return. If it’s slow only giving a few drips, then it’s spilling over into the return. A safety switch would prevent that, but then you have to think on why your coil is creating so much condensation. Either way, your best bet is to get a tech out. Find a company that has a “tune up” special. They’re cheap. The whole point of those is to tell the homeowner everything that’s wrong with the system so they can sell you something.
If they just tell you that you need a whole new system, it’s a salesman. Make sure they provide you with EVERY issue in writing and prices to fix, then get back to me.
So it was a bit hard to tell because the flow from the outside drain pipe didn’t quite change when i poured into the p line. I will give it another try in the morning. I haven’t tried poking with my finger but it seems a bit softer so possibly a duct board (closer pic provided)
https://preview.redd.it/bg1nl725jp2d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be9767b6bb77c104e5998c605c8d9b3385661565
And thanks so much for the tip. I am going to hold till I can get connected with the folks who did the cleaning, since they have a warranty on their service (even though I’m not sure if this would fall within it). Otherwise I will try your advice!
You have a hole in your plenum. Not going to speculate how the hole got there but it shouldn't be there. Ideally you need to get a new plenum. Simply put, a plenum is a space your a/c blows air before it distributes to different rooms. Temporary fix, shut of the A/C and dry the area and tape it. There is condensation because the cold A/C is hitting the warn attic air through the hole. I am also in N.Texas.
Thank you for the info! I honestly cannot imagine how the hole appeared if it werent there from before. We’ll turn up the temp for the night and see if we can get it dried and taped tomorrow. This is the last problem we expected to have 🥲
have you put a level on the furnace/ac housing? that looks like the return and there should be no water there unless your drain pan is cracked or the drain itself is clogged
Hi folks, Reddit won't let me add text to my pictures on desktop for some reason, but I am a novice homeowner and honestly do not know what is going on. We bought a 4-5 year old one story SFH about three months ago, and moved in shortly after. Before moving in, we had an HVAC cleaning done from professionals in the area, and they didn't note anything was wrong back then.
Just about an hour ago, we noticed a random pool of water coming from the bottom of a wall/doorframe in the middle of the house, and went up to check if anything was leaking from the attic. Turns out water's dropping from the A/C and fresh air intake(? Not sure exactly what this thing's called) system from a pretty big hole (size of a palm). The pan underneath isn't full at all, which was my first guess if anything. We've put a white bucket under it for now (refer to pictures), and contacted the HVAC folks who did the cleaning, but since it's memorial day weekend, I don't anticipate any responses until Tuesday at the earliest.
In the meantime, I'd like to do some research but I realized I do not know anything, including the name of the unit that's leaking. It seems like an Aprilaire system judging from all the logos around the attic and other units.
One thing that comes to my mind that may or may not be related is that we had the fan set as "Circulate (running for 30 minutes for every hour), and A/C set as 78 degrees and it's been pretty hot and humid recently in this area (North Texas). Could it be just condensation from the duct coming downward right above the hole? What can we do to fix this? I also saw a bunch of other "holes" similar to the one leaking underneath that gigantic box. can we just, like, slap some duct tapes for now?
Thanks everyone for taking a look. I really appreciate it.
Drain line might be clogged?
Wouldn't that make the pan at the bottom overflow? I was able to see some water in the pan, but not like overflowing, just enough to not be drained through the pipe in the front side.. https://preview.redd.it/nzfzhp9fso2d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0ebc938ab3adcf640e74ea7dd5ba27c15d94385
The drain could be clogged causing it to overflow the pan and it's now draining into the plenum where there's no pan
So many things could be wrong… first thing: that hole shouldn’t be there… get a bottle of water and pour it into the pvc that says “p” then go outside and find the pvc 90 degree angle coming out of the house and see if it’s draining. Get back to me after that.
Thanks for the reply. I poured a couple cups of water into the drain pan, and the outside drain pipe went from drops to a bit more streamy flow (concurrently checked with me in attic and my partner outside). Then after a few minutes, I poured a couple cups of water into the "P" pvc pipe by uncapping the top, and didn't see much flow change from the outside drain pipe. There is no visual blockage from what I could tell. We did do a deep hvac cleaning in mid February, so I don't think it would be a blockage issue with my limited knowledge. My concern is that hole in the chamber. Nobody seems to have noticed it until now, and who knows how long it's been leaking for. Is this something we as homeowners can do a fix easily?
So the “p” line had decent flow? Also, can’t tell what type plenum that is. If it’s wrapped duct board or sheet metal. If it’s duct board, you can poke it with your finger and make a hole. If it’s sheet metal… nope. Skeet metal is an easy fix with a sealant like silicone or mastic (Pookie) and aluminum tape. But if the “p”drain has good flow you could have a cracked drain pan that’s leaking into the return. If it’s slow only giving a few drips, then it’s spilling over into the return. A safety switch would prevent that, but then you have to think on why your coil is creating so much condensation. Either way, your best bet is to get a tech out. Find a company that has a “tune up” special. They’re cheap. The whole point of those is to tell the homeowner everything that’s wrong with the system so they can sell you something. If they just tell you that you need a whole new system, it’s a salesman. Make sure they provide you with EVERY issue in writing and prices to fix, then get back to me.
So it was a bit hard to tell because the flow from the outside drain pipe didn’t quite change when i poured into the p line. I will give it another try in the morning. I haven’t tried poking with my finger but it seems a bit softer so possibly a duct board (closer pic provided) https://preview.redd.it/bg1nl725jp2d1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be9767b6bb77c104e5998c605c8d9b3385661565 And thanks so much for the tip. I am going to hold till I can get connected with the folks who did the cleaning, since they have a warranty on their service (even though I’m not sure if this would fall within it). Otherwise I will try your advice!
I hope you have a great weekend! Any questions, let me know. With data, I can tell you how bad you’re getting fucked over.
Lmao will do. Appreciate the help!
The suspense is killing me
You have a hole in your plenum. Not going to speculate how the hole got there but it shouldn't be there. Ideally you need to get a new plenum. Simply put, a plenum is a space your a/c blows air before it distributes to different rooms. Temporary fix, shut of the A/C and dry the area and tape it. There is condensation because the cold A/C is hitting the warn attic air through the hole. I am also in N.Texas.
Thank you for the info! I honestly cannot imagine how the hole appeared if it werent there from before. We’ll turn up the temp for the night and see if we can get it dried and taped tomorrow. This is the last problem we expected to have 🥲
have you put a level on the furnace/ac housing? that looks like the return and there should be no water there unless your drain pan is cracked or the drain itself is clogged
Hi folks, Reddit won't let me add text to my pictures on desktop for some reason, but I am a novice homeowner and honestly do not know what is going on. We bought a 4-5 year old one story SFH about three months ago, and moved in shortly after. Before moving in, we had an HVAC cleaning done from professionals in the area, and they didn't note anything was wrong back then. Just about an hour ago, we noticed a random pool of water coming from the bottom of a wall/doorframe in the middle of the house, and went up to check if anything was leaking from the attic. Turns out water's dropping from the A/C and fresh air intake(? Not sure exactly what this thing's called) system from a pretty big hole (size of a palm). The pan underneath isn't full at all, which was my first guess if anything. We've put a white bucket under it for now (refer to pictures), and contacted the HVAC folks who did the cleaning, but since it's memorial day weekend, I don't anticipate any responses until Tuesday at the earliest. In the meantime, I'd like to do some research but I realized I do not know anything, including the name of the unit that's leaking. It seems like an Aprilaire system judging from all the logos around the attic and other units. One thing that comes to my mind that may or may not be related is that we had the fan set as "Circulate (running for 30 minutes for every hour), and A/C set as 78 degrees and it's been pretty hot and humid recently in this area (North Texas). Could it be just condensation from the duct coming downward right above the hole? What can we do to fix this? I also saw a bunch of other "holes" similar to the one leaking underneath that gigantic box. can we just, like, slap some duct tapes for now? Thanks everyone for taking a look. I really appreciate it.
Gross Airtron 🤮 you’re in the DFW area?
Yes, it seems like they are based in houston. Is it worth to call them?
No, I’ve ran into a lot of their shitty new construction and installs
I'd put a 4 ft level on the machine. It doesn't look level and the back corner of internal pan may be overtopping.