water in furnace closet

[lazydays]

I have a heat pump outside and a closet with an electric furnace and blower fan. I just got home from vacation and there is a water gurgling sound from the closet and the floor is all wet. I turned the system to off but it is continuing to gurgle. Any ideas what this could be?

[space-time]

drain is colgged. Happened to me too (after I painted )

Look for a drain outside, unclog it. Also install a water sensor in the drip pan if you have one.

[lazydays]

Ok, I know where the drain is, now for the stupid question, how do I unclog it?

[olnacl]

Shop vac at the outside end of the drain - must be a wet/dry shop vac. Use rags to make a tight fit to the drain or duct tape. Alternate way if you have an air compressor is to blow it out from the air handler end. You have to keep it from blowing back to the drain pan though, so the shop vac approach is easier.

[Will Collier]

Same thing happened to me many years and a couple of houses ago... a plumber's snake will also work to get the gunk out of the drainage pipe.

[Spock]

Once a year a cup of bleach down the drain line will help prevent a recurrence.

[deckeda]

lazydays,

The water is coming from inside the coil box. It's either backing up from the drain or the coil has a leak. Could cost you zero to fix, or hundreds/thousands. Either way, the water runs down inside the furnace and you see it manifest on the floor.

If you have any white plastic tubing coming out of something at the furnace/AC coil (examples here and here, but it could look like anything) take it apart and inspect. The tubing "just pulls apart" and you have to wiggle it a little to disconnect. To reinstall just push it back together. One of the example pics shows some blue sealer. You may want some more.

Anyway, that's often where the blockage is, and it's the first place a tech will check.

[cbelt3]

Note also that a good vacuuming in the evaporator coil box will help as well. The drain holes clog with dust and gunk that builds up. Usually because your furnace filter isn't good enough, is bent, or is gunked up.

I personally use a hot water hose and hose mine down every year or so, and spray a little degreaser in there as well, then hose it down. If there's less gunk on the coil, you get better cool exchange, and your AC works 'better'.

[lazydays]

I found the white tubing, pulled it apart, and it was full of gunk. Flushed it out and so far the problem has not re-occured. I've got a fan drying the floor and I'm going to keep an eye on it. Thank you all so much for the advice.

[NewtonMP2100]

.....look at it from the water's perspective.....coming out of the CLOSET....can be difficult.....