Generally, humidifiers operate day in day out in many homes. They produce warm mist or cool mist that helps to soften the nasal passages. Leaking is a major and annoying problem of using humidifiers. Both cool mist humidifiers and warm mist humidifiers can have leakages.
Your humidifier can end up leaking because of various reasons. The most common ones include poor maintenance and damaged components. It may be difficult to pinpoint the cause of the leakage in your humidifier and the entire HVAC system. Besides, you need to service your system. It is also important to maintain the cool mist humidifiers in excellent condition. Keeping your humidifiers in good shape prevents leakages.
Why is my Humidifier Leaking from the Bottom?
Your portable humidifier or whole house humidifier may have leakages. The leakages may be a result of a clogged drain line. The drain line helps remove excess water from your humidifier. The excess water builds up inside the humidifier when the drain line clogs. The excess water causes leakage from the bottom. Also, if the drain line has holes, the excess water ends up leaking from the bottom of your humidifier. Thus, drain clog causes humidifier leaking.
Is there Supposed to be Water at the Bottom of my Humidifier?
Water from humidifier leaks should not be at the bottom of your humidifier. Excess water from your cool mist humidifier should empty through the drain line. When this process fails, water begins to accumulate at the bottom of your humidifier. Also, the water may begin to leak due to poor water flow.
Clogged Filters
Portable humidifiers have small components called filters. The filters trap all the impurities from the water. The humidifier dispenses the water as mist. Thus, the filters prevent the spread of impurities in the air when the humidifier is in use.
The filters of your humidifier usually accumulate a lot of impurities over time. The impurities are usually in solid waste in the water you put inside your humidifier. Over time, the filters get clogged because of the high volume of solid contaminants. This leaves you with a leaky humidifier.
When the filters clog, the drain line does not function. The water fails to move through the drain line. This situation causes humidifier leaks as water begins leaking from the bottom.
The best solution to this problem is to replace your humidifier filters. You can also help the device drain by changing the filters before showing signs of clogging. It is a good idea to replace your humidifier filters before the onset of summer. You can also make it a habit to replace your humidifier filters once every year.
Air Bubbles in the Drain Line
Whole-house humidifiers experience water leaks because air bubbles form in their drain lines. The drainage tube is an important component of this type of humidifier. This is because the drain tube help to empty the devices of all excess water.
The drain line needs to slant properly away from the unit to prevent the formation of air bubbles. When the drain line is not sloped, small turns may occur along its length. The small bends may cause air bubbles to remain anywhere along the drain line.
The small air bubbles along the drain line block the movement of excess water. The water then accumulates near the bottom of your humidifier and begins to leak after some time.
You can prevent this problem by checking the drain line of your humidifier. Ensure the drain line is always sloped away from the unit. Or, always replace the drain line of your humidifier if there are holes in the drain. New drain lines slope properly and do not develop air bubbles.
The Solenoid Valve
The solenoid valve is one of the most critical components in your humidifier. This valve controls the flow of water through the humidifier. When the solenoid is either damaged or full of debris, it may cause the water inside the humidifier to flow in the wrong direction. This situation causes water leakages at the bottom of the humidifier.
It is important to check the status of the solenoid valve when the humidifier leaks water. You can do this by first disconnecting power from your humidifier. You can then use the saddle valve and the valve’s plunger to shut off the water supply. Next, remove the solenoid valve and examine it for debris deposition. Remember to check the solenoid valve for physical damage.
If the area around the solenoid valve is full of debris, clean it with water. Replace the solenoid valve if you find out that it is completely damaged. Check for the direction of water flow to ensure that no leakages occur. This is important because damages or dirty on the solenoid valve may cause.
Higher Water Pressure
The water pressure in your home is measured in pounds per square inch or psi. Ideally, the water pressure in your home should not exceed 125 psi. When the water pressure is higher than 125 psi, leakages occur in the line and at the bottom of your humidifier. This is particularly common if your humidifier is connected to the furnace. You may end up with a leaking furnace besides the excess moisture.
It is a good idea to check the water pressure in your house three to four times every year. This should be part of checking all systems in your home. You can test the water pressure level using a pressure gauge.
If the water pressure level is higher than 125, you can reduce it by opening the saddle valve. The valve allows you to moderate the water pressure levels in the home. This helps avoid unnecessary leakages of water from the bottom of the humidifier.
Should I Use a Drain Pan Under my Humidifier?
There is no need to use a drain pan or evaporator pad to remove excess water under your humidifier. Generally, humidifiers do not create high moisture on their outside surfaces.
They are designed to dissipate the water you add to their reservoirs and not create wet environments on their surfaces. So, having excess water at the bottom of your humidifier is a sign of a problem. This is usually the humidifier’s leaking water.
If your humidifier is leaking, try to fix the problem, even with a faulty condensate pump. This is because humidifiers are dry on the surface. If you place a drain pan under your humidifier, you will not have solved the main problem. The humidifier can continue leaking at the bottom even with a drain pan in place.
It is better to get the humidifier checked by a technician when faulty. This is a better option than placing a drain pan under your leaking device. In some cases, the technician may recommend replacing some humidifier components.
This simple step can prevent further leakages. On some occasions, the technician may clean some components of the humidifier. Also, the technician may reconfigure the drain line.
How do I Stop my Humidifier from Leaking?
If your humidifier is leaking, you can stop the leakage by addressing the primary cause. You may also help things by maintaining the device. Thus, the actual steps that you take to stop your humidifier from leaking depend on the cause.
- Clogged filters: If the cause of the leakage is clogged filters. This is a result of mineral deposits or possible mold deposition. The most effective way of dealing with the problem is replacing the filters. Or, you can clean the filters using water and replace them.
- Air bubbles in the drain line: Examine your drain line and ensure that it slopes away from the unit. Or, replace your drain line once every year because new drain lines do not cause such problems.
- The solenoid valve: You can prevent leakage from your humidifier by ensuring the solenoid valve is in perfect working condition. Check if the solenoid valve has any debris or is physically damaged. It is wise to replace the solenoid valve of your humidifier once every year.
- High water pressure: Check the water pressure in your home using the pressure gauge. Ensure that the water pressure does not exceed 125 psi.
Conclusion
Leaking humidifiers are a result of many factors. The most common ones include air leaking in the drain line and high incoming water pressure. Also, a clogged condensation drain or a damaged solenoid valve may cause humidifier leaking. Dirty filters may also cause humidifier leaking.
You can deal with leakages by replacing the components which may be damaged. Or carry out detailed maintenance checks on your humidifier and the entire HVAC system. Adopting this practice will allow you to carry out preventive practices and prevent leaking water.