hvac system

[Doug]

For those more familiar with hvac systems in Houston, Texas with house built in 1998, my daughter says at nite occasionally she hears drips in attic. I know the secondary drain to the a/c evap. coils are near her window but I am not using the a/c system now. I am using the house furnace (heater) at nite and wonder if it has any condensation that goes out the drain pipe??? I went in attic saw no leaks, water or sounds. I even checked the ceilings too. I think she hears something just not sure what. She says it only seems to appear at nite so I'm thinking now a critter tho I saw no signs of holes in the side of house or sounds in attic. I know it could be also on the roof instead of the attic. I realize that I need to go into the attic when she hears the sound.

I guess what I'm asking is do heaters throw off water from condensation under normal operating conditions?

[Paul Drahn]

No.

But metal heating/ac ducts make "dripping" noises as they warm and cool. The metal in the joints move against each other and where the ducts are touching wood.

Paul

[micky]

Are you saying the OP's daughter is hearing things that arent' there?

[trader4]

tems in Houston, Texas with house

That is just plain wrong. Any of the modern condensing, high efficiency furnaces which are common today produce water. It's a product of combustion. It has to be drained somewhere just like the condensate from an AC drain.

If the furnace is a condensing one, then that water could be what is being heard.

I've heard lots of ducts make noise, but would not characterize those as sounding like a drip.

[Molly Brown]

Have you considered that it may simply be condensation dripping down from the roof shingles when it gets cool outside.