hvac system

Jan 27, 2012 4 Replies

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?


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

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

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.

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

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