My Humidifier Drain Is Broken

Humidifier Drain

• If you have a flow-through-type home humidifier, then it connects to your home’s plumbing system through a drain or drain line. In these units, water drips through an absorbent pad, through which the furnace blows hot air. The moistened air is then blown into your home. The water that runs off the pad falls into the drain and runs out of your home’s plumbing system with the rest of the waste water.

Issues

• Problems with the humidifier drain can be caused by a few different factors. If the drain is not sloped well, standing water can encourage mold growth around the drain. If it gets bad enough, this can interfere with water drainage and lead to a bad smell in your home’s heating system. Minerals in hard water can build up on any grate or mesh cover on the drain; over time, the mineral deposits can block water from entering the drain.

Solutions

• If mold is growing around your drain, use a solution of ½ cup of bleach in a gallon of water to get rid of it. Pour the mixture on the mold and use a sponge to remove all visible growth. Pour about half the gallon down the drain to kill any mold inside. If the issue is mineral buildup, remove the grated or mesh cover from the drain and clean it with a stiff brush to knock the deposits off of it.

Considerations

• Maintenance is key to keeping your humidifier and its drain running properly. If the slope of the ground leading to the drain is poor, build it up so water flows more directly into the drain and is less likely to stand. Clean the drain cover every year after you are done using your furnace so deposits don’t build up as thickly. Using soft water rather than hard throughout your home will reduce the amount of minerals all your appliances are exposed to.