I have a home which has one vertex heater in it (the home has two heaters). It has been showing ignition errors quite a bit and I was about to have it serviced but this morning noticed that while it was showing an ignition error, a steady flow of water seemed to be coming through the condensation drain into the floor drain.

Am I correct that if the ignition failed there should be little to no water flowing from the condensate drain? Is this a sign of a failing tank? The unit was installed 9 years ago and i am unsure of what the useful life expectancy should be.

Side note, I had a second tank in the house which caused major issues in the home a few years ago and it somehow pushed water in to the gas lines in the home. It was a tank on a top floor and flooded all of my gas lines in the house. so I am a bit weary of the system.

Thanks for nay information.

water doesn't flow out the condensate drain. i barely trickles out.
i
m think the relief valve overflow is somehow tied into the condensate drain????

as for the water into the gas line ??
i can only think you must have some sort of emergency auto shut of (in case of a leak) that is improperly installed ??

Thanks Packy,

The relief valve is visible and comes straight out of the heater and flows to a single pipe which can be sen. There is no tie in below the valve to anything else.

The gas issue was a few years ago and we think it it was somehow caused by the blower motor pulling water through the system when the unit failed. I can not explain it but lived though it but something to do with the low pressure of a gas line versus the higher pressure from the blower motor. Several plumbers who I talked to said they only had seen something like this once but it was always with the vertex type heater.

i'm not afraid to admit that i'm over my head on these issues.
maybe someone here has more experience with your problems..

good luck..