Water in downdraft furnace plenum

[martyguy]

I have a house on a slab. My furnace (AC) is forced air with a downdraft furnace with the plenum going a few feet below the slab. it used to be that when it rains I'd get water in the plenum. The soil around my house is all clay and nothing drains.

I implemented a solution years ago that works great. I installed an outdoor sump pump about 4 or 5 feet deep -- much deeper than the bottum of the plenum. I pump the water onto the back yard. It seems to have solved the problem.

My current problem is that I want to get ready to sell my house. I'm worried that no one will want to buy a house with such a non-standard problem (water in the furnace plenum) and such a non-standard concept as an outdoor sump pump on the side of a house without a basement.

Any thoughts? Any other solutions to the water in the plenum problem?

[suemarkp]

The solutions to fix the plenum are too expensive. These ducts should be air and water tight, and insulated (think of 6 to 8 to 10" PVC pipes buried under the house with foam insulation around them.

I don't think most poeple will know what its for. If they hire a home inspector, he may be the hot shot and say "and this is your sump pump". It most likely won't occur to him that it seems strange on a slab house. Maybe he'll think its to keep the water level low so as not to erode the gravel under that slab which could cuase the floor to crack.

[pushkins]

I like the solution though !!!