How to inspect high-efficiency furnace venting
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- Опубликовано: 30 май 2022
- High-efficiency furnaces use PVC pipes to vent the exhaust gases out of the home, and manufacturers are very specific about how the installation should be done. As a home inspector, how far should I go to make sure the vent is properly installed? Of course, I'd report on a vent that wasn't vented to the outdoors. But what about a vent that terminates too close to an openable window? Maybe, right? And what about a vent that has too many elbows? I think this is where a lot of home inspectors start to shake their heads and say that this goes beyond our standard of practice... but why?
I won't tell you exactly what a home inspector should or shouldn't report on, but I will cover some of the most common defects that we come across as home inspectors.
Hey thanks! It’s -44 here in Canada and my furnace went out. This helped me figure it out and my 2 baby daughters thank you too.
Quality content! I'd love to see videos specifically targeting HVAC&R Contractors advising us how to better comply with standards & codes. Thank you
Very helpful. Thanks for the information you explained it so well.
Always great stuff
Thx for posting
Love the reference to Prov 16:2
Nice one. Keep it up
Since you mentioned condensate traps... Maybe the whole condensate system is also part of the same inspection.
I see both white pipes going through the roof. Do you think it was installed wrong? What should i look for??
I live in Minnesota and have had a couple contractors say different things. When there’s a deck involved with a high efficiency furnace installation, is it common practice to run the pvc under the deck and cut a whole through the front of the deck for the two pipes?
Hey great vids. I am buying a house and just had an inspection done. The current owner had a large concrete patio installed and both intakes for the water heater and the furnace are only about 1-1.5” from the concrete. This seems like a problem and I hope there is an easy fix. Please advise.
Im curious if the high efficiency furnace we have is vented properly. How do you know if you have a direct vent with 2 pipes (intake, exhaust) vs one pipe system (just exhaust)?
Are there codes for how long you can run your flue pipes with standard efficiency furnaces?
what type of pipe is code for the exhaust pipe? I've heard not to use Charlotte for some reason, but i know you're supposed to use a schedule 40. Can you help?
I don't know who designed this system but they were not thinking clearly. We live in Buffalo, NY. All the high efficiency furnaces have this insane system. Every winter we are totally snowed under to the point we can't get out our back doors. Of course the exhaust systems are in the back of the house. We may be able to get out the front door but there was no way we could get around the house to clear the snow from the vents. Add crazy drifting to the snow mix and we're in trouble every year. The vents are too close to the ground. For the last few years, I've had to hang out our kitchen window trying to keep the vents from being buried. I'm in my late 70's. I am not the only one's having this problem. Every age group is having this problem. If we put a tent like cover over the vents (we own a duplex so we have two vent systems) we can't get to clear the snow at all. The "tent" isn't going to stop the amount of snow or drifting in to cover the vents. This is not a safe system. Something needs to be done to correct this problem. We found that if we get a new high-efficiency furnace, we're going to have the same problem.
Where did you mention the types of pipe to watch for?
Thanks! Does anyone know if grates can be put on the pipes to keep critters out? 🐁 🐜 🐝
you can put a screen on for summer, make sure it can't be sucked into furnace, then take it off for heating season and put on larger wire mesh for winter, i am going to have to do the screen next summer cause my furnace wouldn't stay lit and i cleaned out the pipes with large extension pole and damp sock taped to end of it and cleaned out mud from wasps, hade it happen twice now, had to run the furnace with door loose and plug removed from side where gas is, then it will run
I get condensation on the furnace exhaust vent pipes then it drips in to the furnace. What may be the issue?
Is it a high efficiency furnace? It should have a system to deal with the condensation. If the condensation is on the exterior of the exhaust then it is the wrong material for the vent pipe.
I think the guideline that an exhaust pipe should not exit near a window is a little ridiculous, there are bigger considerations (i.e. ideal run length with minimal use of 90s, etc.) because when we are running our furnace, it's cold outside. And when it's cold outside, we tend not to open windows. So in the unlikely event someone decides to open a window when it's cold enough to be running the furnace and happens to choose the ONE window in the house near the high-efficiency furnace exhaust, and the wind/draft situation is just right to direct some fumes into the house, the smell will annoy somebody pretty quickly. It will also be heavily diluted by fresh air from outside, not concentrated fumes.
In my house's case, the pipes are run in the most efficient way, but exit the house three feet below a living room window. I put a $3 locking window latch on that window "just in case," but I am not at all concerned given the reasons I listed above.
I really wish you would have taken the time to go over the clearances from openings and different structures. This video would have been way more helpful.
You didn’t mention anything about having the pipe insulated in the attic
Good point. As far as I know, every furnace manufacturer will require the exhaust pipe to be insulated where it passes through unconditioned spaces.
@@StructureTech1 I have the system in my crawlspace and do know that neither pipe is insulated. Could that be why both my supply registers and return have cold air coming from them when they are not running? Also, your video makes me realize that I need to keep the snow away from both the intake and exhaust pipes. Is that correct? The first winter we lived here we saw quite a bit of snow.
He did say he didn't mention everything.
@@matthewnash8310 no he didn’t
@@theallaroundguy2399 except that he did at 12:45.
Great information - thanks Tip - keep the Jesus stuff to yourself.
praying for you. :)