Installing High Efficiency Gas Furnace In Attic
The pvc pipes are used for air intake exhaust gas and to remove the corrosive condensation resulting from the combustion process.
Installing high efficiency gas furnace in attic. This drain removes the excess water that a heating system will generate. For example additional attic wall or crawlspace insulation. Hello everyone i recently had a new hvac system installed in my attic. But if your furnace is in a sealed attic or encapsulated crawl space open combustion does have the potential to cause problems.
However one contractor cited the danger of leaking gas being trapped in the attic and causing a fire or explosion. If you place the furnace in the attic then you must install the infrastructure in the building to force the warm air to the bottom floor. I didn t get much help from the gc or the hvac contractor he hired so i installed a clamp lamp with a 60 watt bulb to shine on the trap. You re better off installing a 95 furnace with a concentric vent that both sucks in and air and expels exhaust.
The trick to the installation of a gas furnace in an attic space is routing the condensate drain from the attic down through the core of the house to the basement. The drain must be installed through the core of the house as water will be flowing during the colder months. That means you have higher energy costs and less efficiency since you re blowing the air down instead of allowing it to rise naturally. There are several other important aspects of high efficiency furnace venting.
Other aspects of high efficiency furnace venting. Most of the issues that furnace might experience in an attic are due to extremely cold weather in this poorly insulated space. But that s simply not an issue that we need to worry about in southern california where our winters are mild. High efficiency furnaces aren t usually recommended for an attic.
Ashrae estimates the average life expectancy of a new gas furnace to be 15 years largely as a result. High efficiency furnaces may be installed in basements ground floor utility rooms garages or attics in open spaces or confined closets. The furnace is a 58mvb120 120 high efficiency unit. After the installation was done i found out that these high efficiency furnaces are not recommended in the attic because the condensate trap can freeze.
It is a carrier heat pump system with a propane furnace backup. With the attic sealed we couldn t smell the odorant and the gas could accumulate. Installation guide for existing houses. This high efficiency venting system must be installed when you install the new furnace.
Building will have an impact on the furnace. High efficiency gas furnaces with sealed combustion chambers require such an arrangement when installed in a sealed attic.