Or can’t read don’t think in the thousands of inspect I have performed over the years that I ever see flue pipes installed properly, water heaters or furnaces. The MFG very clearly on the white label states one inch clearance to combustibles for class B double wall pipe. Had two recently that were near the point of burning the house down.
Why, do we see this all the time?
The level of knowledge and quality of “good workmanship” has dropped immensely in the last 20-30 years. As examples:
In the last 5 weeks I have done a new house inspection (4,800 sq ft, $900,000 house with 2 HP/AC systems) in which the HVAC system (attic mounted) for upstairs had a return in the hall ceiling only. While blowing air, when you began closing a bedroom door, the rooms became pressurized and pushed the door closed. The other system serving the basement and main floor had no duct sealing and insulation.
3 weeks ago I did a late 70’s entry level side-by-side duplex ($190,000 each) with a return in every room. This morning I did a small 60-70’s 2 bedroom bungalow ($140,000) with 2 supplies in each larger room and a large return in every room. Both of the above houses had forced-air oil heat.
Sometimes even $900,000 can’t buy you a bit of QUALITY.
Buck in my opinion most contractors don’t understand or think about double wall flue pipe most of the time one can place their hand on the pipe exterior and it does not burn them so this leads to a false impression that it is not hot enough for combustion which is true most of the time, but when the inner lining disappears due to acidic flue gases one ends up unknowing to anyone single wall pipe which will start a fire in a heart beat if in contact with combustibles
With the vicious cold winter you had in OK last yr., Charley, this is a HUGE problem.
My question is: what are you doing to capitalize on this problem and turn the problem into $$$$ for you?
btw–we generally don’t need heat here in Port St. Lucie, FL
Pete I don’t specifically try to capitalize on a situation like above mentioned Just consider it a normal find performing a home inspection. When one finds problems consistently your reputation will exceed you it keeps your phone ringing
Yes, Charley, I agree. And btw I lived in Wichitas Falls.
I meant are you using this very common defect you find in your mktg efforts?
No I use it to keep houses from burning down after I inspect them:D:D I market Leaking shower pans and electrical panels scanned with IR
Not a fire inspector…but if it was so hot why no discoloration on the vent pipe?
Because you are looking at a new section of piping that was installed with a new furnace the old flue pipe was the one creating the problem. You might also note the new flue was installed improperly no clearance for it and it was stuck inside some asbestos piping with the crimp flowing the wrong direction
It may be that the original was damaged so they cut off this area and put a double wall flue. I don’t think the double wall was breached that created this problem on insulation but the damaged asbestos flue before installation. That being said it is still a wrong, lazy and unsafe installation as Charley has pointed out.
You left off one very important word.
“Contractors don’t read…ENGLISH.”
Be nice we don’t want to start another dead cow thread;-)
I see b-vent for water heaters in attics in contact with blown in fiberglass insulation all the time. Isn’t blown in fiberglass insulation considered combustible material?
My point exactly…
i saw a similar thing last year, the return was in the ceiling OF A CLOSET, the owner mentioned to me that when it was running she has trouble opening the door, it did kind of suck closed…best suggestion, get an HVAC guy in there and move the return a couple feet into the hallway…really weird.