After trying to look it up online for quite some time, I haven’t been able to find much on it. A friends house furnace has no return air duct’s and only has a filter leaned up against the side of it. The furnace is located in the basement, where the electric dryer and gas water heater is also located. It is an unfinished basement, not perfectly sealed off from the out side. I am not a building inspector by any means, but I’m pretty sure that this isn’t right… or is it normal?
Wayne is correct you can not have a return air opening on a gas furnace within 10 feet of its self or another gas fired appliance such as a water heater. With the return opening on the furnace and the furnace in the basement it is impossible to cool or heat a home without a return opening in the areas that is being served by the furnace. No only is it inefficient it is not safe
Since I posted the org. post, I have spoke with NY Code enforcement and was told about sec. 618 and the 10 foot rule. Now that it’s confirmed in more than one place I will be seeing what can be done with the property owners to get it fixed. Unfortunately one of the people who live there are on home oxygen therapy and dialysis so to get them to understand the risks of breathing in the crap from the basement (including smelling gas recently) is important.
The installation is wrong! Its a great way to recirculate whatever is in the basement air - dust, dirt, mold and the worst carbon monoxide which could be leaking from a faulty flue or back drafting from the water heater or furnace itself.