Hi everyone, i got a few questions about this furnace if anyone could help me out i would greatly appreciate it. I would think a furnace being on top of a wooden frame like this would not be good, would i be correct? Also, im worried about the combustion air intake material, if that material is ok. Also, the supply duct is vertical as well. Sorry if these questions are dumb, im a new home inspector. Thanks everyone.
Yikes… tons of issues there. Sitting on a wood surface probably not okay but verify with the particular manufacturer. What you’re calling the combustion air intake is the exhaust and has numerous and serious issues - material type and slope to name a couple. Fwiw, combustion air is coming in the louvered grill from the area around the appliance. Room size for supply air should be 50cuft/1,000BTUs or there should be some openings for additional air. Not sure if I’m just nuts but I’ve always found that calculation easier to remember as 5% of BTUs as supply air.
Yes, Yikes!
What you are calling combustion air is the exhaust flue, and way wrong.
The wooden platform is something I saw frequently.
I see wooden platforms all the time as well. They are usually at least painted though.
That exhaust flue though. Definitely no bueno.
Thank you so much Matt, this is very helpful. I was wondering about all those issues you pointed out. Thank you
Thank you David, i appreciate your help on this. Thanks
So many problems here.
But I came here to say: it’s helpful to when you ask questions to have more photos, including the far ends of the ducts. And a photo of the vendor label showing the serial number/capacity of the appliance in question. Pics pics pics!
Ha,ha, easier to remember but harder to calculate. Matt is spot on about the exhaust flue. That is a CO catastrophe! I’d worry more about that than the wooden box.
The wooden platform is not a problem as long as it’s sturdy enough to hold the vibrating weight of the unit.
But there appear to be other issues and certainly safety issues.
I would call the furnace out as improperly installed with potential safety issues viewed, namely the vent installation.
Thank you Kevin, would the black supply duct be an issue as well with it going vertically downwards. Thank you for helping me.
Thank you Bryce, i have the Inspection scheduled for tomorrow. So this photo is all i have of the furnace from the listing. Thanks
It’s certainly not best practice, but I personally don’t know of any requirements that state it can’t be installed that way, but I’m not an HVAC Tech., I’m just a home inspector.
Do take the identical photo from the same angle for comparison. If your area has building permits, you can check for the lack of one, and report on that. And call out carbon monoxide detectors. The flue is a clear and present hazard: this is likely a DIY effort, and bad often follows bad. Unlikely that the person doing that bad a job on the flue, did everything else OK. It’s going to be a long report.
Good luck.
Take lots of pictures.
Ok, will do. Thank you for your help.
Maybe it’s my years in the restaurant/bar biz… I can instantly calculate 5% of anything when it’s a really bad tip
Been there, done that. Seemed that the ones that drank the most couldn’t figure out how to calculate a tip… $50 tab, $2 tip…
Yup… Half of 10%. Easy peasy!
That be Common Core crap… but honestly, 4% isn’t that far off for a Bar Bill. Sure as hell ain’t getting 20%+ like they want today!!
My side-hustle here on Maui is bartending events… mostly weddings. There’s a built-in 18% for every drink I pour… and they are expensive
Yikes!
Just curious, what was through that doorway on the right?
Bedroom?
You definitely have an exhaust hazard, and most likely a combustion air hazard.
(where is combustion air coming from?)