Originally Posted By: janderson This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I recently inspected a townhouse and ran across an interesting situation. The forced air furnace is located upstairs and is a downflow type. What I discovered is that there are no return air vents located downstairs at all.
The furnace is located in a closet/laundry room upstairs. The only return air intake is located directly on the other side of the wall from the furnace. The return air enters directly into the plenum through a vent installed on the other side of the wall. A filter was installed in this area and it was completely filthy (causing all sorts of other problems)
I am no mechanical expert, please advise if there is a requirement for return air ducts installed throughout the dwelling.
-- Within the seeds of ignorance lie the fruits of denial
Originally Posted By: janderson This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Well, the silence is somewhat reassuring. I advised the client, that this was not a typical installation for a forced air system and that they could expect noticeable temperature differences between downstairs and up.
– Within the seeds of ignorance lie the fruits of denial
Originally Posted By: rking This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Jeremiah,
That is a typical installation in mobile homes and some older homes with limited space and small crawlspaces.
Provided that the furnace was properly vented and had a sufficient supply of combustion air, it should not be much of a problem. Of course the fan would most likely have to work harder therefore shortening it's lifespan.
Although I can honestly say I have never seen a furnace installed in such a manner in a two storey dwelling.
-- Muskoka Home Inspections
"Wisdom is the Anticipation of the Consequences"
Steering Committee Member At Large
Originally Posted By: janderson This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Everything else relating to the installation appeared good, combustion air, venting, ect…However, this was a first for me and given the fact that 11 other units had furnaces installed this way I was a little worried about making waves with this one.
– Within the seeds of ignorance lie the fruits of denial
I advised the client, that this was not a typical installation for a forced air system and that they could expect noticeable temperature differences between downstairs and up.