Return Air Venting

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. icon_eek.gif


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

Jeremiah

Originally Posted By: janderson
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.



Well, the silence is somewhat reassuring. icon_wink.gif 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


Jeremiah

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


Jeremiah