The furnace went out this weekend. (No problem. Only 15 below zero...
Fahrenheit, mind you... with winds howling over 30 miles per hour.)
Turns out the intake pipe (that leads outside) was clogged. The
technician lifted the pipe out of the socket where it connects to the
furnace and moved it aside an inch or so, allowing the furnace to suck
in air from the room instead. He assured me the furnace can operate
just fine on room air until temperatures warm up outside (i.e. spring,
which is weeks away) and the pipe clears, at which point I can
reconnect it. My question: Is he right? Is room air just fine for
my furnace? If so, then why was it designed to use outside air in the
first place?

I'm also wondering why they put the exhaust pipe right next to the
intake pipe, since it was probably steam from the exhaust pipe that
clogged the intake pipe. Geez, the intake pipe must be sucking in
exhaust all the time! That can't be good! Seems like they should be
separated as much as possible...

RW