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Tony Hwang

wrote:
On Thu, 7 Aug 2014 16:50:29 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

In ,
Rebel1 typed:
The municipal inspector who issues Certificates of Occupancy when
ownership changes or apartments get new tenants, failed me because he
saw a "vent" in the garage ceiling. The potential problem is that any
carbon monoxide in the garage can be sucked up by the vent when the
heat or a/c is running and be distributed throughout the house. He
wants me to cover it with metal or sheetrock and caulk around the
edges.
Problem is, that it is really a supply register. When I looked in the
attic, I could clearly see that the duct supplying it came directly
from the plenum (just above the evaporator) that feeds the other
ducts to the rest of the house.

I removed the register and found that someone had taped its openings
shut, so air couldn't flow either way through it. I sent photos to the
inspector of the register showing how it was taped shut. I also taped
a small piece of facial tissue to the ceiling and turned on the a/c.
It fluttered in the incoming airstream, and was not sucked upwards as
it would be if this were a return.

I wanted to just return the taped-shut housing the way it was. But the
inspector is being hard-assed. He doesn't want to see anything -
supply or return - in the ceiling. I do NOT think he's looking for me
to slip him a few bucks.

Since you posted later that you are selling the property, and just need the
C of O to sell it, it seems like a no-brainer to just do what the inspector
said that he is requiring. And, as someone wrote, if the new owners want to
change it back later, that's on them.

You showing the inspector that the duct is taped closed, and also showing
him that with the a/c on the tissue flutters (which means that the duct is
not completely taped closed), seems like contradictory information -- it is
either sealed off or it isn't. He wants it properly sealed off and that's
exactly what I would do.

I did not think of the reasoning that others posted here about how even a
supply duct in a garage could result in car exhaust fumes back-flowing into
the whole HVAC system -- especially when the system fan is not on. That
makes sense and obviously that is why the inspector does not want to see an
open HVAC vent in the garage.

I bought a home that has an attached garage that was partially unfinished --
the exterior walls were open walls with no insulation. I finished the
garage by adding insulation to the exterior walls and closing the walls with
new sheetrock. One thing that I noticed was that even though there is a
closed soffit in the garage that contains a supply duct to and room on the
interior of the home, there was no supply duct or vent to allow the garage
to be heated. I have been thinking of adding supply vent to the garage from
that supply duct, but now I know that would be improper and could cause a
serious problem. So, your experience and the citation form the inspector
taught me something that I did not know before.

If you want to heat or condition garage space the garage space MUST be
heated or conditioned with it's own unit, with no air exchange between
the two spaces. Some places go so far as to prohibit a door between
the garage and living space. I think THAT is going too far - why have
an "attached" garage if you have to go outside to access it?

My dream house is a small 2 bedroom bungalow with a double garage, 1
1/2 cars deep minimum, with basement under the garage as well as the
house - walk out under the house, and single garage door under the
garage - with the garage high enough to handle a 2 post hoist on one
side. Yes, the garage would be as big as the house!!!

Hi,
Our code specifies door between garage and living space should be steel
clad fire proof rated and self closing type. One thing I wish is dug out
pit in my garage but it is not allowed. It'd be nice to have one to
work under the car.