Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to alt.hvac,alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Chimney Questions

TIA:

My circa 1949 rental house an 18 year old furnace with a flue chimney which
appears to be asbestos.
It's gray and hard and flat about 3" x 15" and fits inside a wall. At some
time it was moved, but not the whole thing, just the segment between the
attic and the basement, to accomodate a wall move on the ground (only)
floor. I guess they didn't want to re-do the roof so there's a "Z" in the
attic, about 2' of horizontal run of same material, with glue and sheet
metal at the two 90° joints. I think they also cut that horizontal piece out
of the entire run of chimney, as it hangs from joists in the crawl space,
and is flush with the roof deck on top.

1. Tentant smelled gas in the room where the chimney runs up the wall.
2. Gas Company measured some CO in the crawl space and made me shut off the
furnace, saying "there might be a crack in the heat exchange"
3. HVAC guy wants to sell me a new furnace, since "there might be a crack in
the heat exchange" (Didn't verify any crack)
4. Where the furnace vent tied into the asbestos was very loose, there was a
½" gap all around it, looked like a good place for CO to get out. I sealed
it real good at that point.
5. Gas Company came back and measured 0 PPM CO in crawl space. (NONE!) but
then they measured 10 PPM in the house, and turned off the furnace.
6. I went on the roof to see if the chimney was clogged, and at 2' I hit
something hard
7. I went in the attic and found the 2 right angles, and decided to go get
drunk. (Just kidding about that last part.)

(furnace is 18 years old but works)

Asbestos and age aside;

1. Is it conventional or kosher to have a horizontal run in the flue vent
for the furnace/water heater?
2. Where the chimney is flush with the roof, it's not sealed, should the
chimney extend above the roof line?
3. Is there any kosher way to run the flue inside a wall nowadays?
4. I know I can vent a 90% or better furnace out the side with PVC, can I
vent the water heater out the side, legally?
5. What am I forgetting?




  #2   Report Post  
Posted to alt.hvac,alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5
Default Chimney Questions

Maybe
Yes
Not really, you probably need to box it in somewhere following appropriate
code.
Yes, there are hot water heaters that can be side vented.

If you go with high efficiency furnace and hot water heater they can both be
vented out the side. They will be more expensive equipment but depending on
the location you may make up the difference in the savings on having a new
flue run to the roof. Plus there will be a 10% or so gas savings. If your
tenant is paying for the gas then maybe you don't care so much about that.
Otherwise look for a closet that you can box a corner in that's close to
where the equipment is and run a new metal flue to the roof. You are allowed
some horizontal run in teh basement but it will need to be in the vicinity.
You will probably need to just go straight out the roof with the new flue
and patch the original hole in the roof. If the house is single story with
a basement then that might not be so bad.

Don't let anyone try to talk you into removing that asbestos stuff. There
are lots of specialized procedures for remove asbestos these days and it is
usually pricey. Closing it off and leaving it in place is in most cases
perfectly legal. It's only when you start messing with it that all the new
handling rules kick in.

"carlos gonzales" wrote in message
. ..
TIA:

My circa 1949 rental house an 18 year old furnace with a flue chimney
which
appears to be asbestos.
It's gray and hard and flat about 3" x 15" and fits inside a wall. At some
time it was moved, but not the whole thing, just the segment between the
attic and the basement, to accomodate a wall move on the ground (only)
floor. I guess they didn't want to re-do the roof so there's a "Z" in the
attic, about 2' of horizontal run of same material, with glue and sheet
metal at the two 90° joints. I think they also cut that horizontal piece
out
of the entire run of chimney, as it hangs from joists in the crawl space,
and is flush with the roof deck on top.

1. Tentant smelled gas in the room where the chimney runs up the wall.
2. Gas Company measured some CO in the crawl space and made me shut off
the
furnace, saying "there might be a crack in the heat exchange"
3. HVAC guy wants to sell me a new furnace, since "there might be a crack
in
the heat exchange" (Didn't verify any crack)
4. Where the furnace vent tied into the asbestos was very loose, there was
a
½" gap all around it, looked like a good place for CO to get out. I sealed
it real good at that point.
5. Gas Company came back and measured 0 PPM CO in crawl space. (NONE!) but
then they measured 10 PPM in the house, and turned off the furnace.
6. I went on the roof to see if the chimney was clogged, and at 2' I hit
something hard
7. I went in the attic and found the 2 right angles, and decided to go get
drunk. (Just kidding about that last part.)

(furnace is 18 years old but works)

Asbestos and age aside;

1. Is it conventional or kosher to have a horizontal run in the flue vent
for the furnace/water heater?
2. Where the chimney is flush with the roof, it's not sealed, should the
chimney extend above the roof line?
3. Is there any kosher way to run the flue inside a wall nowadays?
4. I know I can vent a 90% or better furnace out the side with PVC, can I
vent the water heater out the side, legally?
5. What am I forgetting?






  #3   Report Post  
Posted to alt.hvac,alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5
Default Chimney Questions

Ooops, I forgot. You could also switch to electric for the hot water heater
if the house has 200 amp service. If it's still a 100 amp service that
might not be an option.

"carlos gonzales" wrote in message
. ..
TIA:

My circa 1949 rental house an 18 year old furnace with a flue chimney
which
appears to be asbestos.
It's gray and hard and flat about 3" x 15" and fits inside a wall. At some
time it was moved, but not the whole thing, just the segment between the
attic and the basement, to accomodate a wall move on the ground (only)
floor. I guess they didn't want to re-do the roof so there's a "Z" in the
attic, about 2' of horizontal run of same material, with glue and sheet
metal at the two 90° joints. I think they also cut that horizontal piece
out
of the entire run of chimney, as it hangs from joists in the crawl space,
and is flush with the roof deck on top.

1. Tentant smelled gas in the room where the chimney runs up the wall.
2. Gas Company measured some CO in the crawl space and made me shut off
the
furnace, saying "there might be a crack in the heat exchange"
3. HVAC guy wants to sell me a new furnace, since "there might be a crack
in
the heat exchange" (Didn't verify any crack)
4. Where the furnace vent tied into the asbestos was very loose, there was
a
½" gap all around it, looked like a good place for CO to get out. I sealed
it real good at that point.
5. Gas Company came back and measured 0 PPM CO in crawl space. (NONE!) but
then they measured 10 PPM in the house, and turned off the furnace.
6. I went on the roof to see if the chimney was clogged, and at 2' I hit
something hard
7. I went in the attic and found the 2 right angles, and decided to go get
drunk. (Just kidding about that last part.)

(furnace is 18 years old but works)

Asbestos and age aside;

1. Is it conventional or kosher to have a horizontal run in the flue vent
for the furnace/water heater?
2. Where the chimney is flush with the roof, it's not sealed, should the
chimney extend above the roof line?
3. Is there any kosher way to run the flue inside a wall nowadays?
4. I know I can vent a 90% or better furnace out the side with PVC, can I
vent the water heater out the side, legally?
5. What am I forgetting?






  #4   Report Post  
Posted to alt.hvac, alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,926
Default Chimney Questions

On Dec 13, 6:35 am, "jamesgangnc" wrote:
Ooops, I forgot. You could also switch to electric for the hot water heater
if the house has 200 amp service. If it's still a 100 amp service that
might not be an option.

"carlos gonzales" wrote in message

. ..



TIA:


My circa 1949 rental house an 18 year old furnace with a flue chimney
which
appears to be asbestos.
It's gray and hard and flat about 3" x 15" and fits inside a wall. At some
time it was moved, but not the whole thing, just the segment between the
attic and the basement, to accomodate a wall move on the ground (only)
floor. I guess they didn't want to re-do the roof so there's a "Z" in the
attic, about 2' of horizontal run of same material, with glue and sheet
metal at the two 90° joints. I think they also cut that horizontal piece
out
of the entire run of chimney, as it hangs from joists in the crawl space,
and is flush with the roof deck on top.


1. Tentant smelled gas in the room where the chimney runs up the wall.
2. Gas Company measured some CO in the crawl space and made me shut off
the
furnace, saying "there might be a crack in the heat exchange"
3. HVAC guy wants to sell me a new furnace, since "there might be a crack
in
the heat exchange" (Didn't verify any crack)
4. Where the furnace vent tied into the asbestos was very loose, there was
a
1/2" gap all around it, looked like a good place for CO to get out. I sealed
it real good at that point.
5. Gas Company came back and measured 0 PPM CO in crawl space. (NONE!) but
then they measured 10 PPM in the house, and turned off the furnace.
6. I went on the roof to see if the chimney was clogged, and at 2' I hit
something hard
7. I went in the attic and found the 2 right angles, and decided to go get
drunk. (Just kidding about that last part.)


(furnace is 18 years old but works)


Asbestos and age aside;


1. Is it conventional or kosher to have a horizontal run in the flue vent
for the furnace/water heater?
2. Where the chimney is flush with the roof, it's not sealed, should the
chimney extend above the roof line?
3. Is there any kosher way to run the flue inside a wall nowadays?
4. I know I can vent a 90% or better furnace out the side with PVC, can I
vent the water heater out the side, legally?
5. What am I forgetting?- Hide quoted text -


- Show quoted text -


A chimney should not be flush with the roof or it may not draw, an
uncovered chimney could have dead animals and junk in it that can
block the draft and leak combustion gasses back in
  #5   Report Post  
Posted to alt.hvac,alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Chimney Questions


"jamesgangnc" wrote in message
...
Ooops, I forgot. You could also switch to electric for the hot water

heater
if the house has 200 amp service. If it's still a 100 amp service that
might not be an option.


I measure the current draw for my water heater at right around 16 amps. I
don't have any problems with my 100 amp service..... but my house isn't that
big.




Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
fireplace chimney etc design questions yourname Home Repair 5 September 20th 06 03:24 PM
chimney cleaning, and a few Questions bitbucket Home Repair 4 July 6th 05 04:52 AM
Chimney cap replacement questions LenS Home Repair 11 December 27th 03 12:14 PM
[Fwd: Chimney cap replacement questions] RB Home Repair 0 December 26th 03 07:13 PM
Chimney flue questions G. Filicetti Home Repair 1 November 20th 03 10:26 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:11 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 DIYbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about DIY & home improvement"