B' Vent

[RobC]

I've been running into a lot of this lately.

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A REZNOR unit (natural draft) heater hides on the other side or the garage wall.

Installed on a 1.5 year old estate home in an exclusive gated community under construction that is common to other homes.

Has anybody else out there encountered this?

BTW, I have a call to the SCO for the area and I should get a ruling next week.

[Chad Fabry]

I like the horizontally applied rain flashing best.

[RobC]

That was my understanding, heating 101. These homes are just built or under construction and inspectors everywhere.........in new trucks.

Something I ran into last winter and the reason for not venting under soffits.

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Here is another one, 3 year old estate home.

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[hausdok]

That first one is a good example of how acidic that exhaust is. See how it's eaten up the mesh in that soffit vent?

Folks tell me all the time they don't think furnace exhaust is as acidic as I make it out to be. George told me once it wasn't any more acidic than tomato juice. Somehow, I can't envision tomato juice eating through metal like that, but since I've never placed a piece of metal into tomato juice for months on end, in order to find out, I guess I'll never know. The stuff is sold in tin cans though. Hmmm.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Chad Fabry]

Cooking isn't my wife's forte'. I routinely clean her pans by boiling some water with tomato sauce mixed in...it's pretty acidic if it works after she's cooked (barbequed) rice.

[hausdok]

Ouch!

Now I see why you use the computer at work to come on here. If she walked in and read that, you'd probably be eating lentil soup from now until the day they plant you. I use warm vinegar to clean pots and pans.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[billygoat22]

Unless the manufacturer says you can do that in the install manual, the vent must have a minimum 6' vertical rise, per the mechanical code.

[Terence McCann]

Most natural draft, gas fired, unit heaters are not rated for sidewall venting and must use a power ventor when used in this application. Best to check with the manufacture on correct installation procedures.

[RobC]

Update

As all of you have alluded to- natural draft furnaces are not allowed to vent horizontally.

From the authority's point of view the installation is improper. They did a site visit last week and found 8 new homes with this configuration.

They're just as puzzled as I am about it and are investigating as we speak (or type).

[Renron]

That vent doesn't even look horizontal, it looks like it slopes downhill. 1/4" per foot.......mmmmmm... looks like it shud drain.

Ron

[RobC]

Ron,

It's a mess

The rain collar is not caulked and there is a 1/4" space all around the B' vent.

The vent is exposed to water penetration and rusting the heater..........etc.

I'll update this as I get the word from above.

[MMustola]

Rob,

I saw the same thing in Michigan a few days ago. Same brand furnace. They had installed an induced draft motor some ten feet away from the furnace just before the flue pipe exited the side wall of the garage. It did not look right to right to me but it was an impressive job of installing something wrong. I wish the REZNOR installation manual had been present to see if this was something the manufacture was recommending. How strang to see the same thing 2000 miles apart.

[RobC]

Here is the =000000000015"]Reznor installation manual page

Here is the Reznor manual for =000000000057&mod_files[currpos]=000000000015"]POWER VENTING

They recommend to drill the C' vent elbow to allow for drainage.

Silicone C' vent joints.

Pitch downward for condensate drainage.

Check out the vent cap and the distance from the wall.

[:-boggled]

[Terence McCann]

Nice catch on the manuals Rob.

[RobC]

I've just had word from the SCO/AHJ that the installation is acceptable as shown.

Apparently, they have an inducer fan built in to create enough pressure to allow horizontal venting.

It still leaves the issue of moisture entry into the soffit area that would make me uncomfortable. I'd like to see a directional hood attached to 'direct' the gases away from the structure. Guess, that'll come in a few years when the failures start to show up. [:-indifferent]