Furnace Installed in Garage

[Nick Ostrowski]

I practically never a furnace installed inside a garage in our area but I ran into one today on a new construction house. The way it was installed is going to make access and maintenance difficult for whoever services it. The unit was suspended from the ceiling at the rear of the garage with the access panel facing the rear wall. Clearance from the access panels to the adjacent wall was only 21 inches so clearance is well below what it should be. They also had one of the support rods and the gas line running right in front of the main access panel. The panel could be removed but it's just difficult and the support rod and gas line are obtrusive.

Whenever I see exposed HVAC ducts inside a garage, I recommend having all gaps and seams on the duct sealed and the ducts boxed in or separated from the garage envelope due to the potential for garage fumes and odors to migrate into the air stream in the house. The return duct is in there are well with the air filter bay and no cover on the bay.

Any other considerations I should be thinking about with this type of installation? This may be only the 2nd garage installation of a furnace I've seen in almost 8 years. I've already noted the potential for garage fumes to enter the air stream, the inadequate work clearance, the missing junction box cover, and the unsealed penetrations on the garage ceiling. I didn't know what to make of the staining on the gas line drip leg.

[John Arnold]

Not crazy about the angle on that CSST connection.

[Darren Miller]

Is the return duct internally lined/insulated?

The 'new' energy code required ALL duct outside the building envelope to have at least an R-8.

Also, all ducts, air handlers filter boxes and building cavities used as ducts shall be sealed...

[Nick Ostrowski]

The supply trunk was insulated but the return trunk was not.

[William Corbett]

This installer obviously has no intentions of servicing this equipment?????
I think the engineer that designed my car is related to this installer! (recently had to have the intake manifold and other items removed just to change spark plugs!!!!!




I practically never a furnace installed inside a garage in our area but I ran into one today on a new construction house. The way it was installed is going to make access and maintenance difficult for whoever services it. The unit was suspended from the ceiling at the rear of the garage with the access panel facing the rear wall. Clearance from the access panels to the adjacent wall was only 21 inches so clearance is well below what it should be. They also had one of the support rods and the gas line running right in front of the main access panel. The panel could be removed but it's just difficult and the support rod and gas line are obtrusive.

Whenever I see exposed HVAC ducts inside a garage, I recommend having all gaps and seams on the duct sealed and the ducts boxed in or separated from the garage envelope due to the potential for garage fumes and odors to migrate into the air stream in the house. The return duct is in there are well with the air filter bay and no cover on the bay.

Any other considerations I should be thinking about with this type of installation? This may be only the 2nd garage installation of a furnace I've seen in almost 8 years. I've already noted the potential for garage fumes to enter the air stream, the inadequate work clearance, the missing junction box cover, and the unsealed penetrations on the garage ceiling. I didn't know what to make of the staining on the gas line drip leg.