PDA

View Full Version : Furnace Vent



Sambo Dijua
10-07-2011, 12:14 PM
Had my furnace replaced a couple weeks ago. The outlet for the vent was at the bottom on the old furnace and at the top for the new furnace. The installer just crammed the existing vent further up out the roof and put metal tape and then came back and just slapped goop over the tape after I complained.

Can someone tell me if this is acceptable?

Benjamin Thompson
10-07-2011, 01:06 PM
It doesn't hurt anything to be up higher but the tape and roof mastic shouldn't be on there unless they are fire proof, which they aren't. He might have at least tried to get it plumb!

Sambo Dijua
10-07-2011, 02:20 PM
Thanks. Here's the good thing, I've only paid him for half the furnace so far and I'm holding out on giving him the rest until this is right.

do you think I have a leg to stand on to force him to replace it with a new one? I think being fireproof is not a big concern since the roof is covered in flamable shingles?

I should also add that the house is on the market and to potential buyers this looks like utter hell.

What I don't want to run into is for this to be against code and the buyer get an inspection causing me to have to pay someone else to fix it to code after already paying this guy. Is there any code violation here?

Ted Menelly
10-07-2011, 04:14 PM
Plumbing vent, attic vent and flue for the furnace all crammed into that one area is asking for leaks. With all the garbage on that flue pipe and boot flashing I would take it all out and replace with new materials and plumb it up.

I would also remove that round roof vent as you already have the ridge vent right next to it. It is one thing to have a roof top vent in another area of the roof and then the ridge vent above because then things just may work properly.

The installation of the roof vent never really got shingles around properly either. You need an experienced roofer to move the big vent and close the hole up and shingle everything in properly and have the flue pipe and flashing renewed.

Sambo Dijua
10-07-2011, 05:14 PM
Okay. Forgetting all the other opinions on the stuff that I didn't ask about, is the vent I did ask about code or not?

Thanks.

Alton Darty
10-07-2011, 05:46 PM
Okay. Forgetting all the other opinions on the stuff that I didn't ask about, is the vent I did ask about code or not?

Thanks.

There are a number of really good inspectors in your area. I would recommend that you contact one to have them take a look at your situation. If the installer left the flue in this kind of shape then he probably took some other shortcuts also and you need an examination of all the work that was done, and the work that should have been done.
Ted gave you some good advice, maybe not exactly what you were looking for, but valuable to you nonetheless, especially since you mentioned that you are selling this property. The issues that Ted mentioned are easy to spot and will not be overlooked when your potential buyers have an inspection performed.
Alton

Sambo Dijua
10-07-2011, 05:57 PM
Thanks so apparently it's not a code violation. If their inspector finds something then it will be addressed then. I'm not going to pay for an inspector.

I didn't say it wasn't good advice that Ted gave, it just didn't address my question.

Matt Fellman
10-07-2011, 06:31 PM
Doesn't replacing a furance require a permit? General home inspectors aren't code inspectors so you're not always going to get the best answer to the, "is it code question" from one. I'd get in touch with the local building department if you haven't already.

Alton Darty
10-07-2011, 06:37 PM
Thanks so apparently it's not a code violation. If their inspector finds something then it will be addressed then. I'm not going to pay for an inspector.

I didn't say it wasn't good advice that Ted gave, it just didn't address my question.

I did not say there was no code violation. From the photos that you posted it is possible that there are. It is always better to have an experienced individual examine a questionable issue than to rely on someone looking at a photograph to pronounce it safe. We can only see the area that you chose to include in your photos, and we may not be able to judge depth of field and other issues that may make the issue appear to be more or less than it actually is.
An opinion on whether this install is "according to manufacturers installation instruction" could possibly carry some weight with a judge when compensation for the work performed is demanded in a legal action... The opinion of someone on this forum as far as reason to withhold payment probably would not carry the same weight.
Alton

Sambo Dijua
10-08-2011, 08:12 AM
Thanks Matt. That's the opinion/advice I was looking for.

Alton, all I asked for was opinions on what I showed and whether the way it was prepped coming out of the roof violated any codes. Like I said, that vent was all I asked for opinions on. Nobody in their right mind would consider using forum advice in court. You and Ted are the world experts on everything under the sun, I know this to be true because this forum is littered with your pissing matches. This is why I rarely pay attention to your replies. This is a rare case where I felt like speaking my mind. Thanks for playing.

Ted Menelly
10-08-2011, 08:43 AM
Thanks Matt. That's the opinion/advice I was looking for.

Alton, all I asked for was opinions on what I showed and whether the way it was prepped coming out of the roof violated any codes. Like I said, that vent was all I asked for opinions on. Nobody in their right mind would consider using forum advice in court. You and Ted are the world experts on everything under the sun, I know this to be true because this forum is littered with your pissing matches. This is why I rarely pay attention to your replies. This is a rare case where I felt like speaking my mind. Thanks for playing.

You were told that you cannot paste flammable material all over flues. You were told it was not allowed. You were told it was not allowed the way it stands and it would be the proper thing to do to replace the flue pipe and plumb it up.

Then you were told that the rest of that entire area was wrong and should be corrected. I do believe you more than likely put the vent in yourself as you took such offense to it.

It is not folks like me and pissing matches with differences in opinion and ideologies that is the matter with this forum it is

Morons (see definition below) like you that refuse to listen to good advise because all of what I told you is going to get written up in a home inspection and all you were worried about is not paying something for the crappy work 'they did'.

First off here is some more advise. Pay the man for what he did as he did do work on your home which you agreed to for a fee. That is the way life works. Then you put a claim in against him to get your money back plus expenses and derivation. If you don't pay him he can put a mechanics lean on your property for a lousy 16 dollars in most areas and then you won't be selling your home.

You also do not want to hire a home inspector to find out if anything else is wrong because you don't care. You don't want any good advise. You just want to read what you want to hear. It will all be written up. The very large roof vent is canceling out what you were trying to do with the ridge vent because being right next to the ridge vent the ridge vent will be pulling all of its air out of that large round roof vent. If in fact that large round roof vent is an electric power vent not only are you using energy to try to save energy (foolish) but you will just draw from the ridge vent right next to it and as the tar on the left side of that round vent indicates you are extremely likely for it to leak unless it was installed right.

Go somewhere else if you don't want advise. If you only want someone to say exactly what you want them to say then no forum will give you advise on anything.

Its all done wrong. Take the advise. You are lucky you got any at all.

This was your question

Can someone tell me if this is acceptable?

You not only got the answer to that but a whole lot of other good advise.

Your "installer of the new furnace"??????????????????????/ Did you check to see if the man was licensed to install furnaces? Did you check to see if he pulled a permit? Its gas!!!!!!!!!!!!! I do not know anywhere in the country where there is not a permit required with a gas furnace install. If you live out in no mans land there is not natural gas so you must live in civilization. Did you hire the cheapest man you can find for the job? Was he an acquaintance or worse yet, a friend?

It looks to me that you got what you deserve and now you are complaining about it but at the same time you could care less if the rest of your home is all screwed up. You wanted cheap and you got it. You came here because you did not want to pay for advise and you got free advise and bitched about it.

Definitions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mo·ron /ˈmoɚˌɑ:n/ noun
plural mo·rons
[count] informal : a very stupid or foolish person : idiot (http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/idiot)
▪ They were acting like a bunch of morons. ▪ I can't believe I did something so stupid. I feel like a complete moron. ▪ an utter moron
— mo·ron·ic /məˈrɑ:nɪk/ adjective [more moronic; most moronic]
▪ That's the most moronic thing I've ever heard. ▪ moronic behavior ▪ moronic humor
— mo·ron·i·cal·ly /məˈrɑ:nɪkli/ adverb
▪ They were behaving moronically.

Also

id·i·ot /ˈɪdijət/ noun
plural id·i·ots
[count] : a very stupid or foolish person
▪ Don't be such an idiot! ▪ I really made an idiot of myself [=I acted very stupidly] at the party last night. ▪ Some idiot [=fool] of a driver kept trying to pass me!
— id·i·ot·ic /ˌɪdiˈɑ:tɪk/ adjective [more idiotic; most idiotic]
▪ an idiotic movie ▪ idiotic drivers ▪ My behavior last night was idiotic.
— id·i·ot·i·cal·ly /ˌɪdiˈɑ:tɪkli/ adverb

Is that clear enough for you?

:confused::rolleyes::cool:

Alton Darty
10-08-2011, 09:47 AM
Mr. Dijua (from the name I would assume male gender, my apologies if incorrect)

I have learned over the past several years that if you venture into posting questions, comments or replies here that you must be ready to receive responses. Often the replies are more than one might bargain for, you however, must be prepared to receive the information that you asked for, and often more than you believe that you need. This was the case here, you asked was this up to code.

You received replies that there were obvious issues with the flue and in the general area. You received replies that from your photos there appeared to be problems. Obviously the install was done haphazardly and with gas fired appliances a haphazard installation may prove deadly. Again obviously the entire installation would bear a thorough on-site examination by a knowledgeable individual.

From the views that we were presented many here would be unwilling to make a determination that the installation is not up to code. Knowledge of local code, permitting processes for your area, and other factors that may come into play are not known, or may not be known, by persons outside your general geographic location. For these reasons I commented that you should seek a local inspector to examine this install.

I understand that you may be unwilling to pay for an inspection as you are paying the installer already and the inspectors fee may seem like good money after bad. I have no idea why you have taken such offense at the replies that you received. You came here for free advice and that is what you received.
I am also happy that you feel that my 128 posts over nearly 4 years is littering this forum. And here I thought that an average of less than 4 posts per month was actually fairly reticent...

You may also want to be sure that you mention this haphazard and possibly problematic installation of this gas fired appliance in your disclosure statement.