Furnace in bedroom closet

[Eric Smith]

I inspected a home today with an addition that was built on in 1999. The master bedrrom has a 1999 Comfortmaker forced air furnace in the closet. It does have a inducer fan. Old metal flue through the roof. Is this a issue. To me it seemed wrong but wanted some feedback. Thanks.

[Billy Stephens]

I inspected a home today with an addition that was built on in 1999. The master bedrrom has a 1999 Comfortmaker forced air furnace in the closet. It does have a inducer fan. Old metal flue through the roof. Is this a issue. To me it seemed wrong but wanted some feedback. Thanks.
Is the furnace door sealed and the top of the service closet open to the attic above or using combustion air from the sleeping room?

[Tom Parks]

You don't mention whether it is gas, oil or electric, but I assume you are troubled because it is oil or gas. You also don't mention the BTUs.

I concur with Billy. The bedroom is a prohibited location unless the door is sealed and all combustion air comes from somewhere else.

If it's an electric furnace, I think it's just a dumb place to put it. Any other thoughts?

[Mike Kleisch]

Would be legal in WI, just need 24” clearance for maintenance access such as filters, burners, controls. The 24” does not have to be all the way around the furnace just at where you access the unit for maintenance. Access point has to be large enough to remove the unit without the need to damage finished surfaces, or the need to remove another appliance.

If you can open the closet door and reach the filters, check the burners, and remove the unit you are good to go. You will have to watch for manufactures clearances to combustibles and air intake needs. If it’s sealed combustion, probably not a problem, but if open combustion you need to check for adequate make up air in the closet.

If the closet is also used for clothing, then a divider is needed to keep clothes off/away from the unit, but this also goes back to clearance issues.

Would have to research the metal flue as everything around here is PVC.

[Scott Patterson]

I inspected a home today with an addition that was built on in 1999. The master bedrrom has a 1999 Comfortmaker forced air furnace in the closet. It does have a inducer fan. Old metal flue through the roof. Is this a issue. To me it seemed wrong but wanted some feedback. Thanks.

With an induction fan I'm assuming this is a gas furnace. The combustion air can not come from the bedroom, even in WI. As Billy indicated the door would need proper weatherstripping to seal it from the bedroom, assuming it has the proper combustion air being supplied from the attic or exterior of the home. The btu size has nothing to do with it being allowed other than the required amount of make- air.

If it is a direct vent or electic it would be Okay in a bedroom closet as long as all of the other installation guidelines are followed.

The reason a combustion type furnace is not okay is that they will use the oxygen in the bedroom and that is not good for anyone sleeping in it!

[Mike Kleisch]

Wow, my bad, really thought I wrote "Would be legal in WI, if listed," then all the other requirements. Always nice to have that second, third, fourth... set of eyes reading.:o

[David Bertrams]

I inspected a home today with an addition that was built on in 1999. The master bedrrom has a 1999 Comfortmaker forced air furnace in the closet. It does have a inducer fan. Old metal flue through the roof. Is this a issue. To me it seemed wrong but wanted some feedback. Thanks.

Speaking from a California perspective, in 1999 the furnace could not be in a closet (or attic) that is accessed through a bedroom. Current code would allow the furnace to accessed through a bedroom if the door were a listed assembly for that purpose. Weather stripping ain't it.