Thread: It bears repeating...

...you can't make this stuff up.

90+ year old row home, "rehabbed" in 2000.

They put this gas fired furnace in the very small attic space. I could hardy get in there to look at it.
The unit gets all its combustion air from the attic. Did they take this into consideration? OF COURSE NOT.
That's bad enough. It gets worse.
The beauty part is, there's a thermostatically controlled fan in the roof, which was running on account of it being so warm in the attic, so it was seriously de-pressurizing the #$$#ing attic!! I'm probably lucky I didn't pass out in there!!

Sounds like there is not adequate eve and roof top/ridge vents for natural ventilation. I hate those roof top powered vents. One hole in the roof. The fan stops working and thats all you have to vent the entire attic. Anyway, with proper flow of air thru the attic keeping it vented then you would not have the situation you do. All newer homes around here have the units in the attic, electric or gas.

Just doing a guesstimate on all homes I inspect I would have to say that 20 to 30% do not have enough attic ventilation. Throw a gas fired unit in there and then more problems arise. Water heaters in the attics in that situation have a tendency to pull air down the flue and in the case of pilot lights they get sucked out as well.

Looks like an older Janitrol. Is that one of Jerry's favorite sediment traps on top of the gas line there.

Originally Posted by Markus Keller

Looks like an older Janitrol. Is that one of Jerry's favorite sediment traps on top of the gas line there.

MK: An anti-gravity sediment trap?

John, is this a conditioned attic? The insulation above the furnace is what makes me question. What I normally see is exposed sheathing above the furnace. If it is a conditioned attic, why is there a fan in the roof that depressurizes the attic? If it is not, what is with the insulation/vapor barrier?

Did you see signs of backdrafting? Just looking at the picture it does not look like the area is too small. If the home had soffit vents and the power vent, it is very possible that it has enough make-up air.

If a thermostatically controlled attic vent fan is running in January in your area, we know that it a problem that needs to be addressed Was any of the ductwork leaking in the area?

Originally Posted by Vern Heiler

John, is this a conditioned attic? The insulation above the furnace is what makes me question. What I normally see is exposed sheathing above the furnace. If it is a conditioned attic, why is there a fan in the roof that depressurizes the attic? If it is not, what is with the insulation/vapor barrier?

One of the many problems with the house.

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

Did you see signs of backdrafting? Just looking at the picture it does not look like the area is too small. If the home had soffit vents and the power vent, it is very possible that it has enough make-up air.

If a thermostatically controlled attic vent fan is running in January in your area, we know that it a problem that needs to be addressed Was any of the ductwork leaking in the area?

It didn't have any vents at all. Just the attic fan blowing out. The wide angle lens probably makes the space look bigger. I could hardly turn around and had to crouch.

No doubt some of the ducts were leaking. The B vent was too hot to touch.

Originally Posted by John Arnold

It didn't have any vents at all. Just the attic fan blowing out. The wide angle lens probably makes the space look bigger. I could hardly turn around and had to crouch.

No doubt some of the ducts were leaking. The B vent was too hot to touch.

Wow!!!

Originally Posted by John Arnold

It didn't have any vents at all. Just the attic fan blowing out. The wide angle lens probably makes the space look bigger. I could hardly turn around and had to crouch.

No doubt some of the ducts were leaking. The B vent was too hot to touch.

John, how did the B vent taste when you licked it?

Originally Posted by Nick Ostrowski

John, how did the B vent taste when you licked it?

I don't get it. Must be too early in the morning!

However, I take back my statement that they didn't provide for any combustion air. The bath fan discharges into the attic! Now they just have to wire it up so it runs automatically when the furnace kicks on.