Furnace In Crawl Space Or Attic
Rarely will a sealed foam insulated attic deviate more than 15 degrees from the living space temperatures below it.
Furnace in crawl space or attic. That moisture can freeze if it receives exposure to exceptionally cold temperatures. That means having it placed in the attic or a crawl space is a bad idea because you are increasing the risk of causing. Just installing the furnace in the attic crawl way of a single story home gives protection from most flooding. A furnace can suffer from a drop in energy efficiency if it s in an unconditioned space such as an attic.
A basement is below and an attic is above the main part of the house. So when we have a choice we prefer hvac systems located under the house. Condensate drain elevation space. During the fall we disconnected the old furnace and decided to install a new one in our attic space running new ductwork.
Most of the issues that furnace might experience in an attic are due to extremely cold weather in this poorly insulated space. Even when furnaces are put on the main floor floodwaters often overrun the first floor causing severe damage to the unit. Things seemed to be fine until we had a sustained cold and windy period. A horizontal furnace in a crawl space must also be elevated approximately 4 6 inches to allow clearance for the.
A two room addition on the 1st floor has limited attic space and a 4 crawl space. The university of maine recommends proper venting of a crawl space to prevent radon gas buildup. The furnace may be placed horizontally in a crawl space on a pad or other noncombustible material which will raise the unit for sufficient protection from moisture. As a result their designated space for a furnace is often no longer a.
High efficiency furnaces aren t usually recommended for an attic. If the crawl space does not have proper ventilation radon concentrates in the trapped air inside the crawl space. Most updated central air conditioned homes have a new air conditioner split system meaning the ac is broken up into parts. An outdoor unit which houses the fan condenser and compressor and an indoor unit which holds the evaporator and fan.
Older or historic homes for instance often featured much smaller heating systems than the modern ones we install today. However not every home has a pre existing designated space for a system. Attic hvac systems save space. Most homeowners should not place a condensing furnace in an unconditioned space because the unit will produce water as it heats the air.
Our house is a 2 story forced hot water system without ductwork. The hvac s air pickup is in the crawl space and it spreads the radon laden air into the house. So why put an hvac system up in the attic at all. In flood prone areas instaling a furnace in the attic provides protection.