Furnace In Crawl Space Or Attic

Condensate drain elevation space.

Furnace in crawl space or attic.

Even when furnaces are put on the main floor floodwaters often overrun the first floor causing severe damage to the unit. During the fall we disconnected the old furnace and decided to install a new one in our attic space running new ductwork. High efficiency furnaces aren t usually recommended for an attic. Rarely will a sealed foam insulated attic deviate more than 15 degrees from the living space temperatures below it.

Compare that with the daily 140 degree temperatures found in vented attics. Well mainly it s a way to save space. Most of the issues that furnace might experience in an attic are due to extremely cold weather in this poorly insulated space. Things seemed to be fine until we had a sustained cold and windy period.

Most homeowners should not place a condensing furnace in an unconditioned space because the unit will produce water as it heats the air. As a result their designated space for a furnace is often no longer a. That moisture can freeze if it receives exposure to exceptionally cold temperatures. A furnace can suffer from a drop in energy efficiency if it s in an unconditioned space such as an attic.

In homes with limited space the furnace can be installed in the attic. A horizontal furnace in a crawl space must also be elevated approximately 4 6 inches to allow clearance for the. Just installing the furnace in the attic crawl way of a single story home gives protection from most flooding. In flood prone areas instaling a furnace in the attic provides protection.

A two room addition on the 1st floor has limited attic space and a 4 crawl space. A basement is below and an attic is above the main part of the house. An outdoor unit which houses the fan condenser and compressor and an indoor unit which holds the evaporator and fan. That means having it placed in the attic or a crawl space is a bad idea because you are increasing the risk of causing.

If the crawl space does not have proper ventilation radon concentrates in the trapped air inside the crawl space. The hvac s air pickup is in the crawl space and it spreads the radon laden air into the house. Older or historic homes for instance often featured much smaller heating systems than the modern ones we install today. Attic hvac systems save space.

So when we have a choice we prefer hvac systems located under the house. So why put an hvac system up in the attic at all. Our house is a 2 story forced hot water system without ductwork. The university of maine recommends proper venting of a crawl space to prevent radon gas buildup.