High Efficiency Furnace Fresh Air Intake

Other aspects of high efficiency furnace venting.

High efficiency furnace fresh air intake.

If a furnace has an afue rating of 90 percent or greater it is considered condensing. Traditional gas fired forced air furnaces produce hot combustion exhaust gasses and therefore need metal vent pipes or chimneys. Fresh air intake for high efficiency furnaces i am a homeowner in new jersey who recently had a carrier infinity ics modulating gas furnace model 58mvc installed. When a home is well air sealed or tight it may warrant an optional fresh air intake that pulls air from outdoors into the furnace and prevents partial vacuum situations.

Since high efficiency furnaces draw air directly from outside the furnace itself does not require a fresh air intake in order to replace inside air that otherwise would have been drawn from the room the furnace is located in. Energy star has found that new furnaces often do not perform to their rated efficiency with. The pvc pipes are used for air intake exhaust gas and to remove the corrosive condensation resulting from the combustion process. Unfortunately the fresh air intake you have described is the second type and does not provide direct combustion air to the furnace room as it is directly connected to the return air plenum for.

In these types of furnaces the exhaust is vented outside via a pvc pipe. See reference 5 in sealed combustion units as most high efficiency furnaces are. A high efficiency or condensing furnace can significantly reduce energy consumption in a typical home. However this does not mean that your home does not need a fresh air intake just because you have a high efficiency furnace.

A heat recovery ventilator or hrv is an optional device separate from the furnace that works as an air to air heat exchanger. Some high efficiency furnaces also include a plastic pipe for intake area and all types use a third plastic pipe to drain away the corrosive condensation resulting from the combustion process. This high efficiency venting system must be installed when you install the new furnace.