A furnace can suffer from a drop in energy efficiency if it s in an unconditioned space such as an attic.
Furnace in crawl space or attic.
Most homeowners should not place a condensing furnace in an unconditioned space because the unit will produce water as it heats the air.
If the crawl space does not have proper ventilation radon concentrates in the trapped air inside the crawl space.
A horizontal furnace in a crawl space must also be elevated approximately 4 6 inches to allow clearance for the.
As a result their designated space for a furnace is often no longer a.
Rarely will a sealed foam insulated attic deviate more than 15 degrees from the living space temperatures below it.
That means having it placed in the attic or a crawl space is a bad idea because you are increasing the risk of causing.
A two room addition on the 1st floor has limited attic space and a 4 crawl space.
Things seemed to be fine until we had a sustained cold and windy period.
Attic hvac systems save space.
The university of maine recommends proper venting of a crawl space to prevent radon gas buildup.
Just installing the furnace in the attic crawl way of a single story home gives protection from most flooding.
In homes with limited space the furnace can be installed in the attic.
Even when furnaces are put on the main floor floodwaters often overrun the first floor causing severe damage to the unit.
So why put an hvac system up in the attic at all.
Condensate drain elevation space.
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.
Compare that with the daily 140 degree temperatures found in vented attics.
In flood prone areas instaling a furnace in the attic provides protection.
However not every home has a pre existing designated space for a system.
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 when we have a choice we prefer hvac systems located under the house.
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.
During the fall we disconnected the old furnace and decided to install a new one in our attic space running new ductwork.
That moisture can freeze if it receives exposure to exceptionally cold temperatures.
Most updated central air conditioned homes have a new air conditioner split system meaning the ac is broken up into parts.