You Can Check Out Your Furnace Anyone can check their own furnace if they know what to look for: The first thing to look at is the flue pipe. The flue pipe is the galvanized round pipe that comes out the top of the furnace. Look to see if there is any white spots that look like frosting. This is an indication that there is a draft problem. Either the combustion gases are not going up the pipe because it's clogged, or there is not enough space around the unit to provide air. If the flue has an angle it needs to go uphill away from the furnace a minimum of 1/4" per foot to achieve an adequate draft. If the flue goes into a brick or cinderblock chimney you might need a chimney flue liner which is a stainless steel flexible tube that is inserted down your chimney. The flue liner is smaller in diameter than your chimney flue to require less heat to start a good draft. The second thing to look at is in the front of the furnace unit towards the top. There is an angled piece called the diverter. If you look up in the diverter you'll see the flue opening on most units. If you see dust on the diverter rub some of the particles between your fore finger and thumb. If it is rust it won't soil your fingers, if it is soot it will be black like charcoal. Rust means that the flue is not carrying away the water vapor formed in the combustion process, soot means improper combustion, and either way you can assume there's a problem. The final thing to check is the volume of space in the furnace area. Measure the length times the width of the room, times the height to get cubic foot volume. Next add the BTU's of the furnace, water heater and clothes dryer together if they are in the same space. If you can't find the BTU's on the units use 60,000 for the furnace, 40,000 for the water heater and 35,000 for a gas dryer. You need 50 cubic feet per 1000 BTU, or total BTU's times .05. In this case 135,000 BTU's times .05 = 6750 cu ft, or a room approximately 40 ft X 20 ft X 8 ft. If your room is smaller you will have to have someone install a grate either in a door or a wall to provide more combustion air. Don’t let them install the grate into an occupied bedroom. If you have any of the above problems you'll need to consult a service company to help. Call a small to mid-sized company, preferably one that has done work for someone you know. Most people who are cheated by furnace contractors swear the company is the best in the world, so you'll need to use your gut instincts, and it will help if you explain your concerns to the contractor by using the information above. If they seem cocky about it, get rid of them. However, if they are interested and even add explanations, you've found a good one. Large companies have large overhead and large Yellow Page ads and tend to cheat to keep busy. |
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