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exaust gas vent system
Vent system review: The inspector
reviews the vent system from the top of the flue (atop the heater) to
the top of the vent (usually on the roof). The inspector looks for
rusted or damaged vents, loose joints, missing or damaged draft hoods,
missing caps, etc. The inspector notes the presence of combustibles in
the vicinity of the exhaust vent. Double-wall sheet metal vents are
required through attics and between floors and walls. One to two inches
clearance from combustibles is required if the vent pipes are
double-wall. Six inches clearance is needed if the vent is single-wall
but single wall vent pipe is not allowed in attics or closed spaces.
Transite pipe often touches wood building members but should be at least
one inch away.
combustionairrequirement.htm
Combustion circulated air
review: For proper combustion, all fossil fuel burning appliances
must have a sufficient supply of oxygen. Insufficient oxygen may lead to
carbon monoxide accumulation within the building. There are formulas,
associated with the appliance btu rating, for determining the necessary
size of combustion air inlets or grilles. These formulas are helpful and
necessary for new installations. In older installations the btu rating
of the appliance may not be readily available. When combustion air is
taken from inside the building care must be exercised that there will
always be enough oxygen left for the human occupants. The following are
partial formulas to follow as set forth by building codes which
typically are acceptable nationwide. Inside air (or that air taken from
inside a building) shall be available for each fuel-burning appliance at
a rate of 40 cubic feet of room air per 1000 btu/ hr input rating. In
buildings of tight construction (most late model buildings) where the
air exchange rate is less than .5 air changes per hour, additional air
is required to be provided. When the room in which the appliance is
located does not meet the criterion specified above then openings to
adjacent spaces must be provided (vents, grilles, or louvered doors).
Two openings shall be provided, one near the top of the room and one
near the bottom, to help facilitate circulation of the required
combustion air. Each opening shall have an unobstructed area equal to a
minimum of 1 square inch per 2000 btu (british thermal unit) per hour
input rating of all appliances installed in the space, but not less than
100 square inches. Compensate for screens and louvers on grilles when
Calculating the square inch value of an opening. Combustion air can be
provided by mechanical ventilating systems but the system must Be
interconnected to the appliance to assure that combustion air is
provided when the appliance is operating. Combustion air may be taken
from ventilated attics and crawl spaces and of course, from the outside
in general. If the opening is horizontal the formula is 1 square inch
per 2000 btu input rating. Vertical openings can be sized at 1 square
inch per 4000 btu input rating. Usually it is a simple task to provide
combustion air for an appliance. The above calculations/formulas are
best discussed with the inspector or a heating contractor before
deciding on where to cut a hole for a vent installation. If you do it
yourself, be sure to buy the grilles first so you have something to
trace around for determining exact hole size. Forced air furnaces need
combustion air to facilitate the combustion process which provides heat
to the circulated air. The circulated air is returned to the heater
through the return air grille. It is important that the return air grill
and the heater flame, or any other open flame such as a water heater, be
at least ten feet apart, with the exception that the two may be closer
if they are separated by a sealed door. The inspector may enter this
item if the door (which is usually on the heater closet) is not
sufficiently sealed, has vents cut into it, or if there is no such door
and the return air grill is within 10 feet. There are many other
circumstances whereby circulated air and combustion air may be
interconnected. One example: the bottom of the heater is not sealed
(caulked) to the platform it sits on and the circulated air is drawn
through the bottom side of the heater (as opposed to the top some are
reversed). The platform itself may be cracked, damaged or holed or may
be constructed with planks not sealed tightly together. Another example:
the return air duct is separated from the heater or plenum and draws air
into the ducting from around the heater. Since this situation can be
life threatening it is recommended that you contact a heating contractor
for assistance with corrections.
Electric air conditioners
gas heater and electric air
conditioner Dual-pack or gas pack
A-C condenser and evaporator
separate together:
Water cooled condenser:
The above information was provided by TWI Systems Copyright 1995-2007 1-800-553-5660. TWI is a fantastic company to deal with!

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This file was last updated on Saturday, 13-Sep-2008 00:08:27 EDT * Copyright © 2008 All
rights reserved by: Accurate
Inspections, Inc. A New
Jersey home inspection
firm providing New Jersey
Certified Home Inspections in NJ, by New Jersey Licensed home inspectors. Inspector of record Michael Del Greco, New Jersey home inspectors License GI 0121.
exaust gas vent system
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