Installing Forced Air Furnace In Attic

Air ducts lose a fair amount of heat through leakage so shorter lengths are more efficient.

Installing forced air furnace in attic.

A furnace can suffer from a drop in energy efficiency if it s in an unconditioned space such as an attic. First let s review how forced air heating systems work. The trick to the installation of a gas furnace in an attic space is routing the condensate drain from the attic down through the core of the house to the basement. Well mainly it s a way to save space.

This one s not as bad as some that i ve seen. Since most homes have their hvac system serve multiple functions at once it can be cheaper to install the unit in the attic because the roof access can make inspections. There is a common misconception that this is not possible for high efficiency furnaces. It will not require long lengths of pipe to deliver heat to the rooms as a basement furnace does.

Attic furnaces take advantage of the closer proximity to use shorter lengths of air. There are rarely instances when we will advise against an attic installation. Using natural gas the furnace transfers heat energy to the air through the heat exchanger. When the heating and cooling system is running it s pulling air in.

It s supposed to be pulling air in only from the house but because of air leaks it also pulls air in from the garage. If you re installing a new forced air heating or cooling system your home must have ductwork if you don t have ducts installed a new duct system will need to be designed and installed. High efficiency furnaces aren t usually recommended for an attic. The process starts when the furnace pulls room temperature air in the home into the system.

Attic furnace access passageway and platform. In older homes which used radiant heat this could be a considerable expense. An attic furnace is closer to the upper stories of a multi level home. That grille you see there is a return vent.

Heat pumps and ducts are part of it too. Forced air systems are usually the cheapest ones to install in homes today and a furnace qualifies as this type of system. Most updated central air conditioned homes have a new air conditioner split system meaning the ac is broken up into parts. In an electric furnace the air is pushed past heating elements but the principle is the same.

But adding central air is easier and less costly than you might think. Attic hvac systems save space. Attic furnace passageway and service area electrical requirement. An outdoor unit which houses the fan condenser and compressor and an indoor unit which holds the evaporator and fan.

Duct system installation and repairs affect hvac installation cost. The following are attic furnace installation requirements based on 2009 irc and 2009 imc the codes refer to it as appliances in attics. How much does it cost to install central air. Most of the issues that furnace might experience in an attic are due to extremely cold weather in this poorly insulated space.

Attic furnace installation must comply with you local mechanical code or imc international mechanical code if such was adopted in your area.