Installing High Efficiency Furnace In Attic

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.

Installing high efficiency furnace in attic.

That means you have higher energy costs and less efficiency since you re blowing the air down instead of allowing it to rise naturally. High efficiency furnaces aren t usually recommended for an attic. I have installed high efficiency furnaces in attics in the past but you would still need a separate compressor unit outside for ac. I had a new high efficiency furnace installed in my unheated attic and had the same problem of the furnace not running because the condensate trap had ice in it.

The furnace is a 58mvb120 120 high efficiency unit. When ours was installed in the attic during 2005 the installers put in a nice ceiling door and electrical switches for lighting and furnace master on off switch. Always read the furnace manual and check local building. For example a furnace found in most homes is 80 efficient.

But that s simply not an issue that we need to worry about in southern california where our winters are mild. Even when furnaces are put on the main floor floodwaters often overrun the first floor causing severe damage to the unit. Have you considered a mini split system. Yes you can put a high efficiency furnace in an attic hose if allowed by your local code.

Usually this is done after removing the 1950 s original heaters in the lower walls floors. I didn t get much help from the gc or the hvac contractor he hired so i installed a clamp lamp with a 60 watt bulb to shine on the trap. It is a carrier heat pump system with a propane furnace backup. High efficiency furnaces may be installed in basements ground floor utility rooms garages or attics in open spaces or confined closets.

After the installation was done i found out that these high efficiency furnaces are not recommended in the attic because the condensate trap can freeze. In flood prone areas instaling a furnace in the attic provides protection. If you place the furnace in the attic then you must install the infrastructure in the building to force the warm air to the bottom floor. Most of the issues that furnace might experience in an attic are due to extremely cold weather in this poorly insulated space.

A high efficiency furnace could be 90 efficient or it could be 96 efficient. Hello everyone i recently had a new hvac system installed in my attic. The drain must be installed through the core of the house as water will be flowing during the colder months. In our area in southern california it is pretty standard to install the furnace in the attic.

This drain removes the excess water that a heating system will generate.