Is it better to have a furnace in the attic?
Can lower efficiency: Heat naturally rises, so a furnace in the attic must push warmth down to the lower levels of your home. With a furnace in the basement, the warm air naturally rises, and this dynamic is more energy efficient.
What are the code requirements for installing a furnace in Attic?
Installing a furnace in your attic must comply with either local mechanical code or international mechanical code (IMC). Below are some requirements that align with most codes based on regions in the United States.
Should a furnace be in the basement or outside?
Since warm air rises and cold air sinks, it would be ideal for the furnace to be in the basement. As the cold air passes through the furnace, it becomes warm and filters through the home going upward.
Why is my furnace vent in the attic?
There are times when it gets placed in the attic because placing it there is the only thing that makes sense from a cost perspective. The reason for this advantage is the fact that venting for your furnace requires less work in an attic than it does in other locations of your home.
Is it OK to put a furnace in the attic?
Yes, you can install a furnace in your attic. Attic furnaces may be an excellent option for people with limited space or if your house doesn't have a suitable basement or closet. To avoid any problems with attic installation, it is best to have an attic furnace installed by professionals.
Why would you put a furnace in the attic?
Using your attic clears storage space If you have your furnace in the garage, the basement or a closet, you lose that space for storage. Attics are often left empty, making them a good choice for the furnace and freeing up storage space elsewhere.
Is furnace in attic a fire hazard?
The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning about the attic furnaces in the fall on the same day a Times investigation revealed that hundreds of thousands of California consumers owned the faulty units--alleged to have caused scores of fires in the state in the last decade.
Where should a furnace be located in a house?
Typically your furnace is centrally located in the home. It is usually located in an area such as a utility closet (by a cold air return), garage, attic, basement, or crawlspace; in the case of a heat-pump (a dual-system) it will be located outside of the home.
Does the furnace need to be in the center of the house?
Does a Furnace Need to Be in the Middle of the House? You can place the furnace practically anywhere you want as long as it is installed correctly. However, some experts really do recommend placing the unit as close to the center of your home as possible.
Is it better to have HVAC in basement or attic?
Bottom line, most technicians will tell you there isn't a massive difference between servicing a basement HVAC system and servicing a system up in the attic. Some pests prefer the attic, but other pests prefer the basement (or the garage, or that big storage closet of yours).
Do furnaces cause house fires?
Cold temperatures mean furnaces – and furnace technicians – are working overtime. But while you keep warm, you'll want to keep safe, as well. The National Fire Protection Association says more than one in six home fires start from heating equipment, which is the second most common cause of a fire behind cooking.
How do you prevent attic fires?
Removing excess items can reduce the chances of a fire spreading rapidly. Never store flammable materials in your attic. Instead, keep these items in a cooler, drier place to prevent fire hazards.
Can a furnace vent cause a fire?
Fire Hazard Perhaps the most obvious (and most dangerous) result of a blocked vent is that it will cause a fire. How? When you're forcing your system to overwork, as mentioned in our first point, you put your furnace at high risk of setting on fire.
Where should I install furnace?
To run most efficiently, your furnace will need a space with ample fresh air, a source of natural gas, and proper ventilation. These necessary components can be found in large spaces like basements, utility rooms, and garages as well as confined spaces like an attic or closet.
Can a furnace be enclosed?
Many homeowners intend to use basements or other areas where a furnace may commonly be installed as an additional space. This can be for simple storage, using the space as an entertainment or receiving area or other reasons. The answer is yes, of course you can enclose your furnace.
Can you have a bedroom next to a furnace?
It's not recommended to have a furnace in your bedroom closet due to the toxic fumes that a furnace emits. Keep the furnace as far away from the air you breathe as possible. Furnaces are built to not only heat bedrooms but entire houses.
Should I put HVAC in attic?
Pro: Attic Installations Save Labor and Cost Less One reason that attic air conditioners happen is because they're cheaper and easier to install. It's a lot simpler for your installer to leave ductwork loose, rather than having to cover it and wind it through floors and walls.
How do I keep my attic warm in the winter?
How Can I Keep My Attic Warm In The Winter?Block windows. Just like you'd use heavy drapes to block the cold in your living room, it's necessary to cover areas where leaks promote temperature shifts. ... Insulate the space. ... Extend your ductwork.
Why is my air handler in the attic?
Easier to Cool Higher Levels. One of the advantages of an attic AC handler installation is that it makes it easier to cool the higher levels of the home, if you have a multi-story home. Without a handler in the attic, circulating air to higher levels can be more challenging.
Can you put a house furnace in the garage?
To run most efficiently, your furnace will need a space with ample fresh air, a source of natural gas, and proper ventilation. These necessary components can be found in large spaces like basements, utility rooms, and garages as well as confined spaces like an attic or closet.
Why do you use an attic for a furnace?
Using your attic clears storage space. If you have your furnace in the garage, the basement or a closet, you lose that space for storage. Attics are often left empty, making them a good choice for the furnace and freeing up storage space elsewhere.
Why do attic furnaces need ducts?
More holes into your ceiling. Because warm air rises, an attic furnace requires more duct openings in ceilings to push the warm air down and around and create a comfortable temperature in the home.
How to tell if furnace is broken?
One of the most common signs of a failing furnace are unusual noises, like a squeaky fan motor. “If the furnace is up in the attic, you may not hear the sound,” Roth says. “This can lead to not knowing there is an issue with the furnace until it is broken completely down.”.
Is it cheaper to install a furnace in the attic?
Installation may be slightly cheaper. Installing a furnace in the attic can actually save you money because you can vent it directly through the roof, says Roth. “ Duct work installation will not be as tedious or involved, which can make the cost lower,” he says.
Is it better to put a furnace in the attic?
Benefits of Putting Your Furnace in the Attic. It can be easy to install. Using your attic clears storage space. Installation may be slightly cheaper. Less risk of damage caused by flooding. Drawbacks of Putting Your Furnace in the Attic. Problems may go unnoticed. Increased chance of duct work issues.
Can a furnace be damaged by flooding?
Less risk of damage caused by flooding. A furnace housed well above ground is a lot less likely to suffer flood damage. Whether from heavy rain, a busted sump pump or ice and snow melt, flooding can severely damage, destroy or create a hazardous situation with a furnace installed in the basement or at ground level.
Can a furnace be installed vertically?
Most homes have an attic, and many modern furnaces can be installed vertically or horizontally, depending on the home. “More manufacturers are designing furnaces that can be installed in a variety of ways, like horizontally, which make them especially attractive for attic installations,” Roth says.
Space Saver
A furnace closet takes up so much space that could be used for a million other things. There are plenty of things you need more frequent access to other than your furnace. Maybe that’s why you’re here reading this article.
Out of Sight Out of Mind
I don’t know about you, but if something isn’t directly in front of my face, I usually forget about it. This can happen when a furnace is housed in the attic.
Cheap and Easy Installation
Sometimes placing a furnace in the attic is the only thing that is cost-effective. It requires less work to install venting for a furnace in the attic.
Low Energy Efficiency
Heat rises naturally, so the coldest air is on the lowest level of a house. The furnace creates a cycle where it takes the coldest air, heats it, and blows it out through the rest of the house. Installing a furnace in the attic means this cycle won’t occur naturally. Infrastructure is needed to achieve it.
Ergonomic Design
A furnace is a forced-air system, which is the most popular type of HVAC system installed in homes. Some furnaces are built with a downflow design. In a downflow furnace, cool air is pulled downward to the combustion chamber where it’s heated.
Uncomfortable Heat
The heat produced from a furnace in an attic may not always feel comfortable. It’s hitting your head first rather than your feet, which some people claim feels like a warm fan. If you’re not used to it, the sensation can feel disconcerting.
Safety Options
Even though there’s a tendency for problems to go unnoticed, that’s not to say a furnace in the attic is unsafe. Any type of equipment can be installed safely—even a gas furnace.
Pros of a Furnace in the Attic
In modern architecture, space is at a premium. HVAC components today feature several elements where some parts of the unit may reside on the exterior, with the rest featuring indoors. Previously, homeowners would sacrifice closet space for the furnace to ensure everyone kept warm during the winter.
Cons of a Furnace in the Attic
You’re now aware of the positives of installing a gas furnace in the attic, but what about the negatives? Placing this equipment in an attic will reduce the efficiency of the system. Since warm air rises and cold air sinks, it would be ideal for the furnace to be in the basement.
Why do you need an attic furnace?
There are of course many reasons why an attic furnace makes sense for efficiency reasons due to the layout of your house. Efficiency should be close to the top of your lists of wants when it comes to getting the right furnace for your home.
Why do furnaces go on lower floors?
The most common reason that furnaces are traditionally placed on lower floors is that warm air rises. This is why it always feels a little cooler in the basement compared to other floors of your house.
Why do I have to clean my air ducts?
There will always be some loss of air through the ducts of your home due to small holes and ill-fitting connections between the parts of your HVAC system. Keeping your air ducts clean will help with this and increase efficiency.
Can you put an HVAC unit in the attic?
For this reason, placing your furnace in your attic may provide you with much more usable space in other areas of your home such as your basement or main floor.
Is it cheaper to install a furnace in the attic?
Good: A furnace in the attic may be cheaper. Depending on the configuration of your home, the furnace installation may be cheaper. It may also be cheaper to maintain and replace the unit if the furnace is stored in the attic. This is because you can easily access the entire unit from the roof.
Can you put a furnace in the attic?
Good: You will have the space in the attic. Unless you have a fully finished attic then the installation of a furnace in the attic will not cause you to lose any space or inconvenience you in the slightest. Placing a furnace in the attic allows you to take advantage of space that you would otherwise not be using.
The Case For Attic Furnace Installation
It Saves Space: Like we already said, many homeowners choose an attic furnace installation to save space. Dedicating an entire closet or corner of the garage to a furnace isn’t an ideal situation, and attics are rarely used for much else than storage.
The Case Against Attic Furnace Installation
Efficiency Can Suffer: Unless you’re getting a furnace with the highest AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating available, the efficiency of your furnace can really suffer if the system is in the attic.
Why do furnaces in the attic cost less?
A furnace in the attic also costs less to install than other designs since the access point to it is usually through the roof.
Why is there a furnace in the attic?
It will lower the efficiency of your furnace. The primary reason why furnace placement occurs on the bottom floor of a structure is because the warmer temperatures rise to displace the colder air.
Why is it not unusual for an HVAC system to be in the attic?
Because the furnace is in a space that most homeowners do not visit frequently, it is not unusual for an HVAC system in the attic to develop system problems that remain undetected for some time. There is even a higher risk of not changing the filters for the equipment because of its location.
Why is it cheaper to install an HVAC system in the attic?
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, maintenance, and repairs at lot easier.
Why is venting in attic important?
There are times when it gets placed in the attic because placing it there is the only thing that makes sense from a cost perspective. The reason for this advantage is the fact that venting for your furnace requires less work in an attic than it does in other locations of your home.
What happens if you put too much water in your attic?
If there is too much water in your attic, then it might lead to mold in your insulation, floor joists that begin to rot, ceiling leaks, and fixture damage. None of these outcomes are things you want to have in your home. 5. The heat from an attic in the furnace doesn’t always feel comfortable.
What is the minimum efficiency rating for a high efficiency unit?
If a high-efficiency unit can hit 90 with a typical installation, then you can achieve a rating of at least 65 with a standard installation. You can eliminate the disadvantage of efficiency loss by finishing the attic before your installation.
Furnace in attic pros and cons
Installation can be simple: A lot of hvac manufacturers are designing a wider variety of furnaces to fit all types of homes and living spaces. Attic furnaces were a natural and necessary innovation because not everyone has a basement, garage or functional closet.
How much does an attic furnace cost?
The cost of an attic furnace is going to vary based on the type of furnace that makes the most sense for your space. Whether you choose horizontal or vertical, gas or electric, every home will have different requirements that make having a furnace in your attic both efficient and functional.
Attic furnace requirements
Attic furnace installation must comply with either local mechanical code or International mechanical code (IMC). Below are some attic furnace requirements that align with most codes based on regions in the United States.
How to install a furnace in your attic?
The process for installing a new furnace in your attic or moving a furnace to your attic depend on a number of variables. Your home layout, the size of your attic as well as temperatures in hot and cold seasons locally should impact how you approach this.
WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW
There are a surprising number of benefits to an attic installation. The list includes:
LESS EFFICIENT
So, why aren’t all furnaces installed in attics? There are certainly some drawbacks that should be considered. An electric furnace in an attic is going to be naturally less efficient. To know why, all you have to do is remember your high school science class. Hot air rises so having an attic installation is a bit like swimming upstream.
OUT OF SIGHT & OUT OF MIND
Another drawback is that an attic furnace installation means problems may go unnoticed until the electric furnace actually breaks down.
CALL KOTZ TO LEARN MORE
If you are doing a new furnace installation or a system replacement, call Kotz Heating, Cooling & Plumbing to find out if an attic installation is a good choice for your Waterford, MI or Oxford, MI home. Learn more about the services Kotz offers by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.
