Have you ever felt air that's 66F? Step 3. Ducts should be tightly sealed and insulated to keep the air in them warm during the winter. If it is set to ON, that may be your problem- switch it immediately. We can think of a furnace as lungs. Just turn the fan setting from ON to AUTO. The system works solely through natural convectionbased on the principle that hot air rises. 2 Atmospheric vent systems work well (and without electricity) if they are properly designed and the home does not have backdraft issues. turn about 2 to another 90 deg turn about 2 out the wall . Hi. It has 3" pipe. One of them is the poor vent installation, such as horizontal or downward slope - the vent pipe has been installed with the improper pitch; too many turns (bends - especially with the sharp and right angles), sudden diameter reduction, sags, dips, long vents Additionally, double-check that your thermostat is set to "HEAT.". The OP said he has heat at passenger side wich means heater core is functioning properly, he also stated he checked one actuator, not all of them, just because he has air coming out the vent means nothing, seems as though some are not fully reading the original post he has heat on passenger but not drivers side yet has cold air blowing from . I got another unit to replace this one and placed a 90 degree elbow and a "T" fitting on the end to block and wind from entering the exhaust. The ON setting makes the furnace fan blow continuously, even when the heating cycle is not activated. A direct vent system pulls in. Likewise for the air conditioner. If you find that this is the case, you will either need to reseal or replace the damper. It didn't seem to matter as this Sunday night it was -25 and the new hot water heater froze. One night when it was -20 degrees outside the water heater froze and started leaking. There is cold air coming in from the vent falling on top of the heater and cooling the whole room. The vent goes straight up from the water heater about 2 then a 90Deg. No furnace can adequately operate without sufficient return air supply. He said that when your furnace is running (that you can hear it) it is heating up the air that is within the furnace. Generally, the temperature at the supply vent when cooling with an air conditioner should be 16F to 22F lower than the air temperature entering the air conditioning unit from your rooms. I even disconnected that water line from the humidifier to make absolutely sure that no water was going through it. According to Larry D. Armanda, Owner of Therma-View Infrared and Energy Consultants, orphan water heater-related backdrafting occurs "when the draft temperature is so low in the water heater that it often can't overcome the slug of cold air inside the chimney, and the flue gasses can't escape so they come back into the CAZ (combustion . So when the water heater fires up it vents into the basement until the draft reestablishes. First, verify the set temperature is higher than the room's temperature. First and most importantly, make sure your thermostat is set to Heating Mode. Air return vents are necessary for the 'inhale' process. But once the flue has been actively chilled below some point it creates an "anti" stack effect when there is no burner adding heat to the stack, and cold air will continue to come down the flue until the flue warms up again (from either the burner firing for some period, or more slowly from the heat of the house.) The simplest way to check for backdrafting is to put hands around the draft hood, mirror or glass. For a heat pump or heater to produce warm air, air must flow easily through the filter. The gap allows additional air to flow in and the combined air, if the ductwork is designed and installed properly, flows through the ductwork and out of the house. Before taping the exhaust hood to the vent pipe, check the gravity operated back draft damper to see if it is working properly. However, there is a significant amount of cold outside air coming in the 2 (system 636) exhaust from the power vent, and its enough to spin the fan on the power vent backwards. Otherwise it has to work a lot harder just to pull the air, which means you'll get less warm air coming out than you should. How can I fix this venting problem? The draft will change in the chimney as exhaust vents towards it - especially when going from cold air to hot. If you have a house with 12 rooms, you need 12 return vents. Once you do that, your fan should only blow out air that is heated by your furnace. Water heater is LP gas, located a few inches away from the basement wall with a vertical rise of 18 inches going straight up to the elbow with a proper pitch. Hot exhaust from the water heater naturally rises up through the vent and into the air outdoors, creating a draw that promotes this upward airflow. Backdrafting at a water heater is a common defect identified during home inspections, and it's almost always a condition that the homeowner or occupant is not aware of. Turned off everything (master power) for 30 minutes and reset. To properly heat your home, furnaces control their heating by maintaining a "delta T" of 16 to 22F. The difference is that a power vent water heater pulls in combustion air from the space around the appliance, then uses a fan to propel the exhaust through the vent. If you have a house with 7 rooms, you need 7 cold air return vents. How to check is the water heater backdrafting. As the vapor sits in the flue it cools, creating condensation.. The power of the draw increases as the vent duct heats up. That's quite easy to understand. If it is set to ON, your fan will constantly blow out air, even when your furnace isn't heating it. I have a Reem hot water heater. This is a more critical item if the units are enclosed in a small area with limited air available. If you have a battery-powered thermostat, ensure it has fresh batteries. Power-vent water heaters use indoor air for gas combustion, while direct-vent utilize outside air. Standard water heatersthe most common typeoften use a method known as atmospheric venting. One night when it was -20 degrees outside the water heater froze and started leaking. This happens when the exhaust gases from an atmospherically vented water heater spill out into the room, rather than safely leaving the house through the vent. So, if the hot air returning to the air conditioning unit is 85F, the air coming out of the supply vent should be 63F to 69F. Mar 6, 2014. The heater's blowing cold, or the AC is blowing hot. Hope this helps. What is a cold air return vent? If cold air is seeping into your ductwork, it must blow out of the duct registers before the furnace's warm air canthus it feels like air-conditioned air is ventilated through your home despite the thermostat being set to heat at 72-degrees. The vent consists of a vertical or upward-sloping vent duct that typically ties into a common vent. If you feel cold air running towards the vent, that means that your ventilation system is working correctly. Backdrafting at a water heater is a common defect identified during home inspections, and it's almost always a condition that the homeowner or occupant is not aware of. It didn't seem to matter as this Sunday night it was -25 and the new hot water heater froze. Simply put, a cold air vent returns cold air back into the furnace. This one comes from a company called Aeroflo at www.ContinentalFan.com. A Fix to Cold Air Coming Out of Vents: Duct Insulation & Sealing Services. Here are some solutions. Butterfly dampers Any exhaust vent that rises up and out will have a tendency to let cold air fall back down that duct. The minerals in the water are also added. The total run is only about 5 ft plus a few 45's which would make it about 17ft. 2) Clogged Air Filter. So, if your home's temperature is 50F, the air temperature in your supply vent will be 66F. It is cooler in the basement but still not "air conditioner" feel. The first is to bring in sufficient combustion air for natural gas-burning appliances such as furnaces and water heaters. You can hear it blowing, but no heat is coming out. This happens when the exhaust gases from an atmospherically vented water heater spill out into the room, rather than safely leaving the house through the vent. This will stop any back draft on the heater when other exhaust fansd are ran. I am having an issue with my water heater and would like some advice. Sprayed down the outdoor unit with Frost King coil cleaner foam (I was able to turn the electricity off outside but did not take the unit apart, just went at the sides as much as possible). There are two main functions for most fresh-air intakes in homes. A draft hood is placed above the upper most part of the gas furnace to draw air into the chimney and makes it possible to draw more or less air through the chimney as necessary to create a constant flow. Here are just a few things that could mean: 1) Dead Batteries in Thermostat Seems silly, but you'd be surprised how often this has happened. In many cases, this leaves a very fine white powder in the vents that are then carried into your home. RSES Certificate Member RSES-SWRA Past President Hot exhaust from the water heater naturally rises up . How can I fix this venting problem? Thankfully, this is an easy fix. If cold air is seeping into your ductwork, it must blow out of the duct registers before the furnace's warm air canthus it feels like air-conditioned air is ventilated . The idea with this type of system is that it doesn't use inside air for combustion. A power-vent model comprises an exhaust fan and only one pipe, which is exhaust, while a direct-vent model has two, one for air . We can simplify that whole thing, however, with this simple rule of thumb: "Install 1 cold air return vent in every room that is larger than 100 sq ft (1010)". I double checked the saddle valve on the supply water line to the humidifier and it is also 'off'. Upvote # 7 All piping going out of the house meets code, doubled wall pipe, exhaust pipe above roof. I have a Reem hot water heater. The minerals can precipitate from the heated air as it cools in the ductwork. Size wise, you should have a vent not less than 3 inches, but you need 1 square inch for every 1000 btu on the heater. A properly working damper will close and open easily . If the drain terminates under a bathroom sink, like most attic installed systems in my area do, capping the vent in the drain line can cause gurgling and knocking noises from the sink, and often a noticeable amount of air blowing up out of the sink drain, often with associated sink drain smells. turn about 2 to another 90 deg turn about 2 out the wall and there is a 90Deg on the outside that points down and there is a bug screen (supplied with the heater) glued into that final 90. Basement is partially finished, can see the duct going straight from the blower to the vent in the basement and see a path of ducts going the other direction before disappearing under ceiling, but that seems to be the air return. Vent goes essentially up and out the side of the house and meets all the venting criteria set aside including slope, length, limiting use of 90's etc per the Kenmore manual. Yes there is an older Aprilaire humidifier hooked up to the cold air return but it has been turned off and not in operation. While the piping could be modified to use inside air and only exhaust outside, it would defeat the design. You should have 2 seperate outlets for air, 1 within 12 inches of the ceiling and 1 within 1 foot fo the floor. As mentioned before, there are two types of venting systems used on tankless water heaters: power-vent and direct-vent. As the water in the humidifier is agitated, water particles enter the air. You're standing there pushing buttons trying to heat up the house, but it's just not working. Next verify the thermostat's fan setting is set to AUTO, not ON. Tape all joints including the connections to the fan itself. (when not running of course) The vent goes straight up from the water heater about 2 then a 90Deg. You can also use the lighter or matchstick beside the . The actual amount of combustion air - i.e., air flowing past the burner to provide oxygen and leave with less oxygen but more CO2 and possibly other combustion byproducts - is very little. The current vent leaves the heater going straight up a few inches, makes a right angle then another and heads straight up out the roof. It 'breaths out' hot and it 'inhales' cold air. There are several reasons for this problem. Can not see anything else unfortunately. So in the winter we get short hot showers. The current vent leaves the heater going straight up a few inches, makes a right angle then another and heads straight up out the roof. Ducts should be tightly sealed and insulated to keep the air in them warm during the winter. These systems work well but have one downside. Solutions that don't use electricity would be best for off-grid use. Inspect the vent pipe for leaks, and tape all penetrations or replace the vent pipe or hose. There is cold air coming in from the vent falling on top of the heater and cooling the whole room. There is a small plastic device called a damper flap that regulates the flow of air - in this case, it is supposed to keep cold drafts out and your heated air in. Like most commonly used mechanisms in your home, after time they can become loose or damaged. You will feel the warm gases coming out while the moist inside the flue gases will make the mirror/glass fog up if used as the checking tool.