inspectorreuben Posted March 25, 2011 Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 I'm sure the installation of the venting shown below is wrong, but I can't figure our where this is prohibited in the code. Does anyone know? That's a standard furnace shown in the photo, not a garage heater. Click to Enlarge 53.37 KB Click to Enlarge 25.19 KB Thanks, Reuben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 25, 2011 Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 Check out the B-vent manufacturer website. I'm pretty sure that portion that comes out of the wall and goes up must have a cleanout at the bottom of the elbow and has to be enclosed in a chase until it at least clears the roofline. Might be wrong. If I am, someone here will climb all up in my face and embarrass me by my ignorance. That's OK, it's how we learn best here. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspectorreuben Posted March 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 Check out the B-vent manufacturer website. I'm pretty sure that portion that comes out of the wall and goes up must have a cleanout at the bottom of the elbow and has to be enclosed in a chase until it at least clears the roofline. Might be wrong. If I am, someone here will climb all up in my face and embarrass me by my ignorance. That's OK, it's how we learn best here. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike I called this out as wrong in front of a group of 10 other home inspectors as part of a training seminar we were putting together, for the same reasons you just stated, but every other person there said this was perfectly fine. I just can't believe it. If this was acceptable, why wouldn't furnaces be vented this way every time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 25, 2011 Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 Go to the Duravent site: http://www.duravent.com/docs/product/L204_Mar2011.pdf On page 9 of the installation manual it states: DuraVent does not recommend installation of B-Vent Pipe on the outside wall of a building, particularly in cold climates. If it is necessary to do this, enclose the outside portion of the system in a chase, as shown in Figure 11. Consult the Local Authority prior to construction. Note that the enclosure requires an access door for inspection and maintenance purposes. It is accompanied by a drawing showing the vent enclosed in a chase with a cleanout. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence McCann Posted March 25, 2011 Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 Hi Ruben, Were you leading the training as part of a home inspector school or a local chapter home inspector association? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspectorreuben Posted March 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 Go to the Duravent site: http://www.duravent.com/docs/product/L204_Mar2011.pdf On page 9 of the installation manual it states: DuraVent does not recommend installation of B-Vent Pipe on the outside wall of a building, particularly in cold climates. If it is necessary to do this, enclose the outside portion of the system in a chase, as shown in Figure 11. Consult the Local Authority prior to construction. Note that the enclosure requires an access door for inspection and maintenance purposes. It is accompanied by a drawing showing the vent enclosed in a chase with a cleanout. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Thanks Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspectorreuben Posted March 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 Hi Ruben, Were you leading the training as part of a home inspector school or a local chapter home inspector association? I wasn't leading the training; I was just one of the more vocal participants in the group that was putting together the information for this seminar, which is sponsored by a local home inspector association. We spend half a day taking photos of defects at a vacant house, then the house is made available to home inspectors for the next week to conduct their own inspections. In about a month we'll have a half-day seminar where a Powerpoint presentation shows all the stuff that we found, and everyone gets to argue about stuff. It's a great seminar; we always do one in the spring and one in the fall. - Reuben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted March 25, 2011 Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 The white staining coming out of the elbow should be some argument that it's wrong. Was it B vent or single wall? If single wall, the clearance @ the thimble would be unsatisfactory, in addition to everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspectorreuben Posted March 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 The white staining coming out of the elbow should be some argument that it's wrong. Was it B vent or single wall? If single wall, the clearance @ the thimble would be unsatisfactory, in addition to everything else. That's what I'm sayin. How 'bout the elbow? B vent. Click to Enlarge 39.33 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Maxwell Posted March 25, 2011 Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 I had one last week (cat 1) that vented to the side wall and terminated at the brick veneer. It looked like the dryer vent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 The white staining coming out of the elbow should be some argument that it's wrong. Was it B vent or single wall? If single wall, the clearance @ the thimble would be unsatisfactory, in addition to everything else. That's what I'm sayin. How 'bout the elbow? B vent. Click to Enlarge 39.33 KB Woof..........and folks were saying it's OK? Double woof......... That thing runs water. I've had a couple of these, I've had the same push back from the installer, I just point at the elbows; they're always rusted out. I won't engage in tit for tat with morons; if they challenge me to prove it's wrong, I challenge them to prove it's OK to have rusted out vents. So far, no takers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Ahern Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 Reuben..The Northern New England States ASHI group does that every year. The comments are excellent--Learn a lot about other HIs techniques, reasonings, and opinions. Sometimes it ends up in a shouting match. HIs are not created equal!!! Trying to force a report from guys who use "different but equal" software is a real circus. Still worth the time and money and much anticipated by this HI.[8D] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 The white staining coming out of the elbow should be some argument that it's wrong. Was it B vent or single wall? If single wall, the clearance @ the thimble would be unsatisfactory, in addition to everything else. That's what I'm sayin. How 'bout the elbow? B vent. Click to Enlarge 39.33 KB Yeah, definitely a B vent and a real good illustration of why it should have a cleanout leg like the Duravent diagrams show. Did you find them OK? Any inspector that would argue that vent is OK needs to get the hell out of the business, walk down to Burgerwopper and apply for a job where he's qualified. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspectorreuben Posted March 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 I won't engage in tit for tat with morons; if they challenge me to prove it's wrong, I challenge them to prove it's OK to have rusted out vents. So far, no takers. I hear you. When it comes time for the seminar though, I'd like to have a good reference for everyone. You're right though, the hole in the vent should be proof enough. - Reuben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspectorreuben Posted March 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 Reuben..The Northern New England States ASHI group does that every year. The comments are excellent--Learn a lot about other HIs techniques, reasonings, and opinions. Sometimes it ends up in a shouting match. HIs are not created equal!!! Trying to force a report from guys who use "different but equal" software is a real circus. Still worth the time and money and much anticipated by this HI.[8D] This particular seminar is actually for Truth in Housing Evaluators; it's a point-of-sale inspection program that's mandated in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and several other larger suburbs here in the Twin Cities. Our reporting guidelines and the report formats are all identical, so it's a little easier to define what 'right' and 'wrong'. I'd love to do a seminar like this for standard home inspections. I'll put one together soon enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspectorreuben Posted March 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 Yeah, definitely a B vent and a real good illustration of why it should have a cleanout leg like the Duravent diagrams show. Did you find them OK? I did, and I'll be sure to include that stuff in our seminar. Thank you very much for the info. - Reuben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 This particular seminar is actually for Truth in Housing Evaluators; it's a point-of-sale inspection program that's mandated in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and several other larger suburbs here in the Twin Cities. Our reporting guidelines and the report formats are all identical, so it's a little easier to define what 'right' and 'wrong'. I'd love to do a seminar like this for standard home inspections. I'll put one together soon enough. Curious concept. Is a Home Inspection legally defined by the State of Minnesota? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspectorreuben Posted March 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 Curious concept. Is a Home Inspection legally defined by the State of Minnesota? Nope. Home inspections are an unregulated industry here in Minnesota. - Reuben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 Nope. Home inspections are an unregulated industry here in Minnesota. - Reuben The good old days....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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