HVAC Vent

[mbmorris]

Is this vent in the WRONG place?

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Side wall view...

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This is the unit in the basement that it comes from...

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Here is the exit point in the basement...

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

Hi Matt,

Is the vent in the wrong place?

Possibly, but probably not. It all depends on what the manufacturer's installation instructions state for their clearances from building openings and areas. Do you have the manufacturer and model number where I could get the installation instructions and find out what they state are the required minimum clearances?

Regardless of "location" of the vent, the vent is not routed correctly. First, I doubt it is allowed to go through the wall that way, for several reasons, including but not limited to: a) allowing/causing water to run down the outside of the vent to the interior; b) the opening around the vent needs to be sealed to keep water and air out; c) the PVC vent pipe is required to be properly supported.

The duct work is also not properly supported.

Also have another question: That reddish area along the bottom of the wall in the first photo, is that from rain splash or is that from snow depth from the past? What state and part of the country are you in? If that is snow depth, then the height of that vent may well be too low.

[mbmorris]

I can go look for the manufacturer number and find out, there arent any instructions around it. The house is a foreclosure that was started about 3 years ago but never finished.

Its in Georgia, the spash is from our Georgia "red" clay!

It had some moisture inside and in the hole under the PVC pipe. There was also some condensation on the inside of the vent pipe and a icecicle about 12", but the temp was 27 outside today.

There is also a furnace in the attic with the vent pipe going out the roof. It has a great deal of moisture that was running out of the vent pipe and into the metal housing of the furnace unit. Should there be a straight pipe or an elbow on it above the roof line? Here is the photo I took.

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Thank for your help.

Here is a front view of the whole house...its nice but needs some attention...

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[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

Hi Matt,

I can go look for the manufacturer number and find out, there arent any instructions around it.

With the manufacturer and model number we (either you or I) can get installation instructions from the manufacturer, usually available on the manufacturer's web site.

There is also a furnace in the attic with the vent pipe going out the roof. It has a great deal of moisture that was running out of the vent pipe and into the metal housing of the furnace unit. Should there be a straight pipe or an elbow on it above the roof line?

Depends on the manufacturer's installation instructions on whether or not two elbows are to be on the top of the vent.

That is probably a "condensing furnace" which is efficient enough that the combustion byproducts going out the vent are not hot, allowing the moisture in it to "condense" out of the combustion byproducts, collect on the inside of the vent, and drain back down to the unit, where there is supposed to be a condensate line to drain that water away.

[mbmorris]

Yep Thats what it has in the attic, but the vent pipe is not sealed enough to keep all the condensation inside the vent pipe so its dripping into the unit...here

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and here.