8
COMBUSTION AIR REQUIREMENTS
General Information
WARNING:
Furnace installation using methods other than
those described in the following sections must
comply with the National Fuel Gas Code (NFGC)
and all applicable local codes.
• Instructions for determining the adequacy of combustion
air for an installation can be found in the current revision
of the NFGC (ANSI Z223.1 / NFPA54).
Consult local
codes for special requirements
. These requirements
are for US installations as found in the NFGC.
• The requirements in Canada (B149.1) are structured
differently. Consult with B149.1 and local code offi cials
for Canadian installations.
This condensing furnace is certifi ed for installation either as
a Direct Vent (2-pipe) or Conventional (1-pipe) appliance.
Direct Vent appliances draw combustion air from the
outdoors and vent combustion products back outside.
Installation with air taken from around the furnace is often
referred to as Conventional installation - i.e. only the vent
(exhaust) pipe is provided.
Provisions must be made during the installation of
this furnace that provide an adequate supply of air for
combustion. The combustion air from the outside needs
to be clear of chemicals that can cause corrosion. The
inlet pipe should not be placed near corrosive chemicals
such as those listed on page 6.
Another important consideration when selecting one or
two pipe installation is the quality of the Indoor air which
can sometimes be contaminated with various household
chemicals . These chemicals can cause severe corrosion
in the furnace combustion system.
A 2-pipe installation
has the additional advantage that it isolates the system
from the effects of negative pressure in the house.
CAUTION:
Exhaust fans, clothes dryers, fi replaces and
other appliances that force air from the house
to the outdoors can create a negative pressure
inside the house, resulting in improper furnace
operation or unsafe conditions such as fl ame roll
out. It is imperative that suffi cient air exchange
with the outdoors is provided to prevent
depressurization. Additional information about
how to test for negative pressure problems can
be found in the NFGC.
NOTE
: Air openings on top of the furnace and openings
in closet doors or walls must never be restricted. If the
furnace is operated without adequate air for combustion,
the fl ame roll-out switch will open, turning off the gas
supply to the burners. This safety device is a manually
reset switch.
DO NOT install jumper wires across
these switches to defeat their function or reset a
switch without identifying and correcting the fault
condition.
If a switch must be replaced, use only the
correct sized part specifi ed in the Replacement Parts
List provided online.
Direct Vent Furnaces
Direct Vent (2-pipe) furnaces draw combustion air directly
from the outdoors and then vent the combustion products
back outside, isolating the entire system from the indoor
space. It is important to make sure that the whole system
is sealed and clearances to combustibles are maintained
regardless of the installation being in a confi ned or
unconfi ned space.
Conventional Furnaces - Confi ned Spaces
A confi ned space is an area with volume less than 50
cubic feet per 1,000 Btuh of the combined input rates of
all appliances drawing combustion air from that space.
Furnace closets, small equipment rooms and garages are
confi ned spaces. Furnaces installed in a confi ned space
which supply heated air to areas outside the space must
draw return air from outside the space and must have
the return air ducts tightly sealed to the furnace. Ducts
must have cross - sectional area at least as large as
the free area of their respective openings to the furnace
space. Attics or crawl spaces must connect freely with
the outdoors if they are the source of air for combustion
and ventilation.
The required sizing of these openings is determined by
whether inside or outside air is used to support combustion,
the method by which the air is brought to the space, and
by the total input rate of all appliances in the space. In
all cases, the minimum dimension of any combustion air
opening is 3 inches.
Air From Inside
If combustion air is taken from the heated space, the two
openings must each have a free area of at least one square
inch per 1,000 Btuh of total input of all appliances in the
confi ned space, but
not less than
100 square inches of
free area (Figure 1, page 10)
.
Example
:
If the combined input rate of all appliances is less
than or equal to 100,000 Btuh, each opening must
have a free area of at least 100 square inches. If the
combined input rate of all appliances is 120,000 Btuh,
each opening must have a free area of at least 120
square inches.
