If you plan to replace your furnace, deciding how to vent it is an important consideration. While gas furnaces are a safe and reliable method of home heating, they do produce potentially-hazardous fumes during the fuel combustion process. When planning your replacement, it’s wise to discuss your venting options with your HVAC contractor, who can help you choose between these three types of vents:
Natural Vents
Also called “type B” vents, natural vents are the most common type used and the most economical too. With a natural vent, a pipe connected to the furnace is either attached to your chimney flue or run vertically to exit through the roof. The vent is called “natural” because warm exhaust fumes rise up the pipe on their own to escape through the top. One drawback of natural vents is that, under certain conditions, they can backdraft and allow carbon monoxide-laden exhaust fumes into your home’s air supply.
Direct Vents
Direct vents cost more than natural vents, but they’re a safer and more efficient alternative because there’s less risk of backdrafting because of their design. They consist of two pipes, one inside the other: an outer, larger-diameter pipe is used to pull in air for combustion, while exhaust fumes are sent outside through an inner, smaller-diameter pipe. You can have a direct vent installed either horizontally through an exterior wall, or vertically up through the roof.
Sidewall Power Vents
These vents use the same type of pipe as direct vents, but they have an exhaust fan installed on the outdoor end of the pipe to push out combustion fumes. The fan is wired to your furnace, so that they cycle on and off together. Power vents are more costly due to their mechanical and electrical components, but they’re more effective at expelling furnace exhaust and safer too. A sidewall power vent also gives you greater flexibility in your new furnace’s location, since it can be installed in almost any exterior wall.
If you’d like to learn more about furnace venting options for your Lorain-area home, contact us today at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnace vent replacements and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area