Having recently bought a house (circa 1993) where I could set up a *real* shop, I have a question.
The gas forced air furnace in the basement is in the area where I will be using. I know next to nothing about HVAC, so I will try to describe as best as I can. There are two 2″ PVC pipes entering the box, one presumably for intake and the other for exhaust. I was unable to locate and manufacturer’s info, or any information inside the panel that I could discern would help to shed light.
Is it imperative that I make a closet for this unit to protect from dust and other concerns? Can I leave it completely open for service?
Any help is appreciated.
Jon Blakemore
Replies
What you have is an induced draft ,power vented furnace.It should be breathing combustion air from outside.However dust will still get to the burners,fan bearings of the exhaust blower and circulating fan and tend to dry out and gum up the bearings.Also settle on the burners to a certain extent.Definately build it in ,BUT most IMPORTANT consult a HVAC tech about the size of the closet and ventilation required of that space.Code requirements are very specific on this topic.With the power venting there may be more leeway than on a conventional set up.But if it were possible to in anyway to starve the furnace of air CO is formed(the silent killer).Also if you plan on a large dust collector vented outside there is a very remote chance of reducing the efficiency of the power vent ,possible but unlikely CO problems.The other point to rear in mind is that if your return air picks up in the basement it will blow some of the dust through the filters and around the house.Having rained on your parade, take heart ,many woodworkers use basement shops successfully.I hope this helps somewhat so you can plan accordingly.
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