Fresh Air Furnace Vent

Fresh Air Furnace Vent WOOD STOVES/FURNACES Wood Stoves/Furnaces (20L) 5-5-22 Alice and Robert Tupper, of Canton, S. Dak., are saving energy with a simple "fresh air" vent for their furnace and water heater. "The house is tighter and there are fewer drafts around windows and doors since the furnace draws fresh outside air in through the air vent, rather than pulling it from the rest of the house," says Robert. To make the vent, the Tuppers simply ran a 4-in. flexible dryer vent hose into the house and down near the floor close by their furnace. The flap door on the dryer vent, which had to be removed to allow air in, was replaced with wire mesh to keep out rodents and birds. Cost of the vent was only $10. Fresh outside air flows freely through the vent and to the furnace room floor. Even in the coldest weather, cold outside air is sucked into the furnace without cooling the rest of the house, the Tuppers point out. A representative of the Minnesota Energy Agency told FARM SHOW that the idea of a fresh air vent is a good one if the furnace and water heater are in a semi-blocked-off area. If they are in the open, he says it will be difficult to contain the cooler air where needed. Under those circumstances, you should duct the vent right into the burning chamber, he suggests. The energy representative noted that this type of vent is now required in building codes for most of the country as homes are built tighter to prevent energy loss. He says it improves combustion so gases burn completely, and insures that noxious gases flow out of the house. Done right, he says you can expect to save as much as 4% on your heat and hot water bill.

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