High efficiency furnaces
You’ve probably heard this phrase banded about – but do you know what it means? Well, ‘high’ efficiency basically means that it is over 90% efficient (to compare; a ‘mid’ efficiency runs at under 80%). To achieve this the equipment must take more heat out of the gas, which is done by adding a heat exchanger designed to pull the very last bit of heat, before it is exhausted out of the building. In doing this, the gas is cooled so much that some of the water in the gas is condensed, which is why newer heating systems need to have a drainage system. The cooler temperatures in the gas also mean that venting can be plastic PVC and, instead of needing a chimney, can now be expelled out the side of the building.
Due to the water that’s produced by these systems special care needs to be taken during installation (for example, all vent piping must be sloped back to the furnace so the water can drain away). As you can see from the attached video (taken on a cold day) the exhaust from a high efficiency furnace is very similar to a dryer vent.
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area.
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