Can I Relocate My Furnace?

Can I relocate my furnace? Moving a furnace requires rerouting electrical, gas, and water lines, as well as air ducts and intakes . This is a task best left to an HVAC professional. You’ll likely pay almost half the cost of a new furnace ($4,700 on average) to move it.

How much does it cost to move the location of a furnace?

Relocating a furnace may be $1000 or less . However, it’ll likely cost $2000 to $3000 due to reworking the duct system. Reworking two integral home systems like the furnace and water heater could get pricey. But we’ll break down costs and why you’ll have to spend the amount on these projects to get results.

Does a furnace have to be in the center of the house?

Most forced-air heating systems are still poorly designed and installed. No! Don’t put your furnace in the attic! Furnaces should be installed in your basement or a mechanical room near the center of your house — not in a vented attic, vented crawl space, or garage.

Can a furnace be moved outside?

Placing a gas furnace outdoors is an option for homeowners with limited space or the need for a large furnace that would be difficult to install inside . Outdoor gas furnaces burn natural gas and can keep an entire home warm throughout the winter months for a minimal cost.

Where should a furnace be located in a house?

Typically your furnace is centrally located in the home . It is usually located in an area such as a utility closet (by a cold air return), garage, attic, basement, or crawlspace; in the case of a heat-pump (a dual-system) it will be located outside of the home.

How difficult is it to relocate a furnace?

Whatever the motivation, furnace relocation is a costly job that you should consider carefully . Moving your furnace is absolutely a task for an HVAC professional. Your furnace rests at the center of one of the most complicated infrastructures in your home.

Can I move my furnace to the attic?

A furnace can be relocated from the closet into the attic . If you’re thinking of doing this, we recommend you give our technicians a call. They can give you advice about whether this is a good step or not, since the situation is different for every home.

Can a furnace be in a closed room?

Does a furnace room need ventilation? Most new building codes require that spaces that house gas-fired appliances such as water heaters and furnaces have an outside ventilation source to provide combustion air. Electric Furnaces or water heaters do not need ventilation to support combustion .

Can you put a furnace in a closet?

Do not install your furnace in a storage closet . Any type of flammable material, including insulation, needs to be removed before installing the furnace.

How close can a bedroom be to a furnace?

Each county or municipality establishes space requirements and safety regulations for furnace rooms. A general standard is to have at least 30 inches of space between the walls and a furnace’s sides .

Is it OK to have a furnace in the garage?

To run most efficiently, your furnace will need a space with ample fresh air, a source of natural gas, and proper ventilation . These necessary components can be found in large spaces like basements, utility rooms, and garages as well as confined spaces like an attic or closet.

How much does it cost to reroute ductwork?

Rerouting Ductwork: Materials and labor can cost you $35 to $55 per linear foot . The ductwork type, present and future location of ducts, and difficulty of moving them impact costs, while working in hard-to-reach areas increases costs as well.

Can you put a furnace on the roof?

Commercial and industrial facilities have favored rooftop HVAC systems for decades , as their buildings’ flat roofs allow for easy installation and maintenance and save precious ground-level space. In single-family residential homes, however, rooftop systems are lagging in popularity.

Why put a furnace in the attic?

Using your attic clears storage space

If you have your furnace in the garage, the basement or a closet, you lose that space for storage. Attics are often left empty, making them a good choice for the furnace and freeing up storage space elsewhere.

What is the minimum clearance around a furnace?

2015 IRC M1305 recommends that the furnace have a level working space of at least 30 inches by 30 inches in the front of the appliance. Municipalities may require a minimum of 30 clear inches in front of the furnace, which can be accomplished in a small room if the door to the room opens in front of the furnace.

Is it safe to put a gas furnace in the attic?

An attic furnace, or any furnace that is located above ground level, is less likely to flood. Installing a heater in the attic provides safety in flood-prone locations . Even when furnaces are installed on the main floor, floodwaters frequently overflow the first floor, severely damaging the equipment.

Why are furnaces in the middle of the basement?

Basements: In homes that have them, basements are the perfect place for a furnace. The system is kept out of the way but also has adequate space and airflow. The only provision here is that the furnace should be elevated off the ground to protect it against potential basement flooding .

How can I hide my furnace in the middle of my basement?

1. Curtains.
2. Room divider.
3. Cabinetry or other furniture.
4. Framed furnace closet.
5. Placing the furnace under the stairs.
6. Strategically placed storage.

Can you move an HVAC unit?

A professional HVAC service company can assist you with easily moving the unit , even if you need this done more than once. Sometimes, during a remodel, renovation, or expansion, you may want to move the unit during construction and then relocate it again once the project is completed.

Is it better to have HVAC in basement or attic?

Bottom line, most technicians will tell you there isn’t a massive difference between servicing a basement HVAC system and servicing a system up in the attic . Some pests prefer the attic, but other pests prefer the basement (or the garage, or that big storage closet of yours).

How much attic space do I need for a furnace?

Attic furnace installation requirements

The passageway to reach a furnace in your attic must have minimum dimensions of 30 inches high, 22 inches wide, and 20 feet max length . The dimensions must be large enough to remove the largest HVAC system or furnace appliance installed in your attic.

Can a 90% furnace be installed in an attic?

It’s just as safe for it to be in the attic as it is in the basement . Keep a 90 percent furnace out of an attic if you have cold temperatures. If it’s less than 90 percent it will be less efficient.

Can you box in a furnace?

Many homeowners intend to use basements or other areas where a furnace may commonly be installed as an additional space. This can be for simple storage, using the space as an entertainment or receiving area or other reasons. The answer is yes, of course you can enclose your furnace .

Does a furnace room require a door?

It depends . Keeping an open door may help your furnace ventilate and evenly distribute heat on the floor that it is on. On other hand, if you have pets or kids, then you may want to keep the door closed so that they don’t have access to the furnace and other equipment near it.

Can you sleep in a furnace room?

It is illegal to have a gas-fired, natural draft furnace in a bedroom or a bedroom closet . Absolutely, unequivocally illegal.

Can water heater and furnace be in the same room?

They’re just all in a row down the same wall. The dryer, furnace, and water heater all need to breathe. Each of those appliances draws air from the room it’s in and pumps it outside. You have to make sure that the room is vented well enough so that the three appliances can all run at the same time.

Can water heater and furnace be in same closet?

A Sealed Combustion Closet Can Safeguard the Air Supply

Enclosing the furnace and water heater in a sealed combustion closet can keep dangerous exhaust fumes out of your indoor air. To work effectively, the closet must: Be thoroughly sealed so no air can leak out into your living space.

What kind of door do I need for a furnace room?

The kind of door that should be in a furnace room depends on the airflow quality in the room. If you don’t have at least two vents bringing fresh air into the boiler, then you should install a louvered door . Otherwise, a door made of gypsum is generally acceptable.

What should you not put in a furnace room?

Does a furnace room need a vented door?

If the furnace is in a small room, then we need ventilation openings in the walls or door of that room to let in plenty of air to make up for the air that the furnace is using .

How can I soundproof my furnace room?

If you have a loud furnace that spills noise into adjoining spaces, wrap the ductwork with a sound barrier lagging product called NetLag and line the inner walls of your furnace room with a sound barrier curtain system called QBS Blankets .

What is the code for a furnace in a garage?

Where should a furnace be placed in a garage?

It is most commonly placed in a basement, garage, or attic . Ideally, the criteria to put a furnace in the garage include sufficient fresh air circulation, access to natural gas or electrical lines, an area for a vent, and adequate garage space.

What is a hanging furnace?

Can I move my furnace to the garage?

Sadly, the answer is yes. The building codes say you can put your HVAC system and ductwork in a garage as long as you meet certain requirements . Here are two references: Mechanical Code 304.6: Appliances located in private garages and carports shall be installed with a minimum clearance of 6 feet above the floor.

How can I hide my furnace in the middle of my basement?

1. Curtains.
2. Room divider.
3. Cabinetry or other furniture.
4. Framed furnace closet.
5. Placing the furnace under the stairs.
6. Strategically placed storage.