Exhausting the heat...

[Trichyn9ne]

Hey all! Its nice to be able to post to this forum again. I'm finally in my new location and in the process of getting things up and running. My main question is what's the pro's and cons to venting the heat into the cold air return on the furnace? Its an older furnace from the late 80's. Anyone have some pointers or thoughts?

PS I don't have internet at the new place so I can only get on this forum on the weekends

Fire away

 

[Pimpernickel]

I vent into the front side of the furnace and draw from the returns. I use backflow stopping valves on the end that vents into the heating ducts. This is for my hoods though not my entire room. Works great, cut my heating bill down to almost nothing.

 

[abe supercro]

Just don't impede the flow of the cold air return back to the furnace. That could be a fire hazard, you know better, just needed to point that out though. Congrats on getting back in gear just in time for an early start to the season.

Can't you exhaust up the chimney? bust a hole in that f'er above furnace exaust. Perhaps, use a "wye" before chimney. I've successfully vented into the clean-out before (after removing tons of shit and dead birds). Still, you must be very mindful of back-pressure messing with furnace exhaust.

 

[HomeLessBeans]

watch for added flame hight due too an increase in air flow ignighting soot in the chimney..oil furnaces in the one case I kno of

 

[Trichyn9ne]

thanks for the replies...I'm now kinda worried about doing this. I was planning to vent the lights into the cold air return. The chimmeny is a bit far from the room. I'll have to think about it longer. Its a gas forced air furnace and was thinking about reducing the heat bill for the winter. Like pimpernickels idea but anyone else have same idea/results?

 

[abe supercro]

Cut a hole in floor of a closet or peel back the carpet in the corner of the room, works like a charm. Just walk from your security deposit if your're renting. Or use 6" ducting within your cold return so nothing will be altered much. I would think that you'd want to use the chimney for some of the heat and humidity.

 

[gladstoned]

Text me pics.

 

[FatMarty]

I use two 3" sewer vent stacks to exhaust for my HID hood from a 6" intake that sucks fresh air from a crawlspace under addition.
It works well for airflow; but could be much better.

Last night I looked up the area of two 3" pipes and the area of a 6" pipe.
a 6" pipe has about 4 times the area of a 3" pipe; so one would need 4 of the smaller pipes to match the larger one.
So I got some more work to do to make it better.

If you do chimney stuff I think it's real important not to Y into the furnace flue:
Maybe attach new pipe higher up from flue if anything.
Carbon Monoxide is in the chimney when the hot water or furnace is working.

 

[Trichyn9ne]

I have a window in the flower room from the basement that I plan to draw from...I don't want to exhaust anything outside for I'm in a residential area with many kids around. The chimney is on the far end of the basement opposite of the room I built.

 

[gladstoned]

I used my basement window directly to draw from also and pollinated my crop last spring. I Had no idea.

I'd still use the chimney for exhaust, just run real 6" duct, not flex.
I may be able to get down there with doc this week.
What you are working on, is where I need most help also. But we can get some basic pics up and the smarter people can straighten us out! lol.

 

[chunkylonin]

Not to derail but I want to exhaust out of the fan in my bathroom,my question is how far is to far to vent,iam probably 15-20 feet from the fan,also does it matter about bends and such in tubing,I would have to make a couple.

 

[leadcore]

Not to derail but I want to exhaust out of the fan in my bathroom,my question is how far is to far to vent,iam probably 15-20 feet from the fan,also does it matter about bends and such in tubing,I would have to make a couple.

I do this. I have a carbon filter, 3 lights hung in a straight line (all 6inch vented hoods) (hang them in a straight line, very important, boosts air flow like no other!)
Then after the third light I have a 400cfm fan (running nearly full blast) and it sucks air through a 6inch insulated duct and up in to the attic where it travels about 5 feet and down into my full bath (used to be a vent fan in the cieling to remove shower moisture, now it blows the other way!). (Very nice when I take a shower before 6am, I get to be naturally blasted by the warm air!)

15ft should be fine but if you go much longer I would relocate the fan to the end of the run. Better to pull air than push.

1 bend won't kill the air flow, but keep bends at a minimum.

 

[chunkylonin]

I do this. I have a carbon filter, 3 lights hung in a straight line (all 6inch vented hoods) (hang them in a straight line, very important, boosts air flow like no other!)
Then after the third light I have a 400cfm fan (running nearly full blast) and it sucks air through a 6inch insulated duct and up in to the attic where it travels about 5 feet and down into my full bath (used to be a vent fan in the cieling to remove shower moisture, now it blows the other way!). (Very nice when I take a shower before 6am, I get to be naturally blasted by the warm air!)

15ft should be fine but if you go much longer I would relocate the fan to the end of the run. Better to pull air than push.

1 bend won't kill the air flow, but keep bends at a minimum.

Thanks so much for the reply,iam growing in my bedroom and want to cut hole leading into my master bathroom and 1 turn and run tubing along the bathroom wall to my bathroom fan/vent.I live somewhat in the country and figure by the time it vents it will be night and most people will be inside (since it is getting cooler out).