TIA:
My circa 1949 rental house an 18 year old furnace with a flue chimney which appears to be asbestos. It's gray and hard and flat about 3" x 15" and fits inside a wall. At some time it was moved, but not the whole thing, just the segment between the attic and the basement, to accomodate a wall move on the ground (only) floor. I guess they didn't want to re-do the roof so there's a "Z" in the attic, about 2' of horizontal run of same material, with glue and sheet metal at the two 90° joints. I think they also cut that horizontal piece out of the entire run of chimney, as it hangs from joists in the crawl space, and is flush with the roof deck on top.
- Tentant smelled gas in the room where the chimney runs up the wall.
- Gas Company measured some CO in the crawl space and made me shut off the furnace, saying "there might be a crack in the heat exchange"
- HVAC guy wants to sell me a new furnace, since "there might be a crack in the heat exchange" (Didn't verify any crack)
- Where the furnace vent tied into the asbestos was very loose, there was a ½" gap all around it, looked like a good place for CO to get out. I sealed it real good at that point.
- Gas Company came back and measured 0 PPM CO in crawl space. (NONE!) but then they measured 10 PPM in the house, and turned off the furnace.
- I went on the roof to see if the chimney was clogged, and at 2' I hit something hard
- I went in the attic and found the 2 right angles, and decided to go get drunk. (Just kidding about that last part.)
(furnace is 18 years old but works)
Asbestos and age aside;
- Is it conventional or kosher to have a horizontal run in the flue vent for the furnace/water heater?
- Where the chimney is flush with the roof, it's not sealed, should the chimney extend above the roof line?
- Is there any kosher way to run the flue inside a wall nowadays?
- I know I can vent a 90% or better furnace out the side with PVC, can I vent the water heater out the side, legally?
- What am I forgetting?