Rheem furnace


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Old 01-06-09, 06:36 AM
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Rheem furnace

Hi

I have Rheem Quite 80 RGPP series gas furnace. It is located in my basement and I'm about to enclose it into a utility room with my gas water heater.

I am trying to understand how my furnace vents and gets its combustion air. There is a draft induced motor connected to a Type B vent pipe. This pipe connects in with the water heater vent and then up to the outside.

I am trying to make sure that I adequately size for combustion air but I don't understand how it draws in that air since I can't see any vents on the unit.

If I haven't posted enough information let me know.

Rugged
 
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Old 01-06-09, 12:43 PM
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I guess a better question might be where can I go to fully understand the terminology associated with my furnace.

appreciate the help
 
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Old 01-06-09, 04:41 PM
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Is this your furnace?

Click here for PDF Downlod.

I agree, I don't see any combustion air vents either but is that a place to attach a combustion air pipe on the top of the furnace on the left side, opposite the flue connection? Try to locate the installation and owners manuals. The installer would have left them with the furnace and a considerate previous owner would have left them with the house.
 
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Old 01-06-09, 06:30 PM
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Originally Posted by xpogi
Is this your furnace?

Click here for PDF Downlod.

I agree, I don't see any combustion air vents either but is that a place to attach a combustion air pipe on the top of the furnace on the left side, opposite the flue connection? Try to locate the installation and owners manuals. The installer would have left them with the furnace and a considerate previous owner would have left them with the house.
Yes this is my furnace and I wasn't lucky enough to have the previous owner leave any manuals but I did download the spec sheets, owners manual and other literature from Rheems website. I didn't see any installation instructions though.

There is an opening on the left side opposite the flue pipe connection but it is just an open grid opening and only a few inches in diameter. there is no means of connecting anything to this spot and it doesn't really feel like the unit is drawing in air from this spot. I'll try and take a better picture of it.
 
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Old 01-06-09, 07:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Rugged
....
There is an opening on the left side opposite the flue pipe connection but it is just an open grid opening and only a few inches in diameter. there is no means of connecting anything to this spot and it doesn't really feel like the unit is drawing in air from this spot. I'll try and take a better picture of it.
If it is open to the burner compartment it is the combustion air inlet. If your doors aren't gasketed, combustion air probably gets in around them too. Rheem probably reverse engineered this furnace from one of their sealed combustion furnaces. I would bet they have a 90+ furnace with the same casing. Only in that one a 2 inch PVC pipe would attach for combustion air where the "hole" is.

But back to your original question. I would be careful about enclosing the furnace unless you can locate installation instructions. Some furnaces are designed to be installed in an enclosed space and some are not.

Best to proceed with caution.
 
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Old 01-06-09, 07:28 PM
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There areb standard guidelines specifying top and bottom openings to ventilate gas equipment --- so many square inches per thousand BTU, but I don't remember the specific number offhand.

Having adequate combustion air is critical for gas equipment to operate properly, so you need to check that out and solve the problem correctly.

Also keep in mind that you need adequate space surrounding gas equipment to allow it to be inspected, maintained and replaced. It wasn't unusual in my years as a repairman to stand by as a homeowner ripped open his basement remodel to provide access to the furnace or water heater so that repairs could be made.

While stinting on space often seemed the priority when the basement remodel was being done, you could count on those improvements to be sacrificed when the furnace quit working, the temperature was dropping and more space was needed to make repairs --- or more combustion air was needed to make the equipment work properly.

And I wouldn't accept the advice of contractors or carpenters on that issue unless they provide the authoritative information to back up their suggestions. Contractors and carpenters built most of the improvement that had to be ripped out while I was waiting to do my work.
 
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Old 01-06-09, 07:31 PM
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Thanks to both of you... I will locate some installation instructions and check back in with regards to combustion air requirements.

I definitely don't want to be causing any problems here.
 
 

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