installation of gas furnace directly on floor?

Looking for new gas furnaces that are designed with adjustable feet. Appears that many have nothing like that and the cabinet is often just set on the concrete floor. Which seems like a bad design to me, considering this direct contact subjects the metal to exposure to water and moisture.

Some installations show the cabinet elevated with 2x4s, bricks, cement blocks, concrete pads, cork pads, and tin boxes. There is also a plastic furnace mounting block from Diversitech.

The 2x4s, bricks, concrete blocks, concrete pads, cork pads, and tin boxes may elevate but sure create a permanent crappy look for a $6,000 unit and will not adjust for unevenness of the floor. The Diversitech mounting block looks effective but kind of strange and not height-adjustable (although I think you could sand off the bottoms of the feet). Cork compressor pads would absorb water, while tin boxes, concrete pads, and large cement blocks interfere with air circulation.

Don't installers even try to level these things?

Does anyone know of a furnace brand with integrated adjustable feet?

 

Even package units which sit outside don't have adjustable feet. Many don't even have anything I'd call feet. The unit just sits on the pad. Level is not very important to a furnace so adjustable feet aren't needed. Usually furnaces are installed in places where they are not visible and are surrounded by other unfinished bits of infrastructure like pipes, wiring & ductwork. After all, it's a big, gray, ugly box.

You can do things to satisfy your aesthetic needs and since there is no requirement for feet you're pretty free to do what you want provided it's sturdy and strong enough to support the weight and accommodate the vibration. You can set it on bricks, blocks, shims or whatever to raise and level to your satisfaction.

 

I have seen furnace cabinets take in a little water from a plugged A coil installed above, sweaty overhead pipes, etc... Also from nearby water heater spills when draining or leaking, from draining the pressure tank for winter, overflowed clothes washer, floor drain backup, etc. etc.. My old Lennox had very heavy duty adjustable feet that allowed for leveling and raised the cabinet off the floor. Today's installers have to find something or just leave it on the floor. I just wonder why the new ones I have looked at have eliminated something as simple and useful as that. You'd think some rubber down there would be good for noise and vibration dampening too.

 

"I just wonder why the new ones..."
Cost. Leveling isn't required for the unit to function and rusting of the frame rarely if ever kills a furnace. Sure, leveling feet are handy and a good idea but if they can remove the feet to save $5 and still charge the same price... they're gonna.

 

Many newer furnaces are multi poise.... multi orientation..... and the bottom can be used for the return plenum connection. I've worked on many furnaces and have never seen any type of adjustable feet.

No...rarely are furnaces leveled.
Most I've seen are sitting directly on a concrete floor unless in a flood possible location.

Newer condensing type furnaces should be leveled due to generated condensation.

 

I haven't seen any units with adjustable legs. Supco has a product that looks pretty simple but I haven't tried them.

https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Leveler-.../dp/B00FJCS2DG