sounds like you should be concerned for your neighbor's. i would call someone to get it checked out. are you sure it is smoke you see?
Hello,
I notice smoke from my neighbor's furnace vent (outside one which is in the roof) in the early AM or night when their furnace/heat is ON. Same thing does not happen for my outside vent when my heater is on. This happens all the time irrespective if it is very cold outside or not. Note that I live in a community where all houses have a gas based furnace.
Can anyone advise if I should be concerned? I am also not sure what this smoke is. So please educate me if possible.
Thanks in advance.
JrMbr
sounds like you should be concerned for your neighbor's. i would call someone to get it checked out. are you sure it is smoke you see?
More likely water vapor, a byproduct of combustion. Your neighbor may have a lower efficiency furnace than you do, so more waste heat is going up the stack. Could also be he has a shorter flue run than you do, meaning less vapor is condensing out on the flue walls, or it is running through a warmer attic. Could be his furnace uses less dilution air than yours, or is a bit starved for combustion air. Could be any number of things.
It does not necessarily mean your neighbor's furnace is in trouble, or yours. The best way to eliminate any doubt is to have a conbustion analysis done on your furnace, if you're that curious.
Psychrometrics: the very foundation of HVAC. A comfort troubleshooter's best friend.
Twilli says take door off and change wiring around a little and then perhaps you'll see some smoke
Last edited by Twilly; 02-23-2009 at 07:35 PM.
No Heat No Cool You need Action Fast
This is not the correct way to get this concern of yours answered. There can be many reasons why you see "exhaust" from your neighbors chimney/vent and not from yours and the only way you're going to get a correct and accurate answer is to have your heating equipment checked by a qualified technician. This is something that should be done yearly anyhow.
Use the biggest hammer you like, pounding a square peg into a round hole does not equal a proper fit.
First of all thanks to those who responded.
Reason for my concern was I feel there is a leak in my air-ducts, may be because of that the condensation/vapor is melting prior to reaching the exhaust and hence no smoke. Why I feel there is a leak? I checked some vents in the home and in one of the vent I feel small flow cold air when the heater is not ON.
Is there any professional on this board who provides HVAC service in Central NJ near Middlesex county?
Regards.
O.K. Who's clowning around?
There are several members of this board from NJ.
Just not sure which ones anymore.
No Heat No Cool You need Action Fast
check you return connections at the a/h for tightness and make sure the room/basement has an adequate supply of combustion air, if your equipment doesnt have its own fresh air intake
This happens in my neighborhood all the time....They're called GROW OPPS