First let s review how forced air heating systems work.
Installing forced air furnace in attic.
The process starts when the furnace pulls room temperature air in the home into the system.
There is a common misconception that this is not possible for high efficiency furnaces.
Attic hvac systems save space.
Attic furnace installation must comply with you local mechanical code or imc international mechanical code if such was adopted in your area.
There are rarely instances when we will advise against an attic installation.
Attic furnace passageway and service area electrical requirement.
An outdoor unit which houses the fan condenser and compressor and an indoor unit which holds the evaporator and fan.
Since most homes have their hvac system serve multiple functions at once it can be cheaper to install the unit in the attic because the roof access can make inspections.
When the heating and cooling system is running it s pulling air in.
How much does it cost to install central air.
If you re installing a new forced air heating or cooling system your home must have ductwork if you don t have ducts installed a new duct system will need to be designed and installed.
So why put an hvac system up in the attic at all.
High efficiency furnaces aren t usually recommended for an attic.
It will not require long lengths of pipe to deliver heat to the rooms as a basement furnace does.
In an electric furnace the air is pushed past heating elements but the principle is the same.
That grille you see there is a return vent.
But adding central air is easier and less costly than you might think.
Heat pumps and ducts are part of it too.
The trick to the installation of a gas furnace in an attic space is routing the condensate drain from the attic down through the core of the house to the basement.
A furnace can suffer from a drop in energy efficiency if it s in an unconditioned space such as an attic.
Well mainly it s a way to save space.
This one s not as bad as some that i ve seen.
It s supposed to be pulling air in only from the house but because of air leaks it also pulls air in from the garage.
An attic furnace is closer to the upper stories of a multi level home.
Using natural gas the furnace transfers heat energy to the air through the heat exchanger.
When added to an existing forced air heating system central air for a 2 000 square foot home costs 3 500 to 4 000 and can be done by two technicians in two to three days often with little or no change to the ducting.
Duct system installation and repairs affect hvac installation cost.
Most updated central air conditioned homes have a new air conditioner split system meaning the ac is broken up into parts.
Air from the garage can easily get into the house.
Attic furnaces take advantage of the closer proximity to use shorter lengths of air.
Forced air systems are usually the cheapest ones to install in homes today and a furnace qualifies as this type of system.
In older homes which used radiant heat this could be a considerable expense.
Attic furnace access passageway and platform.