So, the age-old question - with HVAC vents, do a lot of small holes let out less carbon monoxide?
This is a house with a brand new gas HVAC system and gas water heater. They were both high quality and in good shape. Their efficiencies and installation all met all the recent codes.
But the venting through the house, and their connections were original, and nearly 40 years old.
I was disappointed to see that the HVAC installation company paid no attention to the venting.
You can see that the main exhaust stack is rusting, corroded and has the infamous brown powder at joints and holes.
That's from condensation and indicates damage inside.
The left photo is where the furnace vent meets that main stack.
And the right photo is where the water heater vent meets that stack.
But it's the multiplicity of holes, at both connections, AND ALL AROUND both of those connections, that bother me.
So, should not the extensive corrosion of the old vent tubing have alarmed the HVAC company?
Should not the multiplicity of holes at the connections bothered them as well? Aren't those holes dangerous?
In my opinion yes!
And so, the first question asked in the post is this: with HVAC vents, do a lot of small holes let out less carbon monoxide?
Probably not! And besides, is a little CO over a long amount of time OK?
My recommendation: sometimes new mixed with old does not work! New is good, especially when it meets code, but only BEST PRACTICE when the entire picture is taken into account!
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