Flue deterioration in your Kansas City area house is a “silent” problem. Flue deterioration in your houses’ attic has become a major problem in many homes across the Kansas City area. The scope of the problem lies in your gas furnace and water heater flue where the metal pipe enters the attic and exits thru the roof.
The “hot” flue gas temperatures when they leave the appliances “cool” considerably by the time they reach the attic space. The combination of this cooler flue and a cold attic in the winter turn the products of combustion (co2 or carbon monoxide) into moisture where it rots out the flue. This is extremely important because once the flue disintegrates, deadly carbon monoxide can fill your Kansas City area home.
Furthermore, many homes built before more stringent codes were enacted allowed for a single wall pipe be run where the vent penetrates the attic and where it enters the roof jack before it exits the roof. This is where the problem occurs and issues need to be addressed.
Exacerbating the problem is that many furnaces installed in the last 25 years with an efficiency rating of 80% efficient produce less heat than its predecessor, which compounds the problem. A 90% plus efficiency furnace which flues thru the side of the house in PVC (plastic) pipe and not in the traditional flue is not immune to problems because again the only heat producing appliance now in effect is the water heater.
What Areas In Kansas City Are An Issue?
Although many parts of the K.C. metro area are affected, the main suspect area is Johnson County between 63rd St. from the north to 103rd St. to the south, and from Metcalf Ave. from the west to State Line Rd. to the east.
It’s tough to detect because the furnace and water heater are operating normally, and unless the attic is visually inspected you cannot be 100% sure if there is or isn’t a problem.
One person whose flue had completely disintegrated complained that his ceilings were discolored. Upon professional inspection the flue gas was dumping into the attic and moisture from the products of combustion was contaminating the fiberglass insulation causing the moisture to ruin his sheet rock.
For a nominal fee City Wide will perform a visual inspection in the attic and where the furnace and water heater tie in together in the basement. An evaluation will be given, and if adjustments need to be made, a written bid will be presented to correct the problems and bring them up to current local codes.
So call us if you need your furnace flue checked in Overland Park, Prairie Village, and all other Kansas City areas. If the homeowner chooses City Wide to perform the work quoted, we will waive the inspection fee. Call today to schedule!
