Furnace Stack Pipe Vent Problems Can Cause Roof Leaks

If you are experiencing a wet spot in your house or insulation, it could be from the stack pipe which exhausts fumes from your furnace’s combustion out of the house. Fixing this issue will take input from a HVAC contractor and a roofing contractor.

When your HVAC person installed your furnace, they calculated several things to make sure the exhaust exits in an optimal fashion. When natural gas burns, the exhaust is wet, and comes out of your furnace hot. Ideally, this exits the flue at a correct temperature to prevent future deterioration of the exhaust pipes.

The exhaust comes out of the furnace at a certain speed, and each time the pipes take a bend, or if the pipe is too wide, or too long, it slows down the flow. The longer distance of pipe also means there is more metal that is absorbing the heat from the exhaust flowing through it. If the exhaust flow slows down too much, it basically is stagnating in the pipe, and cooling down. This is when trouble starts brewing leading to you needing roof repair. When the exhaust cools down, moisture and gas byproducts condense on the pipe, creating a mild acid that eats at your flue pipe, and you will see white deposits of zinc oxide on the pipe, especially at the seams. You need an HVAC person to adjust the furnace and a roofer will fix where your furnace stack pipe exits the roof, the source of your roof leak.

Steven Briesemeister  
 

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Comments

1 Responses to "Furnace Stack Pipe Vent Problems Can Cause Roof Leaks"

air conditioner repair Dallas TX says:
March 19, 2012 at 8:30 PM

It is indeed true that problems in the furnace's stack pipes can cause roof leaks. In order to avoid this, homeowners should regularly check their furnace system so that situations such as this can be prevented. Preventive maintenance can also ensure that these systems are still functioning well.

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