By ensuring reliable airflow, a two way pipe system helps your high-efficiency furnace do an even better job of keeping you cozy during Indianapolis’ cold, windy winters.
Two Pipes for Two Purposes
A two way pipe system uses a separate combustion air pipe and exhaust pipe. The combustion air pipe brings air into the furnace and mixes it with fuel, allowing the fuel to burn. The exhaust pipe vents combustion gases to the outdoors. While early high-efficiency furnaces used this system, some later models allowed for either a two-pipe system or a single exhaust pipe. Both are safe if installed correctly, but a two-pipe system has some benefits for your comfort. For today’s furnaces of 95% AFUE and above, though, a two-pipe system is optimal.
Greater Comfort and Reliability
A two way pipe system doesn’t make your furnace more efficient, but it does make your home more efficient. In a single-pipe system, the furnace draws combustion air from inside your home. That creates negative air pressure that pulls outdoor air indoors through cracks and gaps around your windows, doors, and walls. You end up with drafts of cold, dry winter air that the furnace then has to heat. If your house is fairly airtight, the furnace can struggle to get enough air.
In a two way pipe system, the combustion air comes from the outdoors directly into your furnace, so the system doesn’t waste conditioned air or cause air leaks and drafts around the house. As a result, it’s easier to keep your home warm and maintain a comfortable humidity level.
A supply of fresh air keeps your furnace running reliably with less risk of damage to the heat exchanger and burners from VOCs and other corrosive pollutants inside the home. If a component does fail, a two-pipe system is safer because it won’t vent combustion gases into your home. Placement of other vented appliances is easier because you won’t have to worry about interference from the furnace.
For more guidance on upgrading your furnace, contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing.
