The one very large health risk in doing this is if you have a gas water heater near the furnace; you will be pulling exhaust back into the home along with the cooler basement air.
The same is true of any open flue in the basement. So if you have a gas water heater next to the furnace, don't do it.
By performing this operation you are altering the airflows greatly; you could stir up dust or allergens that previously had not been an issue.
Hopefully my killjoy attitude is not taking all the joy out of your "free air conditioning."
Make sure you put the furnace back into its original configuration when done. Do not forget to remove the tape over the safety switch and the cover on the return grilles!
And finally, for those without the "on" switch on their thermostat, a rocker switch on or near the side of the furnace is how you activate your summer fan.
Q: My hot showers are getting shorter and shorter because of the water cooling off. I understand this is due to one of two heating elements going out and needing replacement. How do you determine which element to replace?
The tank is a 52-gallon electric and I installed it in June 1991. The tank has never been drained, but we don't seem to have a problem with minerals in the water here in Enumclaw. Two years ago we changed over from the old iron-pipe plumbing to PVC.
A: You don't need a new heating element because you have a broken dip tube inside the tank. If one of the two elements is burned out, or coated heavily with deposits, then the water will still get hot, but more slowly.
In other words, the "recovery time" is slower, but you can still get a hot shower.
Your shower is getting cold quickly, even though it starts out hot, since incoming cold water into the tank is diluting it near the pickup point at the top.
Cold water is designed to be carried to the bottom of the tank, forcing hot up to the top. If the incoming cold dip tube is cracked or broken, the cold water enters at the top and quickly cools the outgoing hot.
You can replace a dip tube, but on a 14-year-old tank I wouldn't even bother. Buy a new one.
Your original question about how to tell which element is burned out: Take an electrical continuity tester or clamp meter and test both sides of both elements.
But this should be done only by someone very familiar with this type of work due to the risk of shock.
Darrell Hay is a local home inspector and manages several rental properties. |
