May the bird of paradise fly up your furnace exhaust
#1
11-29-2010, 08:55 PM
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Washington
Posts: 21,060
May the bird of paradise fly up your furnace exhaust
Well, for the second time in 15 years, I found a bird....actually make that a pair of birds stuck in the exhaust of one of our furnaces. I installed this furnace 11 months ago, and this morning as I walked into my boss' office I noticed how cold it was. Since he never complains about anything, I didn't know that it was cold last week. So off I go to see what's the dealio.
Picture from December 09 installing the new furnace.
As I started going through the Dichotomous key, the last thing on the list was to make sure that the exhaust was not plugged. After taking off the pipe this is what I discovered.
That's sad....
That means that those two birds flew straight down the 3 inch pipe on the roof, and went through 2 90's and then got stuck together in the last 90 which was necked down to 2 inches. That's where they sat, stuck until they dehydrated......
I feel bad for them, I know they are just birds, but I hate to see this. I guess I'll have to add a screen to the pipes up top.
Picture from December 09 installing the new furnace.
As I started going through the Dichotomous key, the last thing on the list was to make sure that the exhaust was not plugged. After taking off the pipe this is what I discovered.
That's sad....
That means that those two birds flew straight down the 3 inch pipe on the roof, and went through 2 90's and then got stuck together in the last 90 which was necked down to 2 inches. That's where they sat, stuck until they dehydrated......
I feel bad for them, I know they are just birds, but I hate to see this. I guess I'll have to add a screen to the pipes up top.
#2
11-30-2010, 02:18 PM
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Indianapolis and Toledo
Posts: 5,599
Two birds in the vent pipe is worth one in the bush...........well something like that? Oh I know, if a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, then a hand in the bush is worth dinner and a movie
#4
12-01-2010, 12:34 AM
hahaha, that is why mesh (bird) screen was invented for those 90% vents. Congrats on the find.
#7
12-01-2010, 10:43 PM
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Washington
Posts: 21,060
I made some caps a few years ago, drilled as many half inch holes in it as I could, seemed to work fine. I guess I'll do the other 8 furnaces this summer.
#8
12-03-2010, 06:49 PM
The prob with 1/2" holes is that leaves and seeds will go through. Your condensate traps will eventually plug up causing intermittent firing issues as well. well seeds, spiders and flys are the biggest issue. Just not birds...lol
#9
12-03-2010, 08:59 PM
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Washington
Posts: 21,060
Well fortunately we don't have any leaves around here or seeds. Here is a picture of the current piping to the furnace where the birds got stuck.
Here is a picture of what I did a few years ago to anther intake/exhaust, its worked perfectly.
If 15 years I have only had one trap out of all 10 furnaces plug. It was a big spider that got up there from the drain and set up shop. LOL
#10
12-04-2010, 02:18 AM
hahaha, nice job on the work. The Cotton wood trees around here are aweful with plugging up the intakes. That is why I mentioned the seeds.
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