Flue pipe running through cold air return

[Rick A. Hunt]

Anybody ever see this?

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Cold-air return? If you're referring to the return-air compartment, the flue should not be there. It looks like a closet to me. Has this been modified to be a return-air compartment?

[C. Scott Justason]

We used to line combustibles with sheetmetal sometimes when space was a problem. You sure its actually in the r/a duct?

[Rick A. Hunt]

Yes, I'm positive its the cold air return. Now if its running straight through it or its framed out I cant really see. I do know when I used my gas sniffer I was getting readings in the cold air return. I refered it to a hvac guy cause of the readings.

[Bob Elliott]

That is a major health /safety issue and I would call to shut down that unit till fixed (rerouted)

Are they using joist space as part of the return?

[Keith Runquist]

Saw this once. So happened that there was a gas leak at the house so I called the gas company during the inspection for repairs or shut down. While they were there I howed it to the the guy. He said "good call" but in this case they had used some sort of apporved sleave for the flu pipe. May not be approved everywhere and the guy said it's hard to tell if it's done properly but in this case he was familiar with the house and the installation. I still called it out and told the client to get approval in writing. I'll call it out if I ever see it again too.

[Henry Martinez]

Originally Posted by jpope

Cold-air return? If you're referring to the return-air compartment, the flue should not be there. It looks like a closet to me. Has this been modified to be a return-air compartment?

It is a cold air return! its panned in using the joists to pull return air, both terms have been since the birth of its use.
the closet is a place where clothes or toilet is called ?
modified , no! it only has a flue pipe going through it. which is a big NO NO!

[Rick A. Hunt]

Thanks for the help everbody!!! Its so nice to have this board to bounce stuff off of.