Any HVAC guys on here

[Frosty19]

Been having a problem with my furnace exhaust/intake the last few winters.
As far as I can tell it's a concentric set up but the exhaust freezes over when it gets around -30 or lower for a few days in a row.
Not a big deal except that it exits through a steep ass roof that's a storey and a half above the ground and I don't overly feel like going up there after a snow and ice storm.

Is there something I can do to fix this and or keep it from happening?

Thanks

 

[The big greasy]

Been having a problem with my furnace exhaust/intake the last few winters.
As far as I can tell it's a concentric set up but the exhaust freezes over when it gets around -30 or lower for a few days in a row.
Not a big deal except that it exits through a steep ass roof that's a storey and a half above the ground and I don't overly feel like going up there after a snow and ice storm.

Is there something I can do to fix this and or keep it from happening?

Thanks

Is there a big chunk of ice hanging from it?

 

[The big greasy]

Been having a problem with my furnace exhaust/intake the last few winters.
As far as I can tell it's a concentric set up but the exhaust freezes over when it gets around -30 or lower for a few days in a row.
Not a big deal except that it exits through a steep ass roof that's a storey and a half above the ground and I don't overly feel like going up there after a snow and ice storm.

Is there something I can do to fix this and or keep it from happening?

Thanks

Is there a big chunk of ice hanging from it?

 

[Flapjack]

Frosty is asking for help with frost

 

[Frosty19]

Is there a big chunk of ice hanging from it?

Well it sticks out top of the stack so jot so much hanging as protruding I guess.

I can try to grab a zoomed pic

 

[The big greasy]

I've had to shoot my ice chunk off with a 22 a couple times, but that's living in the country.

 

[getzcold]

Most of the time the intake mesh ti study the frost builds up. I usually just take that off to stop from happening. If you don’t want ti climb up the just disconnect the supply air pipe going to the furnace and let us suck the air out of the house when it’s cold like this.

 

[Caper11]

Is it a B vent, or the HE plastic intake and vent?

 

[mclean]

I just take the mesh screen out if yours has that

 

[Frosty19]

I don't know if there is mesh screen, it's more of a cap - I attached a couple pics.

its not the intake portion that is frozen, it's the exhaust so I can't override that haha

 

[Frosty19]

I don't have high hopes this won't happen again before the end of the week once it's cleared....

 

[Caper11]

Are you sure that’s plugged, looks like there is a cap on it, and it will still vent.
Furnaces also have a pressure switch on the vent.

 

[Frosty19]

Well if I pull the vent stack off at the furnace it runs? I don't know a lot about this kind of stuff so it theres something else to check all for it

 

[Frosty19]

I thought maybe the intake is at the bottom of the cap and the exhaust runs up the middle through the top

 

[Caper11]

That’s rather interesting, normally there are two pipes run outside, for intake and exhaust and they are full diameter.

 

[Flapjack]

Maybe it's not as bad as it seems because it's common and I've never heard anything concerning. ?

 

[TROLLCAT]

I have a cone thingy to, intake is under cone cap and exhaust is through the middle I have had inside pipe come loose and cause a interaction of intake and exhaust

which has cause a shut down

me thinks the ice has dislodged inside pipe to cause this

need to make sure all the pieces are fitting together

 

[Frosty19]

As far as I know it's a inner outer concentric pipe set up. I'm sure a humid warm air pipe exiting inside a pipe of cold air is the reason this happens and through a tall attic makes it worse
Someone is coming by in the next few hours to thaw it and take a look at it. I would much prefer two separate pipes away from each other and not through the roof but not really an option at this point so hoping there's something else

 

[ABMax24]

Adjusting the blower may help, slowing the blower down would raise exhaust temps, speeding it up would cool them and possibly allow more moisture to drop out in the furnace. There should be 4 taps in the motor for different speeds, consult the manual though as not all furnaces can run at all speeds, if you slow down the fan too much the furnace could overheat.

Otherwise the best might be to move it out the wall.

 

[Caper11]

I have a cone thingy to, intake is under cone cap and exhaust is through the middle I have had inside pipe come loose and cause a interaction of intake and exhaust

which has cause a shut down

me thinks the ice has dislodged inside pipe to cause this

need to make sure all the pieces are fitting together

Is that design common for vertical installs???