mobile home code for furnace

[joedirt63]

ok, trying to do serval things at once this summer, new roof with decking and windows and new furnace and ducts. questions are, i want to use a upflow type hot air design and ceiling ducts, running ducts not a prob. the roof will be open for work, is there any mobile home rated upflow furnaces, for this ap. and can any one give me a general idea on what is code for a mobile home furnce, or rateing. i know thats very general and diffrent townships have their own building codes, i'm try to get the research done first,and i'm sure that there will be things i have to change and can't do ,but the ceiling ducts would be very nice. no critters crawling in the floor, or odors from the vents cause the kid spilled some thing down it.and floor vents are better dirt collectors than a vacume.. thanks

[Robert]

Yes, there are mobile home rated upflow furnaces. Do I recommend them,,,,,,,,no.


Area will be open doing roof, etc. and installing ducts will not be problem. What about when you have need to repair or inspect ducts due to a problem ? Rodents/critters (mice) will/do get into attic cavity also.

All ducts will at some point need some attention, repair, cleaning, etc... .

Placing them where they cannot be easily inspected is not good.

Next is winter when heat is needed and hot air flows up.

You will lose air from ducts to roof and outside instead of floor and home. You will also have a warmer ceiling area than a floor area in home.

Cooler in summer and colder in winter.

You also have little room (or roof trusses for weight) in which to have a trunk line for register takeoffs and branches.


Been at this a long time and mobile homes and ceiling registers never have meshed very well.

As for ratings, either it is rated for mobile home or it is not. I would go by HUD code and local codes and check with insurance IF trying to go non mobile home rated.


Just some food for thought.


Thanks,
Robert

[joedirt63]

thanks for that info , thats why i like this site ,you tell it like it is, now i can tell her no can't do it,and this is why. lol. but i am going to replace the floor ducts and vents, and fing a furnace newer model of what i have. thanks again

[Robert]

Hi,

IF replacing trunkline(s), I would go in and insulate water pipes and seal belly tight afterwords to protect pipes from freezing.


Then run new trunkline under the home same as conventional home and actually go with conventional home duct work.


That will solve a lot of mh hvac problems by having REAL ducts.


THEN, I would consider a packaged unit outside with everything in one unit.

That way you can have conventional home systems all the way around.


Get a good and reputable hvac contractor with mh experience and get some quotes and consults, etc. .


Just some food for thought.


Thanks,
Robert

[joedirt63]

my thoughts are very hungry thanks lol, i wrapped the water lines and sealed underbelly last years in searching for air leaks in the trunk, also i created acess panels in the underbelly with ply wood at certain areas. i was thinking of using insulated flex duct to replace ducting and new floor vents, routing is easy straight line to either end , bedrooms on either end are always cold, so i thought of putting in 2 vents in both rooms ,on the perimiter of the rooms,right now there is one and it is right in the pathway of the door, seems like all the vents are in the walk way of each room, tired of replaceing grills because they get stepped on. i wish the walls were deep enough i could go vertical enough just to put a duct just a few inches from floor level, i hate the set up i have now. as far as a out side package thing , i'm not sure what that is . are park owner is funny when it comes to doing thinks on the out side of our homes, took me 2 years just to get permission to plant a garden and put a deck out the back. if you know what i mean. i just want a good heating system befor next winter.got window units for a/c and 2 ,6,000 btu units cool the place down pretty well.

[Robert]

Package Unit is everything all in one outside unit, heat, ac and all components. You have two ducts, a return and a supply to the home.


Supply connects to your trunk now and you put in the return in the home.


May not be feasible in a park though.


Flex ducts are easily torn, ripped, collapsible, kinked, etc... . They are cheaper though and easier to install.



Thanks,
Robert