Furnace in unheated barn/house building?

[cc-rider]

Hi all!

I'm still seriously considering building a barn to live in and using a quarter for a small home. To all my city friends, I'm calling it "my studio".... doesn't sound so 'hick-y' to them!!

Anyway.... since the actual living area is so small, and I still want all the normal "mechanicals", i.e, furnace, hot water heater, well pump, a/c unit (maybe I'm dreaming on that one), can these things be put in a room that is still IN the barn, right next to the "house", but not heated?

Would the normal processes of running the water heater, furnace, etc., keep them from freezing? I'm in NW Ohio..... where it gets mighty cold for a LONG time in the winter.

My other option was to dig a basement just under the "house" part of the barn and put everything in there.

Thanks!
Chris

[frazzlehead]

I'd call up your local building inspector and ask them. It'll really come down to what the code allows.

I like the basement idea, myself - kinda nice to have those things out of the way and not taking up your living space.

[rambler]

A room with water stuff in it needs to be heated, of course. What type of furnace are you looking at, LP fired hot air furnace, put a register in your ducting out of the room, very simple.

You really would need a 'utilities' room, like would be in any house. Funace, pumps, water heater, washer/dryer, etc. Be sure to run all water lines on interior, not exterior walls, and you don't need to heat it much - less effort to insulate if it is a seperate bubble of a room, but you need heat available. I guess I would consider this just another room of the 'house' portion, but if you want to consider it an extra room in the shed - whatever. You could make it a mud-entry room as well perhaps, store boots & such there.

--->Paul

[cc-rider]

That's probably a good idea.... use it as a mudroom or something. And I could just not heat it as much as the rest of the house....just enough to keep it from freezing. I would think, if it were well insulated, that the LP furnace pilot and water heater, etc., would generate a good bit of heat, but maybe not.

I still think that I'll have it separate from the house. Maybe use it as a pantry, too, since it will be cooler.

[mtman]

keep your water pipes away from drafts that freezes water faster then low temps.and they sell insulation for pipes its a foam comes in 6 foot lenghts

[rambler]

Originally Posted by cc-rider

I would think, if it were well insulated, that the LP furnace pilot and water heater, etc., would generate a good bit of heat, but maybe not.

Yes. But. These pilot lights need fresh air to burn, so they will be forcing cold air into your room. Depends on what type & how efficient these things are, how they supply fresh air for the fires - either their own pipe in (better for efficiency) or simply create a vacumn & suck air in from the cracks of the room. If the fresh cool air happens to move along a water pipe..........

--->Paul

[Alex]

Safest is to create an EXTERIOR-access mechanical equipment room, for gas-fired appliances, which need combustion and relief air, and if within a house, bring in cold air -- as mentioned. However, more importantly, exhaust fans, and even air-flows paths to upper floors or upper-level spaces can cause space DEPRESSURIZATION. This is when products of combustion, like CO, can be sucked down the flue and into the occupied space -- very bad.

THERE ARE MANY RECORDED DEATHS due to residential building depressurizations -- very sad! You do not need sickness or death due to improper placement of unattended heating or water heating appliances.

Please consider creating a proper exterior-access, fully sealed between the house or living space and the equipment room -- access could be in the barn space -- but exterior is better. It is important to follow the Building and Mechanical Codes exactly.

I know, I know, a lot of us have gas-fired appliances within our living spaces, basement, etc, still there have been problems, especially in well-sealed new construction. Best is to keep gas-fired appliances in a room with outside access -- if you are starting from scratch.

Be Safe,

Alex