A homeowner who turned on the heat discovered what appeared to be a loose furnace exhaust connection after AC work, prompting users to warn them not to use the system until it was fixed.
Here's what to know
In a Reddit thread, the homeowner explained that they went downstairs to check the thermostat and spotted an exhaust pipe that barely lined up with the furnace connection. They said the furnace had been installed "at the end of winter last year right after the blizzard," that the installer came back to add AC, and that the pipe was "not sealed with any PVC cement."
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Replies treated the setup as dangerous. One user said, "This can't be run till it's fixed. This could kill you if that's the flue and not the fresh air," while another said the work was "obviously never completed" after the evaporator coil install.
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Although the OP said the pipe seemed to have just enough length to fit into both ends and wondered if they should glue it themselves, multiple users urged them not to try to fix it on their own and instead to call the installer back.
More background
The discussion suggested the problem likely happened during the AC visit rather than during the original emergency furnace replacement. One user said it looked like the installer "cut the pipes in order to move it out of the way to install the evaporator coil" and then failed to reattach them properly.
The shared photos also drew attention to the visible purple PVC primer on the unit. One user said, "The amount of primer on that furnace is insane."
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The OP said they only noticed the issue because they went downstairs to "poke around" while figuring out the thermostat settings.
What can be done?
Most users advised the homeowner to stop using the furnace and have the installer deal with it. "Call their boss. Make him come out," one user said, while another said it was "best to have a pro handle it from a liability standpoint."
After sending photos and text messages about the venting problem, the homeowner said the installer returned. In an update, the OP said, "Guy came to fix first thing in the morning. He called me to let me know he was going to do so way before first thing in the morning..."
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Where can I learn more?
Other HVAC stories show how a minor service issue can spiral into a safety scare or a costly decision. They cover furnace vent concerns, disputed repair quotes, and replacement tradeoffs.
• A homeowner feared carbon monoxide after a gas smell near a new furnace; readings hit 180 ppm.
• After routine service, a homeowner said basic AC maintenance turned into a suspicious $20,000 quote.
• In Ohio, a furnace breakdown pushed one homeowner into weighing gas and electric options.
• Homeowners replacing aging systems often end up choosing between heat pumps and furnaces.
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