u/Training_Arm_5610

We have a room in which our gas furnace and one water heater reside. The room has a louvered door.

The furnace is being replaced to a high efficiency unit with outside air plumbed to the furnace for combustion. The room is being insulated for noise suppression

I want to replace the louvered door with a solid door but the water heater requires combustion air. Are there options for replacement water heaters that use outside combustion air or is the only option to go electric?

And if so can these be exhausted through a traditional water heater flue?

I ve been riding fixed for years but no social

media per se until Reddit. So a bit behind on the news.

What are straps and how do they compare to other forms of retention. Toe clips, cages, clipless?

Are they useful or fashion? Are they bought as an add-on to pedals or integrated in a particular pedal? Etc...

For perspective I ( 68 M) ride on the road in an old carbon bike with clipless, open pedal on my MTB and on my fixie ( old lugged diy Bianchi ) that is crushed limestone trail exclusive I use the toe clips. The toe clips are less than ideal but on the trail the clipless scares me plus dedicated shoes are not the vibe on this bike.

These days the road and MTB bikes are collecting dust.

Posted this in r/hvac advice but the more the merrier

So I am installing a 96% efficient furnace to replace a much older one. The old furnace direct vents exhaust to the outside ( PVC) on a side wall . Furnace is located in a small room in the middle of the house and everything is fully finished beyond that room. Combustion air is from the inside of the house. So rather noisy. Customer wants quiet so we suggested insulating the room with rockwool but the louvered door leading to the furnace room has to go and for that to happen we must draw combustion air from the outside.

1. I can pull the intake air from a wall 90 degree from the exhaust wall . diagonally 17 feet away from the exhaust pipe. that's easiest

2. I can pull the intake air and terminate the vent on the same wall as the exhaust pipe wall . the intake vent will exit 4 feet away from the exhaust on the same plane. Overall pipe length within limits. Harder but feasible

3. I may be able to move the exhaust pipe and put both intake and exhaust vent on top of each other and have them on the same side wall one on top of the other. the pipes would theoretically have to be inserted 5 ft at a time and glued as they are shoved in the cavity. They would exit on top of each other 8 inches apart. Much harder and I wont know if feasible until I try it. plus the condensate from the exhaust gets sucked into the intake. If this is followed I would put a long sweep 90 and move the intake air vent sideways.

Concentric vents of any kind impossible unless the rooms ar destroyed and rebuilt which is out of the question for the customer. 2 pipes next to each other is even harder and requires more destruction than anyone with his right mind would do.

Manufacturer in direct vent install manuals has max distance between the vents exiting at 12 inches

I worry 1 would cause pressure differential switch to trigger. I like 2. the best because I know it to be feasible.

Fujistsu Furnace. 120 K btu FF---TT96 series

Thoughts?

So I am installing a 96% efficient furnace to replace a much older one. The old furnace direct vents exhaust to the outside ( PVC) on a side wall . Furnace is located in a small room in the middle of the house and everything is fully finished beyond that room. Combustion air is from the inside of the house. So rather noisy. Customer wants quiet so we suggested insulating the room with rockwool but the louvered door leading to the furnace room has to go and for that to happen we must draw combustion air from the outside.

1. I can pull the intake air from a wall 90 degree from the exhaust wall . diagonally 17 feet away from the exhaust pipe. that's easiest

2. I can pull the intake air and terminate the vent on the same wall as the exhaust pipe wall . the intake vent will exit 4 feet away from the exhaust on the same plane. Overall pipe length within limits. Harder but feasible

3. I may be able to move the exhaust pipe and put both intake and exhaust vent on top of each other and have them on the same side wall one on top of the other. the pipes would theoretically have to be inserted 5 ft at a time and glued as they are shoved in the cavity. They would exit on top of each other 8 inches apart. Much harder and I wont know if feasible until I try it. plus the condensate from the exhaust gets sucked into the intake. If this is followed I would put a long sweep 90 and move the intake air vent sideways.

Concentric vents of any kind impossible unless the rooms ar destroyed and rebuilt which is out of the question for the customer. 2 pipes next to each other is even harder and requires more destruction than anyone with his right mind would do.

Manufacturer in direct vent install manuals has max distance between the vents exiting at 12 inches

I worry 1 would cause pressure differential switch to trigger. I like 2. the best because I know it to be feasible.

Fujistsu Furnace. 120 K btu FF---TT96 series

Thoughts?

So I want to build my next fixie with a disc brake upfront. Don't care about brake in the rear and wait for it.. I want an electric motor on that front wheel.

Before you folks burn me at the stake here is my reasoning. I ve transitionned to fixed gear 15 years ago after years of cyclo cross. I ride fixie exclusively now on gravel trails. Typically 30 miles a day ( 15 out 15 in). I'd like to go further out but I worry I wont be able to get back so the thought is flip the hub and cruise back. I'm 68 and healthy. Sorta.

For perspective I now ride a Bianchi frame home built no brakes, w 23 mm tires. would probably go to 28 or 32 in the build. the surface is typically crushed limestone hard packed. a bit soft when the snow melts.

Thinking of using a Swytch system because it is lightweight.

Comments?

So I have a few geared bikes that I bought new throughout the years that were not entry level at the time and it's time for a new one. My last bike is a Specialized TriCross Xpert .

But here is the thing 15 years ago I discovered riding fixed gears and subsequently gravel and that's all I do. I destroyed my first fixie. Too many welds. And now I m riding a Bianchi frame  based bike that's been holding up so far.

For perspective I m 68 and healthy and price a non issue. I m also mechanically highly qualified and own a full fledged machine shop.

My question is what to buy and where or what to build. The surface I ride is hard packed limestone ( Katy trail) . I ride year round 25 to 100 degrees regardless of weather. 

Cro moly steel frame or titanium? Is carbon an option?. Hydraulic or mechanical disc brakes, Thinking of an electric motor on the front wheel for emergency return to base sort of thing.

Thoughts?