Looking at the wall between the garage and the living room, what would it take to clear it and relocate all the utilities?
The slab in the garage is 10"-11" below the finished floor height in the house. The crawlspace is likely 18"-24" tall.
DUCTS
- Warm air duct currently goes into the crawlspace from the bottom of the furnace through the slab and elbow'ing into the crawlspace; Mike is guessing that at least 3 ducts go in there: a 14", a 10" and an 8"
- A 10" return air duct from west end of house currently enter the garage through the slab, most likely coming out from the crawlspace.
- Return air from LR goes directly into the furnace; Mike was recommending a larger register, 14"x 24" (or even 30")
GAS:
- Gas source is run along the ceiling of the garage. On the south wall at the ceiling it angles down and briefly goes behind the drywall, to emerge some 3' above the floor. There it T's off, one side going to the WH and furnace, the other side going a couple of feet east before L'ing into the wall and crawlspace to go to the kitchen.
WATER:
- the incoming water pipe surfaces outside at the south east corner of the garage and enters through the wall some 18-24" above floor; L's into the south wall. Runs inside the wall to the water heater and faucets. Somewhere it T's off a branch that goes through the crawlspace the kitchen and baths. Hot water enters the wall and continues down into the crawlspace - to go to kitchen and baths.
DRAINAGE:
- one laundry standpipe (3' above floor), one drain connections (1' above floor), and one clean out (a floor level) decorates the wall.
New installations:
- we need to relocate the return air duct away from the living room.
- perhaps time to rethink the water entry - take it away from the corner. BTW, it looks like a vacuum thingie on the line is leaking.
- drain needs to be redirected to the new laundry room. Perhaps the easiest thing would be to abandon the old drain (it is the one that most frequently gets stoppage), and instead make a new line directly into the sewer line on the east side of the house
