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I am building a new home and the HVAC provider/contractor has proposed a single, shared system to heat/cool both my main living and garage areas. Proposed solution has separate returns, thermostats and duct/damper controllers for each area, although nothing would prevent both areas being engaged at same time. Is this allowed, code-wise?

Home is in Texas, USA.

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    What does the code say?
    – Solar Mike
    Commented Jun 20, 2023 at 6:35
  • 3
    mixing garage air with air going into the living areas seems risky,
    – Jasen
    Commented Jun 20, 2023 at 8:37
  • 2
    Ignoring the code issues, ever change the oil in your garage? Do you really want that smell blown through the entire house?
    – negacao
    Commented Jun 20, 2023 at 9:00
  • 2
    I cannot believe any HVAC contractor would suggest the possibility of garage and home air being mixed. There are multiple reasons not to.
    – RMDman
    Commented Jun 20, 2023 at 12:10
  • Allowed - probably. Smart - I don't think so. Then again, in this day and age, I'd be thinking (good) mini-splits for the whole shebang unless I was going to go ground-source for the heat pumps, and either makes having a head in the garage that does not move air to the house super-easy. And smart by my thinking.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Jun 20, 2023 at 13:51

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Certainly IRC includes section M1601.6 titled "Independent Garage HVAC Systems" which states that

Furnaces and air-handling systems that supply air to living spaces shall not supply air to or return air from a garage.

https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2018/chapter-16-duct-systems

According to https://up.codes/viewer/texas/irc-2015/chapter/16/duct-systems#16

That IS applicable/adopted without amendment (and the 2015 .vs. 2018 code language is unchanged) in Texas, so I'd find another HVAC contractor, pronto, personally. If they don't know the code in the state they operate in, what else are they screwing up?

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