Home furnace

[cfossum]

I need a new oil fired warm air furnace. If anyone has gone through this recently, do you have a good or bad experience to share regarding brand name quality, efficiency, or contractors?
-Carl

[jadams]

I replaced mine a couple of years ago. Unit I purchased was named ThermoPride (I think). It has been a good unit for us, no complaints about it. It has been much better than my old unit in every way. It cut my oil usage by approx 40% over my previous unit. The whole thing inclusive of the installation costs, and disposal of the old furnace ran about $2500-$2700 if I remember correctly.

[khissong]

Hey Carl,

Craig Herrick and/or Barry Gammon should be able to field that one. I'll see if I can get them to chime in.

[cfossum]

A 40% reduction in fuel consumption would be sweet!
I don't have that much hope though. My old unit typcally tested at around 80% efficiency, and the new ones claim to be around 86%. At $2.00/gallon, that alone should save about $0.12 per operating hour, which could amount to saving a buck or two per day. Savings go up with higher fuel costs. I'll take it!
But combined with a new AC evaporator, I can't imagine making out as well as Joel did from a cost perspective.

Are Craig and Barry in the business?

[Mark Swinehart]

Heat the garage and get Wendy a blanket!

[craigh156]

Hi Carl, I have had good luck with Thermopride oil fired furnace they are a bit pricey and have a fire brick chamber which makes for a long life of the unit but takes more energy to get it to temperature. I have been selling the Carrier or Bryant low boy warm air oil furnace for about 8 years now and have had great success. But there are a few variables that need to be looked at. 1) It only comes in a rear flue model. 2)do you have a/c,if so the unit needs to have a direct drive blower and able to deliver the CFM required to match the tonage of the a/c unt (400 cfm per ton). 2) what brand of oil burner "ie" Carlin, Beckette, Riello. I would also replace the the supplied air filter with a pleated one that is at least a MERV 8 rated. Most all warm air low boy or high boy furnaces are rated at a fuel efficiency of 83 to 86%. To recieve an energy star rating they must be rated at 85%, there are some rebates available for energy star rated upgrades, I am not sure about your state. I've been in the HVAC/R business 40 years.
If you have a gas fired furnace then there are a whole different set parameters, let me know if I can help. Craig H

[cfossum]

My current unit is a Williamson from 1971. It has a fire brick combustion chamber and has performed well. I had to restack the bricks a few years ago when the burner failed and shook the stack apart. Now the heat exchanger has a few holes in it. That explains the morning headaches...
I'm interested in the thermopride, especially if both you and Joel are saying they're good. I want good efficiency. I could fit a lowboy, there is plenty of room. Rear flu is fine. I currently have a 5 ton AC unit, although I think 4 would do it. I don't really care what brand of burner it has. Connecticut offers a rebate, but we don't qualifiy.
Craig, do you install or ship to CT?
-Carl
Oh, and Mark, I am Wendy's blanket.

[craigh156]

THE THERMOPRIDE IS A GOOD CHOICE THEY HAVE A GOOD WARRENTY ON THE HEAT EXCHANGER AS WELL AS THE OTHER COMPONENTS. YOU WILL NEED TO ORDER THE FURNACE WITH A DIRECT DRIVE BLOWER MOTOR UP GRADED TO A 3/4HP- 2000 CFM, IF YOU ARE STILL GOING TO USE YOUR 5-TON A/C SYSTEM. IF YOU ARE GOING TO CHANGE THE INDOOR EVAPORATOR COIL ONLY, YOU NEED TO STAY WITH A 5-TON COIL, THE OUTDOOR CONDENSER COULD BE CHAGED TO A 4-TON AND YOU COULD LEAVE THE 5-TON INDOOR COIL AS IS (THE LARGER COIL WITH A SMALLER CONDENSER MAKES FOR BETTER DEHUMIDIFICATION). THE FURNACE CAN ONLY BE PURCHASED THROUGH A DEALER THEY ARE NOT SOLD THROUGH A WHOLESALER. I COULD POSSIBLE HELP YOU PURCHASE IT AT MY COST, BUT YOU WOULD NEED SOMEONE TO INSTALL IT. HOPE THIS HELPS. CRAIG H.

[cfossum]

Thanks Craig,
That's exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I may attempt the installation myself if I can rely on some of my co-workers. I can hear the jokes now... How many engineers does it take to install a furnace?
I'll call you soon to see if you truly want to run the sale through your company.
-Carl

[StephanAlfa]

I am not an engineer so I won't tell you joke. But perphaps and additional piece of info on whether or not you will part with the oil tank.
A friend of mine acutally used to old oil tank and rigged something to burn wood (he has tons of access to wood) and heats his house, water, etc. mostly on that . This is an additional savings to installing a new furnace.
Let me know if you need info on that as a back up system.
Bonne chance mon ami!

[chaos4NH]

I am not an engineer so I won't tell you joke. But perphaps and additional piece of info on whether or not you will part with the oil tank.
A friend of mine acutally used to old oil tank and rigged something to burn wood (he has tons of access to wood) and heats his house, water, etc. mostly on that . This is an additional savings to installing a new furnace.
Let me know if you need info on that as a back up system.
Bonne chance mon ami!

Ya, Stephan, a salesman tried to get me to buy one of those cowhide teepees with a central fire place.

[CP]

Tax credits will be available under the new administration's stimulus package for the installation of "energy efficient" furnaces. Might be worth looking into Carl.

[horizenjob]

Consider parking a VW Diesel in the basement. Then you can drive it in the summer. Very economical.

You used to be able to get a "furnace" that was a diesel generator, It was economical considering the waste heat heated your house...

[cfossum]

Generating electricity while developing heat makes a an awful lot of sense to me. Why not get some work out of the oil as you burn it, instead of just burning it? A furnace I'd be considering burns about a gallon an hour. A VW diesel running at 1800 rpm might burn about the same. You're onto something there!
-Carl