Question
Hello:
My 1974 Sears Custom II Central air compressor burned
out and I’m going to get a new system. I’ll make sure it’s a
12-14 SEER 1.5 or 2 ton system, with the matching cooling coil
and tubing replaced. My top priority is quality of install, of
course, and brand next. My house is 1 1/2 story, 1518 square
feet located in St. Paul, MN. I’ve had a number of contractors
over, have ruled out the ones who don’t take enough interest
in investigating the house, and especially the ones who only
want to sell me a compressor. At this point, I’ve narrowed it
down considerably and am waiting for the quotes to come in.

Here’s the main question: One reputable company took one look
at my 1974 Sears Series 600 belt driven forced air gas furnace
and said they wouldn’t sell me anything as long as I had that
furnace. They said no reputable company would,
saying the furnace was so inefficient it’s O.K. with hot air,
but wouldn’t push the cold, so it wouldn’t be worth it.
Now, I know it’s old and inefficient, but it heats the house
just fine in the winter and it cooled the house acceptably
before the AC burned out, even with the old compressor. The
only problem was the common issue of the second floor not
getting cool enough. He didn’t turn the furnace on or check it
out personally; he was going by the vintage of the model,
which is fine. I don’t doubt he’s seen many of them.

However, no other company made mention of the furnace being a
reason not to replace the AC. In fact, no other company -
several that have very good reputations – even so much as
commented on the furnace other than explaining where the coil
would go.

Is there any reason not to replace the central air now and
replace the furnace later, even though I accept that the
furnace won’t make as much use of the new central air as a new
one would? I was ready to spend for the central air and won’t
have the money for a full central air/furnace replacement for
a while.
Are there any drawbacks to replacing the furnace at a later
date? e.g. is it a big deal for the new coil to be rotated to
fit the new furnace (the Sears is a rear return), will the
compressor need to be recharged etc? Should I be concerned if
my existing ductwork will even accomodate a more powerful
blower?

I know everyone wants to make a sale, but should I believe
that all the other companies I’ve talked with just want the
sale and don’t care about the furnace, or is this a company
that is simply more attentive than the others to making sure
the performance of the central air system is not compromised
by additional factors.
I have a window unit for the upstairs that takes care of the
upstairs summer issue for now, so cooling the upstairs is less
of an issue.

I’m aware that a new furnace would be more efficient than what
I have, but it’s all the balance between up front costs and
recouping savings.
I expect to be in this house for 5-7 more years only.
I’m leaning toward replacing the central air, keeping the
furnace and, if at all, replacing the furnace in a couple of
years. Is this a good idea? What questions should I be asking
that I’m not?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Answers
Replace the entire system at the same time….and stay as far away from
Sears as you can!!
If you wouldn’t buy a new car and tell them to use the transmission out of
the old car because its still good, then don’t buy a new air conditioning
system without replacing the furnace too.

the new furnace will not only cut your heating bills but also your cooling
bills. You will NOT get 12 – 14 SEER out of a new A/C unless you replace the
furnace too!!

with a new furnace alone, my customers have seen reductions in their heating
bills of as much as 65% and cooling bills as much as 30%…..imagin what the
savings will be with the entire system being replaced

Another thought is with the price of gas having doubled and tripled, you
need to go with the most efficient furnace you can afford. Again my own
customers have had reductions in their gas bills from $500 down to less than
$200 in a month The payback is very rapid.

Associated Sears Furnace And Central Air Question: My Central air doesn’t cool off my 2nd floor bedroom. Home is a Bugalow type?
Had Sears install a new furnace and Central Air unit 3 years ago and we’ve never been satisfied with the “cooling down”, especially in our upstairs, which is basically all of our bedroom. The home is 1500 sq.ft.. The heat is no issue. Just the central air.

• Answer:ya we had the same problem in our condo. all the bedrooms were upstairs and we had a unit FACING the sun. so it would get well past the 90’s in our upstairs. The air would never be cool enough up there since heat rises. perhaps check the placement of your vents (we eneded up putting a few on the floors of each bedroom), maybe invest in placing vents on the floors (its cooler the lower they are). we would also turn the AC on early in the morning before we left for work, so it would start with a cool house to keep at a consitant temp. instead of turning it on when u get home and having to cool it down from 90 degrees. if all that fails…perhaps think about putting swamp coolers or in wall a/c’s JUST in the bedrooms. fairly simple to cut a whole in the wall and create a seal. hope any of this helps, good luck

Associated Sears Furnace And Central Air Question: My central air conditioning unit has stopped working?
My central air conditioning unit has stopped working. The furnace is blowing regular air. The fan is not turning. I have checked the circuit breaker and it’s fine. I turned off power and turned it back on. I called Sears for service they said it would be $93 to send someone out!!! The AC and furnace is 2 years old and it has 1 year for labor and 5 years on parts. It is a Kenmore NAC018AKC3

• Answer:Unless you feel very comfortable working around 230 volts, have Sears come out and inspect the unit. It is off for a reason, not just a fuse blown. The technician will determine why it is not working, and correct the fault. It will probably cost you a couple hundred when all is done, but you will be cool and confident the machine is operating properly. If the tech finds that a simple reset tripped, make him determine why and what can be done so that it doesn’t happen again.

Associated Sears Furnace And Central Air Question: any ideas on central air?
i’m considering central air for my apprx. 2000 square ft. two level home. i have a forced hot air, natural gas furnace. i will be paying for someone to install it and the unit itself. i’m considering sears as an option. any comments regarding size, do it yourself, cost and brand names are appreciated.

• Answer:if you have sears do it they will do the heat/cool calculations and size the unit for you…but you will find out this normally equals one ton to every 750 sq ft. unless you have a lot of windows and glass doors facing southwest…then it will drop to 700 sq ft per ton…a three ton unit should do a very good job of cooling your home..you cant do it yourself because of EPA regulations regarding freon

Associated Sears Furnace And Central Air Question: Central Air: Replace or Tune-up? Whole House Fan?
The last 3 years I’ve been dealing with $400-500 PG&E bills in the summertime, it gets 100+ and stays there for weeks at a time in my sunny Cal. town. I am installing dual pane argon filled windows ($ 6,000) next month, which I’m told will help a lot, but I’m torn on what to do with the AC system. It’s a Sears compressor and Rheem furnace from 1987, everything works fine and I’ve been quoted $5,000 to replace everything. I’m thinking a tune up might be the answer, but I’m not sure what all that entails. Hopefully I could do some of the work myself, if it’s worth it. I’ve also heard good things about whole house fans, any comments from people with them?

• Answer:call a qualified hvac contractor. have them give you a quote on replacing the hvac system (furnace & AC) make sure they perform a heat loss calculation (not just a rule of thumb guess demand to see a manual J or similar heat load for the house) from this they can properly size the system you need. they can give you an esitmated energy usage from this calculation also (its real easy math and most of the software has a function built into it for equipment comparison) make sure to shop around (with qualified contractors of course) I recommend Carrier equipment, but i am kinda single minded as that is our main line of equipment at the company i work for hope this helps

Associated Sears Furnace And Central Air Question: How much should home air conditioning installation cost (in CA)?
I live in southern CA and want to install central air conditioning in a 1,650 sq ft single story home. I got a quote from Home Depot for about $11,500 and a similar amount from Sears. Is this about right? Home Depot quote was for furnace & A/C. They said that they had to replace the old furnace because both furnace & A/C unit had to be same brand. A/C unit is Trane model, 4 ton, 14 SEER & furnace is 95%. This price includes new industrial grade ducts, 10 yr parts & labor warranty, and all other material & labor costs. I got another quote from a small contractor for about $5,000. 3 ton, 13 SEER, 85% (basically lesser quality units). This was to use the existing ducts. Why the huge price difference? Is there that much of a difference between the 3 ton & 4 ton for 1,650 sq ft? What about the 13 SEER & 14 SEER & the 95% vs 85% on the furnace? They said the 3 ton would be turning on & off a lot more. Does this mean that it would just cost maybe $10 more a month to run? Would the 13 SEER vs 14 SEER be about $5 more a month?

• Answer:The duct work is a big part of the price and sounds like they are all in line with fair pricing. As far as the sizing and efficiency difference your local contractors that are quoting you the prices should be able to tell you the savings and what size equipment you need. Homes of the same square footage are not created equally, the size needed will depend on the R values of the home, window size and type and other factors. If you can I would get more estimates so you have better comparisons. Here where I live in northern Minnesota it’s less important for a higher efficient air conditioner than for a higher efficient furnace. Here you might save $20 a year going from a 13 SEER to a 14 SEER a/c but save $200 a year from a 85% to 95%.

Question
Anybody know the ballpark outlet temp for a gas furnace vs an
equivalent electric furnace?

Answers
If I recall correctly they are about 120 (I used to have one). Which
is about the same as my heat-pump plus resistive heat.
The heat-pump, low speed, is someplace in then 90’s

Associated Heat Pump Furnace Question: What is cheaper to run …a heat pump furnace or 2 electric space heaters?
I have a 980 sq foot mobile home. It has a electric furnace with a heat pump, but I can heat it with 2 space heaters. Which would use less electric?

• Answer:Electric Spac3 heater’s cost a fortune–my advice is throw them in the garbage. Been their done that. Please don’t use the space heater’s plus, their dangerous as well. Thanks, Victorianlady359

Associated Heat Pump Furnace Question:looking to replace my oil furnace with a new oil furnace and heat pump. Suggestions?
I live in Seattle, WA and have a very old Oil furnace. Trying to make the house more energy efficient by using an oil furnace/heat pump combo. Does anyone have product information and can someone suggest the appropriate unit sizes for house square footage? Thank you! Oh and we can’t afford to swap out to Natural Gas as we would have to overhaul our entire house and live far from the gas line on our street.

• Answer:Make sure a Manual J load calculation is performed. Don’t accept a Rule-of-Dumb sizing procedure. Also, have them check your ductwork to make sure it is sized properly and sealed to prevent air leaks. To set the unit up properly to save you the most money on operation, your contractor will also need to calculate your thermal and economic balance points. There will be an outdoor temperature sensor that will send a signal to turn off the heat pump and start the oil furnace. This also shouldn’t be set at a random number “because it works ok”. I’m sure you’re doing this to save money during the winter on your heating bill. Have them show you their calculation and graphs to prove they know where to set the outdoor thermostat. Heating oil contains more btus than propane. In my area, fuel oil is $3.23/gallon, Propane is $2.60/gallon, and electric with all taxes and misc bull charges comes in at $.10/kwh Calculations for an 80% efficient furnace and a Heat Pump with a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 3.88 would be: Heat Oil: (1,000,000/138,000) x $3.23 / .80 = $29.26 Propane: (1,000,000/91,600) x $2.60 / .80 = $35.48 Heat Pump: (1,000,000/3413) x $0.10 / 3.88 = $7.55 (47 degrees outside temp) Heat Pump: (1,000,000/3413) x $0.10 / 2.73 = $10.73 (17 degrees outside temp) You can see by these calculations what it would cost to supply 1,000,000 btus for each piece of equipment. One thing to remember is as the outside temerature drops, the COP of the heat pump drops as well. So, as it gets colder, it becomes more efficient to switch to your oil furnace. Another consideration is that the outside temperature will get to a point where the heat pump can no longer heat your house enough to keep you comfortable and this might occur before you reach the point where the Oil furnace costs less dollar-wise to operate. Get a heat pump with the highest COP that you can afford. Brand doesn’t matter. It all comes down to the installation. If you find a contractor that will perform all these calculations, you will save piles of cash during the winter.

Associated Heat Pump Furnace Question:How much would it cost to get a heat pump or gas furnace/central air installed with ducting?
I am buying a house that has baseboard heat. How much would it cost to have a heat pump or furnace/air unit installed including duct installation? There is a crawl space and an attic, so there is room for the ducts.

• Answer:Somewhere between 15,000 and 40,000 USD. Make sure you get a **real** contractor,not just some guy with a blank white van.

Associated Heat Pump Furnace Question:Do I have a heat pump or furnace?
Hi guys, just moved in to a new leased home. I have no idea if we have a heat pump or furnace, I just turned on the heat for the first time today. We have a natural gas water heater, and I think I heard that during the winter, the gas company saw heavy usage vs other months. I don’t here the water heater working though…. Thanks. How Can I find out, what I have? Thanks.

• Answer:Open the breaker box and see if any of the breakers are labeled as a heat pump. If it is labeled as A/C then flip if off. Now go inside and see if the heat works. Also look for a breaker in the box labeled as a furnace or heat. Otherwise set your thermostat to 90F and then look at the gas meter. If you can hear a lot of gas moving through it and see the gages moving you can bet on having gas heat. Also make sure the water heater is not running when you look at the meter.

Associated Heat Pump Furnace Question:How does a heatpump work? about how much do the cost? Which is better heat pump or furnace.?
need to buy heat pump or furnace. Would like to know which is prefered.

• Answer:Heat pumps work off the principle of heat of compression. To accomplish this, they have a reversing valve which changes the flow of freon in the system. It effectively switches the condenser (which is normally the outside portion of the A/C) with the evaporator (normally the inside portion of the A/C). This arrangement typically works fairly efficiently down to an outside temperature of around 32 deg F. If you are in a fairly warm climate, with moderate winters then a heat pump would work fine. If you live in an area with cold winters, I would definately go with the furnace, preferrably a high efficiency gas furnace.

Associated Heat Pump Furnace Question:What is the average cost to have a completely new all electric HVAC unit installed? Heat pump and Furnace.?
My home heating and cooling system is nearing the end of it’s usefulness. I currently have a 1984 model Carrier all electric Heating and Air Conditioning unit (heat pump and furnace) that needs to be replaced soon….maybe real soon! I would like to hear from some of you who have had to replace their entire system. What should I expect to pay for a new unit including the cost for installation. I know I can get contractors to come by and give me free estimates but I’d like to get some idea of the total cost before I call them. Thanks I currently have a 2.5 ton unit and will replace it with a similar system. I may go to a 3 ton unit.

• Answer:First, I do not know your specifics but if 36k BTU (2.5 ton) is enough to do the job, don’t get bigger. It’s better to run a little longer than to start and stop more frequently, from an energy usage standpoint. Next you have to adress efficiency. New standards for eficciency (seer rating) are being implemented so you choices may be limited. More eficcient units cost more, but the installation cost should be the same. The equipment will cost your contractor between one thousand and 18 hundred dollars depending on some variables. They will mark that up 20-40% and charge at least that much for a simple 1 day install. Probably somewhere around 4 thousand dollars.

Associated Heat Pump Furnace Question:I received a proposal for a new furnace and heat pump for $9200.00 is this a fair deal?
The furnace is a trane xv 95 80000BTU, heat pump is 3 ton w/coil xl16i and a honeywell IAO stat. It seems high to me.

• Answer:You are looking at top of the line equipment here. The furnace has a variable speed blower (necessary to achieve the 16 SEER for the heat pump) the heat pump is 16 SEER, way above the minimum the law requires. The IAQ thermostat is state of the art also, and high dollar. I’ll assume they are changing the copper lines also, copper is high dollar also. (you need new copper lined going from R22 to R410a) The R410A equipment is more expensive than the R22 equipment. The furnace is a 2 stage unit with dual fire levels. I have one, you’ll love it. Make sure they wire the furnace to operate the 2 stage by the thermostat, not the timer. So, top quality very high efficiency, state of the art equipment and controls. Add in labor and a 10 year parts and labor warranty (DO NOT LET THIS SLIP BY YOU) and this is a very fair price. There is cheaper stuff out there, but you get what you pay for!

Associated Heat Pump Furnace Question:Oil Furnace or Heat pump or both?
I live in north east part of Maryland. I need to replace my oil furnace. I have about 2,000 square feet. The house is a bi level. I want to ad central air. Would a heat pump by its self, be the right choice or a heat pump and furnace side by side. Or what about a just a furnace with an “A” coil? Thanks for your help

• Answer:a modern heat pump is good down to around 20 degrees outside. what you are looking for is called a “duel fuel” system….it uses the heat pump until it gets so cold outside that they become inefficient, then it switches to the oil or gas furnace. i recommend that you go with at least a 16 seer unit….get a r410a system ( r-22 systems will no longer be manufactured in a few years) the cost difference between a heat pump and a strait a/c system usually isn’t much more than $400. the duel fuel kits are another $100 at the most…..and you wont need emergency heat strips (unless you just want them) i honestly believe that you will be pleased with the money that you will save in 5 years by going duel fuel. hope this helps, possum

Associated Heat Pump Furnace Question: am buying a new furnace with heat pump for our older home. Would you buy a Lennox, Carrier, or Maytag?
Folks say the Maytag has a better warranty but Lennox and Carrier have excellent rebate programs going. The furnace will have 95% efficiency with a variable speed blower and 2-3 stages. I am also getting a heat pump installed. So which one is the better furnace, the Lennox, Carrier, or Maytag?

• Answer:i have heard about nothing but problems with lennox from HVAC repairmen

Associated Heat Pump Furnace Question:What could be causing transformer in furnace /heat pump to be burning out?
Have had the transformer replaced twice in a lennox heat pump system. Found 1 wire of 240 loose at breaker. We thought that was the problem. no such luck only lasted half a day. Any ideas or suggestions what to test.

• Answer:Something on the 24 volt side of the transformer is causing the transformer to short out. A good service technician should be able to isolate wiring and/or components to determine what is causing you to lose transformers.

Question
what do these “gas guys” look for? there must be some> fairly obvious signs when problems exist, otherwise they
would take longer to inspect (a 30yr old plant). i don’t
remember if he used a mirror 12 yrs ago). i did not.

Answers
On the older 80% furnaces you usually see a disruption in the flame pattern
when the blower starts. If you pull the burners out sometimes you can see
far enough up the heat exchanger to check it out also. Cracks usually form
slightly above the burners from the intense heat in that area. If you can
easily pull the blower out, or get into the duct right above the furnace you
can put a drop light in the heat exchanger from above or below, turn out the
lights, and use a mirror to look up into the heat exchanger from the burner
compartment and look for light. Or do the reverse, with the light, and your
head!
You say it is 40 years old?? I would say it is time to replace it, just
because!

Associated Heat Exchanger Furnace Question: What will cause gas furnace heat exchanger fail before it is life expectancy?
we are looking at a 7 year old foreclosure home, there is black soot from furnace in all the room. People suggested the house gas furnace heat exchanger might be broken, I wonder what is causing it to be broken in such a short time. Any hidden problem?

• Answer:Water dripping off the AC coil onto the heat exchanger will rot it out quickly

Associated Heat Exchanger Furnace Question:Furnace Heat Exchanger Issues With Low Air Temperature?
I have heard that there is a minimum temperature at which you should have your house in the winter to protect the heat exchanger on a high-efficiency furnace. I’ve heard stories of people going on vacation and leaving their thermostat temperature set to 45 degrees or something, and it does damage to the heat exchanger. Is this true, and if so, what is the recommended minimum temperature that I should set my thermostat to ?

• Answer:I have installed and serviced many 90+ furnaces. It clearly states in the installation book you must have a min return air temperature of no less than 60 degrees for continuous running and 55 degrees for intermittent. Also you don’t want the return air to be over 80 degrees. If the return air is too cold in a 90+ furnace the combustion air will condensate where its not suppose to, namely the unprotected first heat exchanger, and not just in the second, lined, heat exchanger. Which rots out the first heat exchanger. I would not set my stat lower than 60 just to be safe.

Associated Heat Exchanger Furnace Question:How do you inspect a heat exchanger in furnace?
My furnace guy said the heat exchanger of a unit has cracks. I also saw it; but it looked like a crack on the a little bit rusted surface, but i did not see a hole or anything like that. The guy put CO detector at the flue and the CO level shot up at 200 ppm and came back down at 25-30 ppm which I think is normal because that is what the flue is for. He said that is too high, and he says he sees usually 5ppm or low level. Potentionally, it can leak into the main airstream. But there is no CO in the air stream into our house. And then, he said I need to replace the whole unit or the heat exchanger. Is what he said reliable? The furnace is between 10 and 11 years old. Note that CO 30 ppm comes out of the flue, not from the air duct. . Our CO detector can detect as low as 10 ppm. Our co detector reads 0 all the time, except for a case where we cook for dinner. If we cook in the kitchet, it is about 10-15. After we open the windows, it comes back to 0.

• Answer:why not get a second opinion? ask friends, neighbors, and family for referrals for a furnace repair guy that they trust and use. have him check it out for you and verify whether or not it’s shot. also you could check with the Better Business Bureau on your furnace guy. it doesn’t make good business sense for him to lie to you about it though. but since most people don’t have a clue about it, it’s scary, so they do it. it is no different than a repair shop scaring a woman about a car repair that isn’t needed. myself, i have a contract with an oil company because of the service techs. i might pay a few pennies more for oil, but the service guys are why i am with this company. when you think what a heat exchanger is and how it works, it’s not something to take chances with. if it does fail on you, the results could be deadly for you and your family. one more thing, how old is your furnace? the new ones are more fuel efficient and a new one could save you more in the long run than repairing the old one. and just in case, if it’s gas fired, have the gas company check it out. good luck, and don’t wait on getting it checked out.

Associated Heat Exchanger Furnace Question:How does a Hydroscan test of a furnace heat exchanger work?
Checked online, but the first entries were for gall bladder, liver and kidney tests related to a HIDA test. Supposedly it helps find microcracks in the heat exchanger.

• Answer:Hydro scan test is water to see if there is the right moisture in the air.

Associated Heat Exchanger Furnace Question:What happens if the secondary heat exchanger of a furnace fails?
I have a Payne HE Gas Furnace (plus 90, I know about the lawsuit and settlement) and simply wonder what would happen if the secondary heat exchanger would fail? We are having a water leak from it, and I am wondering if it links to a failing secondary heat exchanger failure. Any answers?

• Answer:Yes, a leak would be considered a “failure”. Leaks don’t tend to heal themselves, in fact they tend to go the other way. If there’s been a recall, you best get in on it. Winter’s gettin’ real close.

Associated Heat Exchanger Furnace Question:Should I replace the heat exchanger on my 1996 furnace or replace it?
My gas company red-tagged my furnace due to carbon monoxide leaking, because of a failed heat exchanger. Should I get the heat exchanger replaced for $1000 (parts and labor) or just get a new furnace for about $3500? The furnace is a 1996 Tempstar 90% efficiency model.

• Answer:The heat exchanger is probably under warranty. Check with a tempstar dealer. There wouldn’t be any reason to buy a whole new furnace. You will not gain much in energy efficiency. For more info check out the furnace page at my source.

Associated Heat Exchanger Furnace Question:How can I tell if heat exchanger on my gas furnace is broken?
I have a high efficency gas furnace that runs good. But after it shuts off a little water leaks from underneath it. The pcv vent, drain and pump are fine. Does this mean my heat exchanger is broken or could there be a loose hose connection inside the furnace?

• Answer:most likely you have a loose hose. pop off the cover and take a look. there will be a drain hose from the induced draft blower and one from the secondary heat exchanger. both of these hoses will hook to a trap of some sort.. on rheem ruud and weather king itll be a round black box.. on trane and most others the trap will be rectangular and white…..what ever the brand, the trap will be hooked into a drain, or condensate removal pump. if you are in serious doubt, get a carbon monoxide detector. there cheap, and they could save your life. if you call a service man, dont act panicky…..a good service man can find a leak in a brand new unit….no lie…they all leak a little, but they suck in fresh air rather than blow out fumes unless there is a serious hole or crack. rheem imperial drum units were a peice of junk and should be deep sixed as a matter of habit. hope this helps, Possum,hvac guy

Associated Heat Exchanger Furnace Question:Where can I find a replacement heat exchanger for a 27 year old York furnace?
I can not replace the whole furnace due to limited budget and mostly attic access problems. So I need to find a heat exchanger that I can replace the cracked one with. York furnace model #P1HGD15N10001a (1980ish). Or can it be retrofitted with a newer heat exchanger. Is there a creativeway to do that? Thank you, Freezing near Detroit.

• Answer:I wouldn’t even think about replacing the heat exchanger in a 27 year old furnace. Even if you could find one for that furnace, you would still have a 27 year old furnace that is going to cause you more problems down the road. Companys do offer financing for replacement of heating and air conditioning products. No you can’t “retofit” a newer heat exchanger of a different brand or even a York brand. Sorry. Any question feel free to email me.

Associated Heat Exchanger Furnace Question::Furnace Heat Exchanger Problems…HELP!!!!?
My furnace is 10 years old and the HVAC guy said I need a new heat exchanger, how much does this usually cost and is it hard to install? Anyone know the cost of a heat exchanger installed, that is what I really want to know…thanks

• Answer:Nobody replaces heat exchangers except as warranty work. You just replace the whole unit. ————– I guess from all the thumbs down, you guys do actually replace heat exchangers. It’s a giant hassle, I’d rather replace the entire unit. I’ve only replaced 2 heat exchangers in my entire life. They were both warranty jobs and the company involved wanted to reduce costs. The right way to do it is to replace the unit, but if you guys wanna spend that kind of time on an already iffy unit, be my guest.

Associated Heat Exchanger Furnace Question::Have 1997 York package unit (combo AC + furnace). If heat exchanger is going, repair or replace unit? Brand?
Since A/C & furnace both work fine, should I repair even though 12 years old? Will new systems really be more efficient & save on bills? What to look for in package units that sit outside in KY? What are critical features to look for? What should I think if a technician from one company says time to replace, another says it does not look urgent at all to him? For future reference, what brands do technicians & customers recommend & why? Which ones to avoid & why?

• Answer:I would replace it, a new model will be more efficient and if you replace the heat exchanger, it will be only a short time later and it will be something else. If I really had to, I would only replace the exchanger if I could do it myself and not have to pay the labor charge.

Question
I’ve been thinking about removing my furnace (Duo-Therm model 90030-713)
to check the blower motor.

I’m not sure how to do it and was wondering if the video sold by D & S
Media Enterprises, “Cleaning & Servicing the RV Furnace ” would be
worthwhile. Does anyone know if it covers my particular furnace and if
it gives good removal/installation instructions?

Any other videos that anyone could recommend?
Answers
I’m not familiar with your furnace or the video; but, RV furnaces
are generally very easy to remove once you figure out that once the
furnace is installed it’s intended to slide out of the case for
service. There’s usually a screw or two outside securing the furnace to
the outside vent; but you shouldn’t need to remove the vent. Inside
you’ll probably have a wiring harness to disconnect, gas piping to
disconnect and a few screws holding the furnace in the case.
Associated Furnace Video Question:What is the fat burning furnace solution?
I was watching the video about the Fat Burning Furnace (FBF) at www.fatburningfurnace.com and it said you had to buy the package to get the diet or excercize plan but I just can’t buy it and I would like to know how to lose weight. HELP!

• Answer:The core idea behind Fat Burning Furnace is doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This isn’t a new idea, but FBF takes it to a whole new level and helps get you the most results for the minimum amount of time. The basic idea behind HIIT is to push your body to it’s limit with just a few intense reps. This breaks down your muscles, and as they rebuild themselves, they burn away a lot of calories and eat up all your fat deposits. It’s really quite effective. FBF gives you few different HIIT workouts that you can use based on your fitness level and whether or not you have access to a gym, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all workout program. The diet program helps you fuel your body and complements the exercises. It goes into a lot of detail with portion sizes and amounts and such. I’ve never really been into all that. The diet part is okay, but the real magic is in the HIIT exercises. As long as you eat a healthy diet and do the HIIT you should be fine.

Associated Furnace Video Question:Furnace hole didn’t go as planned — is this video funny?
Should I edit it to be shorter? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYNmr9xLcZk

• Answer: This Question has not been answered yet! Send us Your best furnace video Answer!

Associated Furnace Video Question:What’s the title & artist of the song in which the video shows a basement party w/ ppl banging on the furnace?

• Answer:Do you mean Get Busy by Sean Paul?

Associated Furnace Video Question:Quality experience with Goodman furnace and central air?
I am replacing my gas forced air furnace and adding central air. The furnace will be a 115,000btu, 95% efficient and the air will be 4 ton 13 SEER. My choice is between lower priced Goodman units or Trane or Lennox units at a considerably higher price. They all have the same warranty and efficiency ratings. Has anyone had experience that suggests that I should not go with the lower price product? I am doing the installation myself and Goodman offers videos and other DIY technical support that the other brands do not offer. I’ve had five quotes from contractors and they all pretty much agree on the sizing. Goodman seems to be the only brand I can buy just the equipment, all the others are sold only through contractors who want to get a large chunk of the labor. I do have a good shot of knowing what I’m doing- I’m a recently retired mechanical engineer. I just don t know the products.

• Answer:I am an HVAC Contractor and I only use Goodman. You are not comparing apples to apples. Check Goodman 13 and 14 SEER. 10 years parts and labor including the compressor. Also Goodman will allow you to extend the warranty by 5 years. If you have to repair the equipment Goodman will be the easiest to get the parts for and cost the least. Dont buy a name it is not worth it. Make sure you get the copeland scroll compressor, on 14 SEER and up.

Associated Furnace Video Question:Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a theme park based on video games!? like a Gears of War roller coaster?
In the first Gears game there was a part where you have to ride these carts and you about to go into a furnace and everything but it is soooo slow on the game so what if they made a fast roller coaster based on that one part it would be amazing. Since there is universal studios and disney land i think they need a video game amusement park

• Answer:Well, they do have a video game for the PC like Sim City, but you build roller coasters instead of a city. It’s called RollerCoaster Tycoon. You make all sorts of different coasters, and you can even have a stimilation of you “riding” it. It looks pretty cool. I’ve always wanted to pick it up, but never did.

Associated Furnace Video Question:What is the video on youtube is a cartoon and they are the last people on earth.?
They are hiding and then the aliens or zombies or something find them and they start to play music and they start to lead them into a furnace and then their banjo string breaks

• Answer:The Last Duet on Earth http://www.flightcomics.com/?p=411

Associated Furnace Video Question:HVAC: My furnace has a problem — Can you help me? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Huu7VH-7tg (50 seconds)?
My furnace makes an odd sound when it tries to light. Then it lights and there is a “Flash” and the burners go out and it tries to light again. Could it be delayed ignition? You can view it on youtube, it is about 50 seconds. The video is shot in the dark so you can HEAR it, and if you look closely you can see the “Flash” as well. I’d appreciate any insight before I call the repairman and get fleeced. Thanks! It can be found on youtube ate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Huu7VH-7tg My furnace is a 1994 Lennox Diplomat Would a furnace put in in 1994 have that problem?

• Answer: This Question has not been answered yet! Send us Your best furnace video Answer!

Associated Furnace Video Question:Does the Fat Burning Furnace work?
I havent bought it yet but i was kind of suspicious about the really long video and whether it is a hoax

• Answer: This Question has not been answered yet! Send us Your best furnace video Answer!

Associated Furnace Video Question:How long does the ride last on the East Broad Top Railroad?
In the summer, I’m planning a trip to Rock hill Furnace to see this treasure of a railroad. I’m a huge fan of steam railroading and I was just curious. I’ve seen many videos of this and during my online research I found a review that said that the ride was “disappointingly short.” If anyone can confirm or deny this statement, it will be much appreciated!

• Answer:The ride is a bit over an hour. My family used to hang out there as my Dad volunteered/worked on engines for them and the Trolley museum. (Well, 40 years ago.) I remember that the trolleys were more fun for us as we were allowed to drive them.

Associated Furnace Video Question:Energy efficient lightbulbs contain mercury. How do we safely dispose of them?
There is a news blurb on the yahoo homepage with only part of the information provided. A video link is to a BBC news broadcast raises the mercury question. There is also a link to a report on migraines triggered by these new bulbs. When these bulbs break there is a strong smell of burning which can be scary. I prefer the incandescent bulb which lowered heating bills because they produced heat thus lowering greenhouse gas emissions produced by by coal, oil, wood and other furnaces.

• Answer:The easiest way to find out where to safely recycle compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) is to go to http://www.lamprecycle.org or http://www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling. These sites will help you find recycling centers in your area, and they also provide a lot of safety information about CFLs. One thing to consider is that while CFLs contain trace amounts of mercury, incandescent bulbs actually release more mercury into the atmoshpere because they use up 75% more power from coal power plants. Coal power plants release mercury as well as carbon dioxide, so by using more energy with incandescents, you’re actually doing more harm to the environment than with a CFL that can be recycled. There’s a company – Earthmate – that sells CFLs with only 1 mg of mercury. It’s supposed to be 75% less mercury than regular CFLs. You can check them out at http://www.earthmatelighting.com. This company is super environmental. Even their boxes are made with 100% post-consumer waste.

Question
I have had to press reset on my 15 month old oil furnace about 3 times in
the past 5 days. This happened over the summer as well (we use it for hot
water). When the furnace guy came out, he said that the nozzle was clogged.
I took the nozzle assembly out and tried to clean it up a bit. I also tried
to take it off. It was real tight so I didn’t force it. What’s a good
cleaner for this type of stuff?

I changed the filter 2 weeks ago. It didn’t look clogged at all with sludge
(which is what the furnace guy said was clogging it). But then this reset
issue came up again.

I have about 3/8 of a tank left. It’s a 275 gallon tank. This tank isn’t
that old as it was recently moved from the yard to the garage (within the
past 15 years). Would it have that much sludge in it already? If so, how
can I get rid of it. Home Depot sells this stuff that’s supposed to
dissolve the sludge. Does this stuff work?

Some how I think it’s more than the nozzle getting clogged and maybe it’s
something in the controls.

Any ideas?

Thanks for any help you can provide
Answers
OK. Here’s the possibilities.
One, you have to take the nozzle off. REPLACE IT! Don’t try and
clean it. THey’re cheap enough to buy and when you try to clean them
you mar up the highly polished surfaces on the spray head. You
should totally dismantle the burner assembly that comes out of the
burner tube and clean the electrodes completely too. If there’s any
soot on them, it could cause post ignition or flameout or no flame.
The ends of the electrodes need to be set right afterwards. A good
rule of thumb (depending on the spray pattern, and angle of spray) is
1/8″ apart, 1/16″ ahead of the tip of the nozzles, and 7/16″ above the
little hole where the oil comes out. THis should get you going.
The eye can be dirty as stated in another reply but there’s always a
reason for it. You can wipe this off with a clean paper towel or rag.
BTW, if you can’t set your electrodes as above, they may be too burned
out to do it. If you try to bend them, use two pairs of pliers. One
on the electrode right up against the porcelain and the other on the
ends that need bending. DO NOT use one pair of pliers, You could end
up cracking the white insulator.
As far as the tank filter, these don’t do a 100% job of keeping the
dirt out of nozzles and most of the time they only need to be changed
once in two years unless your oil is real bad. In which case I’d get
a new supplier anyway.
If it’s a flame retention burner you’ll be able to tell because
there’ll be a flame retention head on the very end of the nozzle pipe.
THis can be taken off and cleaned as well. THe exception to this is
if the burner is a Beckett burner which has the flame head retained in
the nose of the blast tube. You should be able to reach in and clean
it off when the nozzle assembly is out though. Older burners didn’t
have these. If your’s is an older burner I highly suggest you up
grade if you can. They’r much more efficient.
Good luck

Question
I’m going to be in the market very soon for a new furnace for my home.
Has anyone had good experiences with companys in Winnipeg…and bad?
How about pricing was it comparable with others?
Which type of furnace did you eventually buy and have installed, and
why?

We’ve had nothing but good experiences with Elmwood plumbing & heating.
They did our new furnace in our old place as well as some tough duct work.
Very professional, and competitively priced.

They installed a Lennox furnace with a programmable thermostat. Never
had a problem with either. My wifes baba had a furnace and air
filtration system installed by them and has had no problems. That was
about 10 years ago.
Answers
I had a Carrier mid-effcient gas furnace put in about 10 years ago. The
sucker sounds like a jet when it starts up – with quite the ‘whoosh’ as the
gas comes on. I don’t know if this sound is common to all new furnaces.
I’ve since gotten used to it. At that time the cost to buy a 90% high
efficient furnace was not justifiable – I think the figures were – it would
have saved me $100 a year in gas (over the mid-efficient model) but cost me
$1,200 extra to buy it. So I passed on the high efficient model at that
time. With todays gas prices I might rconsider that option….

Pricing for the same model was identical between the various dealers at that
time. Make sure you are dealing with a licensed company in case something
goes wrong. And make sure they have the installation inspected (mandatory
for gas, required by the city for electrical) – it is for YOUR protection in
case they messed something up. Hold back paying 10% of the total to ensure
the job gets completed to your satisfaction.

Some things you may encounter:

Just about any new furnace is going to have a higher speed direct drive
blower than the 20 year old models with the fan belt drive blowers. This
higher speed can translate into more noise – and/or curtains blowing around.

Recently the cost of gas has risen to match the cost of electricity – it
used to be gas was far cheaper. Now this has nothing to do with Manitoba
Hydro buying Centra gas…. Anyway – given that this will not change – you
could look at electric furnaces as an option.

If you plan to stay at your house for a long time then look into geothermal.
This costs big time to install (around $12,000 – $15,000) – and has very low
annual electricity costs ($300 a year!!). This is for both heating and air
conditioning. The geothermal dealer can calculate the payback period for
you based on your house size, insulation level etc. There is more info. on
geothermal at the MB Hydro web site as well as a table showing the relative
costs of heating using gas, electric and geothermal. A friend has a
geothermal installation in her new house. I noticed the furnace looked a
lot larger than my gas unit and it has a compressor inside it (thus it makes
some noise requiring it to be put inside an soundproofed room).
Associated Furnace Home Heating Question:Should I replace my home heating furnace?
According to my oil company, my 20-year old furnace is running at 74% capacity and they recommend that I buy a brand-new furnace that would be more efficient. I am planning to stay in this house only 3 more years. Should I buy the new furnace or should I stick with my current furnace that works fine but maybe runs a little less efficient than a new one? Thanks for any advice.

• Answer:Keep the old one. A 74% efficiency on a 20 yr old furnace is not bad. Keep in mind that what they are telling you is only the combustion efficiency not the overall units efficiency. The unit you have has a retention head burner and newer burners are not going to get you much higher then the mid 80s. They will tell you different especially if they are using an electronic combustion analyzer. A Bacharach analyzer works on physics and is much more accurate. What it comes down to is payback. If you spend $5,000 dollars for a new furnace and only see a $200 drop in fuel costs it would take 25 years to get your payback. In the industry I advise people to look for a minimum of 5 years, 4 is best. So realistically even if you spent $4,000 dollars and saved $1000 each year you still you have not seen a payback in 3 years. Over 30 yrs experience in the HVAC industry

Associated Furnace Home Heating Question:I want to buy a new home heating furnace, what is the best option?
I am considering changing the type of furnace I use from oil to gas, what are the benefits of gas over oil? any ideas?

• Answer:cleaner burning, less maint, will burn when power is out, [heat] better heat, [more even]

Associated Furnace Home Heating Question:recommend home gas furnace for heating and good price for installation — is there such a thing as solar?
there is solar water heating but is there such a thing as solar heating for heating a home? otherwise what is a good gas furnace and install price thanks.

• Answer:You could easily install hot water baseboard heat, radiant in floor heat, that works on solar with natural gas back up. We do solar hot water/radiant floor heating all the time (new construction). If you are doing a remodel , you would need to do hot water baseboard or have an hydronic air handler for forced air, if you wanted to use solar as your main heat plant. Here in New Mexico, we install radiant heat, in the floor, that runs on 90 degree water ( solar), solar hot water, all with natural gas or propane back up(could be electric back up).Good luck!

Associated Furnace Home Heating Question:what is the cheapest way to heat a home furnace with today’s energy cost… electric, propane, heating oil?
I am in need of a new furnace and was curious if I should stick with using heating oil or convert to electric or propane? (just FYI i am aware wood and coal alternatives are cheap, but i am looking for something less maintained) If you have Exp in the field, which way do you see things going? is oil going to continue to drop? Is Electric going to continue to go up? Thank you for your time

• Answer:I’m a fuel salesperson in Ontario Canada. Right now for every dollar you spend heating with electricity, you would spend $1.18 to heat with oil, $0.84 to heat with propane, and $0.54 to heat with natural gas. These numbers are for this region of Canada, but I would think the ratios, if not the actual numbers would be pretty close for much of North America. Edit: Oil and propane prices have dropped in recent days considerably! So much so that I will revise my numbers above to the following. Oil $1.07 Propane $0.77. I don’t think we are going to see heating prices as high as last winter. I’m telling my customers to just buy fuel at market price and not to lock in this year. I think they will be better off. My customers that were getting locked in pricing of $0.72 cents per litre 10-14 days ago would now be spending only $0.61 per litre…I think I’ll be giving out some credits! :^)

Associated Furnace Home Heating Question:Home heating question pellet furnace v. in floor heat!?
In our home remodel we are planning a change in the heating system. A home addition and several updates in the current house. Currently we are using a forced air propane furnace and its very expensive. We are considering in floor heat for the addition (master bedroom, bath, and family room), and a pellet furnace for the entire home. Has anyone any experience with both systems. How does price compare in operation AND comfort level. ps we are in central IL!

• Answer:We had a radiant floor heating system in one of our previous homes, and we were absolutely delighted with it. However since it required an 80 gallon hot water tank it ate up the energy costs big time both in electricity to run the hot water tank and also natural gas costs. Your pellet stove, I’m almost confident would be more economical.

Associated Furnace Home Heating Question:Can you use diesel fuel in place of heating oil in a home furnace?
If you get into a pinch and run out of heating oil to heat your home, is it OK to substitute diesel fuel for a couple of days until regular fuel can be delivered? Diesel is always available at the local gas station.

• Answer:Because of the additives in highway diesel it would probably foul the pilot and burners in a fuel oil heater.

Associated Furnace Home Heating Question:new home with gas heating, furnace seems to make a clicking noise in some air ducts?
Am new to gas heating and have a two story house. When using the furnace, sometimes the house will have a noise that is like a clicking/ticking noise and this will sound then do it again in about 1-1.5 minutes. It is only heard in parts of the house, especially in one bedroom. Any possible anwsers would be appreciated. Thanks

• Answer:If you have used an electrostatic air cleaner in your furnace/air conditioner, these “pops” or “snaps” or “clicks” are what is called “arcing.” It is a normal process where, in the electrostatic air cleaner, negative ions clash against allergens and positive ions inside allergens and air contaminants in your heating/air conditioning system. It is the process of the cleaner getting red of those ions (the positive ones, or the “bad ones”) and replacing them with negative ions. Occasional arcing is okay, but repeated arcing signals that the air cleaner in the heater must be cleaned (the filters) before you use them again.

Associated Furnace Home Heating Question:How does one clean the duct work of a furnace heating system, in a home? Is it a do-it-yourself job?
After months (summertime) of not using the furnace, it obviously has built up dust and mold. Upon turning it back on in the wintertime, a very musty smell is emitted from all of the furnace vents, into the house. I’d hate to know what is actually being blown into our house. Allergies are a problem, shortly afterwards. Thanks

• Answer:It requires a professional service, unless you have the equipment to clean it yourself. They are easily found online or through your yellow pages. It really is something you should have done every 5 years or so.

Associated Furnace Home Heating Question:Should I should replace my old windows of my home or purchase a new AC/Heating Furnace Unit ?
I am wondering if I should replace my old windows of my home or purchase a new AC/Heating Furnace Unit which is the original system, probably over 20 years old….Which is the better investment at this time??

• Answer:either one is a wise investment however 40% of heat loss is thru the windows

Associated Furnace Home Heating Question:Home Heating Advice (Wood Furnace VS ground source heat pump)?
We are planing on replacing our old forced air wood furnace soon if we do so we are going to add a central air conditioner at the same time…however we also would be intrested in replacing the furnace with a ground source heat pump how much would it cost to replace the furnace and get a central ac or a wood furnace with a central heat pump…how much more would it cost us to get a ground source heat pump My house is 1500 square feet and is well insulated except for the attic which could be insulated if needed

• Answer:You need to figure out your heating needs based on where you live. The temperature variation is great. And there is nothing in your question except square footage of the house. The industry standard is to do a “J” load calcuation to give the amount of BTU’s (British Thermal Units) to give what size heater your need. http://www.arthurhewitt.com/calculationsforsize.htm Once you know what size heat pump you need you can get local prices.

Question
We are buying a new house, and, in our current house we just purchased
an
air conditioner/furnace that has a humidifier (we live in Denver) and an
ultraviolet light to clean the air.

In our new house, we’re also getting a humidifier, but, they don’t offer
the
ultraviolet lamp, but, do offer an electrostatic air filter. Since I
have
asthma and my wife has sinus problems, we are thinking of getting it.

I’ve read here that the various electrostatic air cleaners that are
stand-alone are actually worse for asthma, due to the ozone. What about
one
in central air?

Thanks!

I think you’re referring to what’s known as an electrostatic precipitator.
These are the large, bulky units mounted on the furnace’s return air
plenum.
You remove the pre-filter screens and the cells about every 4 weeks to
clean
them. These units are normally referred to as “electronic air cleaners”.

An electrostatic filter simply replaces your furnace’s one-inch filter.
Some are okay, some are crap. 3M makes a disposable version which a few
of
the allergists around here, (Ottawa, Ontario — furnaces get used a lot in
our climate for both heating and A/C), recommend. It’s disposable, but
does
a pretty good job. The 3M filter might cost you $12 to $15 or so. The
permanent versions, and there are a lot of manufacturers, shouldn’t cost
you
more than about $40 to $60. They’ll last you a few years with religious
cleaning, but there are a lot of scam artists, including a lot of heating
and A/C contractors and duct cleaners who will charge up to $300 to $400.
Don’t get ripped off.

Electronic air cleaners have been around over 50 years now, and are still
the best way to filter the air going through your furnace. Here in
Canada,
there’s a federal gov’t organization called the “Canada Mortgage and
Housing
Corporation”. They do a lot of research into home building, renovation,
healthy homes, air quality, and the like. They have a website which I’ll
try to dig up tomorrow if you’re interested. Four or five years ago, they
did a study on all the different types of furnace filtration systems. The
electronic air cleaner was far and away the clear winner.

When an electronic air cleaner has clean cells, there’s really no lower
limit to the particle size it can capture. That’s the good news. The bad
news is the cells will get dirty enough in a few hours of running to
greatly
reduce it’s efficiency at capturing small particles. It’s the only type
of
furnace filter whose efficiency decreases as it get dirty.

One caveat about the study, though. It was done strictly with a viewpoint
of filtering efficiency; not taking allergies or asthma into account. It
does however, mention the fact that electronic air cleaners normally
produce
small amounts of ozone. If the unit ever goes out of whack, it can put
out
so much ozone that it can be overwhelming. Not a good thing for anybody,
especially with asthma and sinus problems in the house. Even the trace
amounts of ozone a properly-running unit emits is enough for a lot of
folks
I know with severe asthma to have stopped using it.

One system worth looking at are the high-efficiency, deep-pleated media
filters. They get installed on your furnace the same way as an electronic
air cleaner, but rather than being electrically powered, they use a large
cartridge about 4 or 5 inches deep, with close-together pleats to filter.
Most heating and A/C contractors carry one or two brands. (Honeywell,
Aprilaire, Spacegard, White-Rogers, etc.) They’re not quite as efficient
as
an electronic air cleaner, but then again, there’s no ozone.

Whatever you do, don’t get suckered into buying a HEPA system for your
furnace. HEPA will do a good job in a stand-alone air cleaner in a
specific
room, but the furnace systems, no matter who makes them, are junk.
They’re
all bypass systems; because HEPA is such a dense filter material, if you
try
to filter all the return air going to your furnace, you will starve the
furnace fan for air. The furnace’s safety system kicks in, and will shut
down the furnace. That’s why the central HEPA systems only filter 30% to
40%, (depending on manufacturer), of the return air. You still would need
something very good in place right on the furnace. Also, they’re
ridiculously expensive, and you have to change the expensive filters on
most
of them at least once a year.

It really is worth doing a lot of research into this. It is your health,
after all. And relying on a salesman’s or manufacturer’s recommendation
is
not always in your best interest.

By the way, the ultraviolet systems are not filters. They do, however,
usually kill biological things like mold, bacteria, and virus, as long as
those organisms pass through the lamps field. Ultraviolet lamps also
generally emit slight amounts of ozone, and much more when they don’t have
any organisms to “work” on.

I apologize for the long post, but I really hate seeing people get taken
to
the cleaners when it comes to their health. Good luck, Bill.

Garth Allen,
Ottawa, ON

Garth made allot of sense.We have electrostatic system and a honey well
Answers
filter. The electrostatic supposidly does something , we hear a crackling
noise. But the metal screen picks up very little dirt. Somehow I think I am
not using the right filter with it. Anyway next to it we use a honeywell
filter with good rating . Between the two it does ok but I worry about the
ozone, for what garth said came true. The unit malfunctioned and I could
actually smell the ozone , it was horrible. (I wonder if the daily flow of
ozone causes me problems)

Associated Furnace Electrostatic Filter Question:Best Electrostatic Furnace Filter with carbon and prefilter layer?
I have horribel allergies and asthma. I’m looking for a permanant electrostatic filter for my furnace that you don’t plug in, and has a carbon layer and a “pre-filter” layer.

• Answer:I will probably catch some flack, but there is no permanent filter that can do this job. Electrostatic filters are charged by static and the amount of charge is not enough to plate particulate matter to the filter media. In effect when the blower shuts down, many of the particles settle to the bottom of the blower, to be recycled again and again. They also do nothing about gaseous material or germs that come from carpets, varnishes, pets, etc. Check out the Micro Power Guard or Dyna Filter and consider a UV light installed in your duct system to control mold and odors.

Associated Furnace Electrostatic Filter Question:Does an electrostatic furnace filter make a furnace work harder (less efficiently) than a standard filter?
Do electrostatic furnace filters allow as good of air flow as standard filters? Which filters (standard or electrostatic) are best at removing dust and pollen?

• Answer:Electrostatic filters will remove more of the smallest particle (dust and pollen). There are standard filters that can be very effective, but they only remove the particles down to the limits of their filter size. Air flow is practically the same, though replacement cycle is shorter with electrostatic filter (needs replacing more often). If you want highest quality air filtration, get an ionic filter system. It actively filters the smallest particles without reducing air flow, but it is expensive and requires more maintenance.

Associated Furnace Electrostatic Filter Question:Can an electrostatic furnace filter cause a smell similar to sewer gas in my laundry room?
I have had a very foul smell in my laundry room (also where my furnace is) that resembles sewer gas. I have had six plumbers leave scratching their heads. I have had all of my toilets professionally replaced, drains snaked, and a even had a smoke bomb test done today, so I know that there is no crack in a visible pipe or a blockage in any vent pipes. The next step is to have my basement floor ripped apart to proceed with a very expensive camera test. This is getting awful pricey. I was asked if I use “electrostatic furnace filters” today and I do. Could that be the cause? Anyone? I am at my wits end. It is no longer comfortable in my own home. I can’t run the furnace and it is getting colder. I would be so grateful for any light that could be shed on this very frustrating and puzzling matter. I tried disconnecting what I thought was only to the electrostatic filter, but shut the entire furnace off. The 6th plumber said that the only way to get a camera down the drain was to go through the basement floor because we have something called a “back water preventer” and a P trap and the camera will not maneuver through such angles. I am at a loss. I know what natural gas smells like versus sewer. Without sounding crude– it smells like…. crap mixed in with a dirty drain.. a diaper genie… just.. foul. It is the hardest smell to explain and it originates in the basement. Thank you for your suggestions.

• Answer:We had an electrostatic filter for years and never noticed any unusual smells. If you think the electrostatic filter is causing the odor, disconnect the power to just that part of the heating system and run the rest of furnace as usual, and see if the smell is still there. Also if you haven’t already done so, check for gas leaks (if you have gas pipes). Added: how old is the house/pipes? Also, did the problem appear suddenly, at full stench, or did it gradually get worse? How long has this been going on? Did this start after any renovations or repairs?

Associated Furnace Electrostatic Filter Question:Does air travelling through an electrostatic filter (like Filtrete) get ionized?
I’ve heard that ionized air can be potentially harmful (i.e. free radicals) so I want to avoid air cleaners that ionize air. The 3M Filtrete electrostatic polyolefin-based filters (very common in furnace filters, and now as part of a standalone air purifier) are pre-charged with a static charge to attract dirt, dust, and particles of inflowing air. My question is, as air travels through the filter (via a fan) is there any way that it could pick up any of the charge on the electrostatic filter, or that the air can become somewhat ionized in any way or form after it leaves the filter? Now, AFAIK, air doesn’t conduct charges well, so my guess would be no, but I’d like to have an expert opinion.

• Answer:they are missnamed, they dont truly ionize air. they clean the air by allowing the elctrostatic charge to cause impurities to stick to the filters, but the air itself does not ionize. ionized gases tend to glow and release heat.

Associated Furnace Electrostatic Filter Question:Does air travelling via a simple fan through an electrostatic filter (like Filtrete) get ionized?
Just to clarify a prior question, I had; I’ve heard that ionized air can be potentially harmful (i.e. free radicals) so I want to avoid air cleaners that ionize air. The 3M Filtrete electrostatic polyolefin-based filters (very common in furnace filters, and now as part of a standalone air purifier) are pre-charged with a static charge to attract dirt, dust, and particles of inflowing air. My question is, as non-ionized (regular) air travels through the filter (via a simple fan, there is no ionizer involved) is there any way that it could pick up any of the charge on the electrostatic filter, or that the air can become somewhat ionized in any way or form after it leaves the filter? Now, AFAIK, air doesn’t conduct charges well, so my guess would be no, but I’d like to have an expert opinion.

• Answer:No, this isn’t possible. The static charge is basically “fixed”. If it were possible, it would discharge pretty quickly in the bag, well before you purchased and installed it.

Associated Furnace Electrostatic Filter Question:Do I need to dry my washable furnace filter before putting it back in the furnace?
We have an “A+2000 Permanent Electrostatic Air Filter” that I’ve just washed, but now I’m not sure if I have to let it dry before I can put it back in the furnace. Anyone have experience with this? Can’t find any info on their site… Thanks!

• Answer:Yes. When I wash mine I put a regular filter in it’s place until the washable one is dry. I leave mine sit overnite to make sure that the inside of the frame is dry too.

Question:7
Subject:Does air travelling via a simple fan (no ionizer) through an electrostatic filter (like Filtrete) get ionized?
Just to clarify a prior question, I had; I’ve heard that ionized air can be potentially harmful (i.e. free radicals) so I want to avoid air cleaners that ionize air. The 3M Filtrete electrostatic polyolefin-based filters (very common in furnace filters, and now as part of a standalone air purifier) are pre-charged with a static charge to attract dirt, dust, and particles of inflowing air. My question is, as non-ionized (regular) air travels through the filter (via a simple fan, there is no ionizer involved) is there any way that it could pick up any of the charge on the electrostatic filter, or that the air can become somewhat ionized in any way or form after it leaves the filter? Now, AFAIK, air doesn’t conduct charges well, so my guess would be no, but I’d like to have an expert opinion.

• Answer:congratulations on your new job at Filtrete

Associated Furnace Electrostatic Filter Question:use of disposable air filter along with electrostatic air filter?
should I buy a disposable air filter to use with the 15 year old electrostatic air cleaner attached to my furnace? I think it would do a better job eliminating dust in my house.

• Answer: This Question has not been answered yet! Send us Your best furnace electrostatic filter Answer!

Associated Furnace Electrostatic Filter Question:What is your vacuum cleaners worst enemy besides neglect? Want to NEVER buy another vacuum filter again?
Just a couple of the many tips that I have for vacuum cleaners. So, what’s the clogger king? HAIRPINS, BOBIPINS! I service vacuum cleaners and the number one thing I find in the hoses of clogged vacuums are the hairpins that end up lodged sideways there because the spinning brushroller underneath the vacuum separates the pin and everything that follows must somehow travel around the pin. It’s usually a small piece of cardboard, or a matchbook cover. REMEDY? Get yourself a magnet and skim the floor first. You can also get a magnetic strip that goes across the front of the vacuum online at any vacuum cleaner parts supplier. Now, for the filters. Hepa’s CLOG! FAST! The vacuum cleaner manufactures know this and they screw you out of your money. PERIOD! Hoover uses ELECTROSTATIC MEDIA to make their filters. So you know what they do. 99.97%… SO DO THESE: A TEN PACK OF 4″ X 11″ ELECTROSTATIC REGISTER VENT FILTERS- cut-STACK-glue COST? $2.79 where? Lowe’s in the furnace filter section. Thank You! Now as far as the long blond hair? If you get a carpet rake available at an online store called Hesco ( at hescoinc.c..) they happen to have a very nice carpet rake that has a cool “icee” blue 18″ wide plastic front with several flexible metal tines and a wooden handle. I get their catalogs and this rake is on their “big savings type page” I think it is around $15-$16. These rakes work great to pick up hair and other small fuzzy build, especially from brand new carpet. In the end it will save your vacuum cleaner too. While I’m here I’ll also mention the best ways to clean your carpet. (the Kirby owner will like this) The BEST way to MAINTAIN a carpet is with a Kirby shampoo set-up on a Kirby vacuum cleaner. If it’s very dirty,I clean carpet for a living & use a big heavy SPIN-BONNET cleaner (looks like a buffer- BONNETS are “SLOWSPEED” machines, where as buffers are typically “HIGHSPEED”. For the BEST CLEAN always call a company that 1st Bonnets THEN Extracts

• Answer:Hey thanks for the tips, especially the filter info. Now, I have very long blonde hair that wraps around the beater bar burning up the rubber belt. How do I stop that?

Associated Furnace Electrostatic Filter Question:Is the ozone from my furnace harmful?
I have an electrostatic air filter on my furnace. I smell ozone when the furnace is on. Is this harmful to my family’s health? I know some printers give off the same smell and I was told it was ozone as well and that it wasn’t good to keep them on all of the time.

• Answer:Too much ozone would be bad. It can be harmful to those with respiratory problems, for sure. However, it is also highly reactive. So a little can be helpful in sterilizing any airborne bacteria as well as many chemical pollutants. I am not aware of any printers giving off that smell though, so perhaps it is not ozone you are smelling?

Question
Induction motors of any size can be burned out when run on lower than rated
voltage. It’s a simple fact. Ever have to replace a ‘fridge compressor
because of low line voltage? How about the ‘acrid odor’ from a burned out
blower motor?

Squirrel cage induction motors only slow down on low voltage because they
can’t develop enough torque and the current draw goes up considerably. Now,
universal motors on a dimmer, that’s fine. Hook a dimmer up to the blower
motor of your furnace and it will most likely burn up.

What a putz. This paper has your name on it

http://www.apa.org/journals/features/psp7761121.pdf

A 1 hp gear motor for a sauce mixer? LOL. if the speed varies widely with
voltage, it probably isn’t a squirrel cage motor in the first place.

Let’s see if some EE’s in alt-engineering-electrical think your idea is
worthwhile. Don, Charles, what do you think of using a dimmer to slow down
a furnace blower?

Answers
Instead of running off like a coward for reinforcements, why don’t we cut to
the chase? Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is. If you’re so
convinced that I don’t know what I’m talking about, this should be a
no-brainer for you.

I have $1000 that says that I can slow most any furnace blower with an SCR
controller and in particular, that I can slow the one that I use in my shop to
circulate air. Or my heat pump’s blower, provided it uses a 120 volt motor (I
have no idea at this point.) Your choice. I’ll video the whole experiment and
put it on Youtube.

“success” is defined as operating the motor over its useful speed range until
its temperature stabilizes with the winding temperature as indicated by an
attached thermocouple not exceeding its class rating.

Of course, if you behave as you usually do, you’ll crawfish and backtrack as
fast as you can. A typical net.alligator – all mouth and no brain. Or
integrity. That’s why you hide behind a nym.

So let’s see if you’re a man or a mouth. Anyone want to place a side bet on
whether he’ll do anything other than run his mouth?

Associated Furnace Blower Rating Question:Gas furnace blower motor rating?
I have a 16-year old Trane XL80, single-stage gas furnace. I am replacing is with a new Trane XL90, dual-stage gas furnace. I’m rewiring my garage, and I’d like to put the garbage disposal (1/2 hp) on the same 15A circuit as the furnace, since I’m just powering the blower. Problem is I can’t figure out what the blower draws. Does anyone have any ideas or any ballparks? I’ve asked Trane and gotten no response. I’ve asked the contractor who’s going to install the new furnace, but he’s decided to stop returning my phone calls (a common problem with Bay Area contractors). Thanks for any help. Answers to some questions. The existing circuits are – dedicated 15A for disposal (1/2 hp = 7A, roughly) – furnace shares 15A circuit with upstairs master bedroom and some general lighting Sq. footage, panel rating, main breaker rating, etc. are not relevant, since I’m not asking for total guidance. The reason I want to share these two appliances is that I’ve run out of space in my panels to bring the kitchen up to code, I don’t want to rip out an entire panel to add 1/2 slot, although I may do that anyway, and I don’t want to put motors on the same circuits as lighting. Per CA code, furnace blower should be on a dedicated circuit. Disposal must be. I’m cheating, because the probability of starting the disposal *and* having a 2-stage furnace kick into high (from a dead stop) at the exact same time is about as close to zero as it gets.

• Answer:I install and service heaters and it is possible to do what your trying to do however its against code in most municipalities. The amp draw on those type of motors is maybe 3 or 4 amps however the max amp possible could be as high as 10amps. When you size a breaker it goes by full load amps not running amps so if you have both come on at the same time it is possible it will trip the breaker. I would add it onto another breaker or add a new breaker for it just to be safe.

Associated Furnace Blower Rating Question:Should I place my furnace/AC filter at the blower or the returns? I currently have them at the returns.?
If I put the filter at the blower, won’t the duct work between the returns and blower get dusty? The previous owner of our house put the filter(s) at the returns, so that’s what I’m doing now. I have dust allergies and use a filter with a MERV rating of 11. I don’t seem to have much dust in my house right now, but I’m wondering if it matters where I put the filter. The return is inside of my house in the hallway downstairs and there’s one in the ceiling upstairs. They’re not near the furnace at all.

• Answer:Placing the filter at the returns will filter the air before the dust can coat the blower fan blades and heat exchanger and decrease their efficiency. bg

Associated Furnace Blower Rating Question:How much should I expect to pay for a central home air conditioner for a 2400 square foot home?
This is for both the in-garage unit (which works with the furnace blower) and the complete outside fan unit. I do not need to replace the furnace (it is working fine). My house is about 2400 square feet and I live in Indiana. I’m looking at an American Standard through a reputable company. They are quoting me $3,600.00 It has a SEER rating of 13, I believe. What is the difference, in cost, between American Standard, and a cheaper outfit? I mean, could I get a cheaper unit for only $2,000.00? If so, would I pay in the long run? I do know that the unit I am considering is a 2 & 1/2 ton. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

• Answer:I just replaced a unit (main outside) and the coil on the furnace. The furnace itself did not need to be replaced. Also have about 2400 square feet. I paid $3200 for a Ruud. I was told that Lennox was the best, followed by Ruud. The warranty on the Ruud is excellent. Did a 13 seer cause I could not justify any higher seer for the price difference. It is amazing how efficient this unit is. The unit I replaced was a Carrier at least 10 years old. Through this latest heat wave, my Ruud ran like any normal summer day, while all my neighbors units ran constantly and there homes never did fully cool down. Mine also is a 2.5 ton. I think the price range is about right you were quoted, but I am not familiar enough with American Standard. I live in Iowa.

Associated Furnace Blower Rating Question:How can I cool the upstairs better with A/C?
We just had our 3 ton A/C replaced with 4 ton A/C due to adding A/C and heat to rear addition. Our overall house sqare footage is 2500 sq ft. Problem: The 2nd floor even after upgrading to 4 ton unit still is warmer than 1st floor. How can I get more airflow to the second floor? Add another return to the second floor? More details: The HVAC guy ran 1 ton to the addition with 5 branch supply registers. He added a 2nd return register at the floor level below the ceiling return. He did this by cutting into the exsisting return trunk on the first floor. When he replaced the furnace he also cut a small return duct 14 x 7 on the opposite side of the main return on the furnace. How can I correct the problems? 2 hours ago – 3 days left to answer. Additional Details 2 hours ago – Furnace – Airstrong Oil Furnace; blower and A/C rated at 4 Ton – Duct size: Main supply and Return is 23″ x 8″. Return is centralize in the house as a box accending 1st and 2nd floors. The 1st floor return is 14 x 14 and then reduces at floor level of 2nd floor to about 14 x 10 probably because I have an open foyer. We have added 14 x 8 supply at plenum for 600 sq ft addition off the back of the house. We added a small return to the existing return in 1st floor return riser to pull air from addition. The HVAC guy also added basement return at other side of furnace return to draw more. Upper floor is fed by 6″ round supplies that are converted to 8″x 4″ square risers to get to the second floor through exterior walls. -Static pressure: no idea -Installation and windows: new double hung windows and R13 in outside walls and about 6″ blown insulation in attic Is a basement return on the furnace any good? Seems to me it will just recirculate already dehumified cold air… 2 hours ago Outside condensing unit is a Payne 48,000 btu 4 ton a/c 2 hours ago This is very annoying. I have just had the 3 ton unit replaced with 4 ton unit and I think the HVAC guy did a band aid on the duct work. As mad as I am, I am ready to cut drywall and enlarge the returns if need be…. I won’t go down without a fight and drywall knife and duct work in hand…. don’t have an attic exhaust fan yet but were putting in a mushroom- we do have a return on the 2nd floor but the duct in the wall is reduced from 18 x 16 to 14x 10 to the upstairs probably because it is in the hall where there is a wide open foyer – the HVAC contractor cut an opening for a furnace mounted return in the basement on the other side of the furnace opposite from the main return trunk. Should I run the basement return through the garage to the 2nd floor to add more return up there? we are pulling air in the basement because we went from 3 ton to 4 ton without adding to the main return trunk except by adding another 1st floor lower return below the upper ceiling return on the first floor

• Answer:what your a/c guy should have done is left the three ton for down stairs then install a 1.5 or 2 ton unit depending on second floor sq ft . without a second unit or a zoning system there is not much you can do . 2500 sq ft is too much for 4 ton unit to cool adequately anyway you should have had a five ton unit with zoning system installed in the first place

Associated Furnace Blower Rating Question:Is closing registers in rooms you don’t use more or less energy efficient?
I used to believe that if you had a room or two (say a guest bedroom) you rarely use in your house, closing the registers (thus diverting that potentially wasted heating or air to rooms that are in use) would be cheaper on your bill and thus more energy efficient. However, after a recent home energy audit, the man told us that is absolutely not true. He told us that your furnace/blower is made to deliver air to certain points (register openings) and that if you closed one of those points up, it wasn’t having optimum air flow thus losing MORE efficiency than if you just allowed air flow to to those unused rooms. I have never heard this before… is there ANY truth to this??? By the way, our furnace is 18 years old – though its still in good shape. It’s a gas furnace with about an 88% efficiency rating. My top two floors are 3300 sqr ft… and there are 3 rooms I previously would close off, 2 on the first floor (dining room and formal living room) and a guest bedroom upstairs. It’s almost time to turn the heat on… so what should I do?? Thank you so much for your help! P.s…. if you could add a website that explains your answer that would be really helpful =)

• Answer:Hey Hollie, you go right on closing those registers. What the energy audit guy is talking about refers to new high efficiency furnaces with variable speed blowers, which since yours is 18 years old, I’m certain does not fall into that category. I did some research into this when we decided to add a furnace to our home in the upper great lakes that was only heated by wood. This was about 6 years ago, and the concept of the balanced systems was a good one, but did require a certain range of square inches of vent openings to reach ideal airflow. If you restrict the airflow beyond the design point, then the air backs up slightly in the heat exchanger, making it warmer, which reduces the amount of heat transfer that takes place between the heat exchanger and the plenum. A lot of fancy words I know, I apologize. But the point is that by closing one or two registers in a large house like yours, the difference is minimal. You have to have some way to maintain proper temperature in different rooms, if the register in a tiny bathroom is the same size as the one in the guest bedroom, then the bath would get way too much heat. The way you adjust for this is closing the bathroom register part way. In the end you are doing the same thing as opening most of them all the way, and closing one or two all the way, the furnace is designed to operate in a range. But again, in your case, your furnace is way older than those types of units, it doesn’t operate on a narrow backpressure range anyway, so close the vents in the room you are not using, it will save you some money in the end because the furnace will run less to keep the other areas of your home warm. Good luck Hollie, and take care, Rudydoo

Associated Furnace Blower Rating Question:Cost of Electricity….^_^!?
1.)Find the cost operating an electric toaster for 3.0 h if it draws 5.0 A from a 220 V outlet. Electric Energy costs 7.7 centavos/kWh. Given: Unknown: Formula: Solution 2.)What is the cost to a storekeeper of leaving a 40 W light burning near his safe over the weekend, for 60 h, if electricity costs 8.0 centavos/kWh? Given: Unknown: Formula: Solution 3.)The blower motor on an oil furnace, rated at 250 Watt, comes on, for an average of 5.0 mins at a time, a total of 48 times a day. What is the monthly (30 days) cost of operating the motor, if electricity costs 9.0 centavos/kWh? Given: Unknown: Formula: Solution please help me…T_T…this would be the last for this night….

• Answer:1) Power = VI = 220×5 = 1100 watts Power consumed in 3 h is 1100×3 = 3300 watt-hour = 3.3 kwh cost = 3.3 x7.7 = 25.41 centavos For the other two problems you can follow the same method 2) cost = 40×60x8 = ……. centavos 3) cost = 250x(5×48/60)x30×9 = …….

Associated Furnace Blower Rating Question:Janitrol 20-125 gas furnace will not fire?
I have moved into a rental home and the previous tenant had turned the gas supply off to the furnace, a Janitrol 20-125… old monster. I attempted to run it for the first time this year and it will not fire, I turned the gas supply on and lit the pilot and the signal from the thermostat can be heard, but no gas or blower. I also noticed that the pilot is almost shooting with a slight hiss from the end of the tube….it is rated for 1/2 psi pilot. Is this a regulator/valve issue? Could the diaphragm failed? This is a Honeywell V800A 1476 standing pilot gas valve. There is a manual switch on the blower control, or limiter, and the blower is operational when switched. Also the pilot adjust screw on the valve has no effect. Any help would be great!

• Answer: This Question has not been answered yet! Send us Your best furnace blower rating Answer!

Associated Furnace Blower Rating Question:Electrical Wiring Question?
Two part question: 1. I am upgrading the last three circuits in my house that use aluminum wire. One of the circuits is the gas furnace. I know that most homes have a dedicated 15A circuit for the blower motor. I want to replace the 12/2 alum. wire with 12/2 copper and replace what the idiot before me did (20A breaker for 12/2 alum). I will replace the 20A breaker w/ 15A. Is this ok? 2. For lighting I am planning to use 12/2 copper everywhere, just because its easier for me than buying 12 and 14 AWG wire. Is it ok to wire lighting and outlets with 12/2 on 15A breakers (knowing that 12/2 is rated for 20A). I ask this because most lighting wires are stranded 14 AWG and I have always been taught that you can go smaller to larger gauge wire but not the other way around. The strand 14 gauge wire are those coming off of the light fixture, not actual wiring. As for three way lighting from the second question, its a bathroom that will not require that. Typo Not smaller gauge to larger gauge, larger AWG to smaller AWG, i.e. 14 to 12 or 12 to 10 NOT 10 to 14 etc.

• Answer:For your first question, are you replacing the aluminum wire? I’d use 14/2 with a 15amp breaker or 12/2 with a 15 amp breaker. For your second question, yes its fine to run 12/2 on a 15 or 20 amp breaker. You will be fine running a 20 amp breaker and will need it depending on number or lights. You may be just as well to use 14/2 with 15 amp breaker. You cannot use a larger breaker than the wire is intended for..ie 14/2 with 20 amp breaker. I have never seen anyone wire their house with strand wire, only the 8, 10, 12, and 14 gauge romex.

Associated Furnace Blower Rating Question:ELECTRIC MOTOR PROBLEMS?
My old belt drive, split phase, sleeve bearing furnace/ac blower motor started giving me problems several weeks back; would not restart (humming) without tapping on it with the handle of a screw driver or small hammer. After nine years of use I figured the motor just wore out and I bought another motor identical in every way to the old one except for a .2 higher amp rating as the old motor was no longer available from A.O. Smith and the one I got was the advertised replacement. Old motor was V2054, new motor is VB2054. Well, the new motor is doing the same thing, if only on an intermittent basis! I’ve been at this for weeks with no positive results. Eliminated possible circuit board and relay problems at furnace and thermostat by wiring and running motor from several other different outlets with the same problem. The motor, once running will run just fine, seemingly forever without any signs of overheating; it’s the restart that’s causing the problem. 90% of the time it will need a light tap and it will kick in, albeit with a good spark; also I discovered that when I need to do that I did not hear the click when it shut off and when it wants to restart but can’t without the tapping the plug at the power cord feels quite hot at the plug and the motor without a load i.e. belt will restart just fine. When I put my identical old motor in 9 years ago, it did just fine, worked immediately, I’m using a replaced but identical belt and the squirrel cage is clean and moves easily. I can’t really read any amps or voltage fast enough as I’m busy tapping the motor and once started amps and voltage are reasonably within limits. I even had the electric company lay an upgraded line today and move me to a feeder closer to the house! I live in the boonies and reasonable service is hard to come by here. Could I by coincidence have purchased a bad motor? Again, it has the same problem even when plugged into another outlet; at restart it’s a hum, then a click and then nothing without a tap and when plugged in through the furnace the motor seems to pick up heat until restarted; I guess that’s because it keeps getting a signal from the thermostat to start but can’t on its own. Sorry to be so long winded but I wanted to get as much detail in here as possible. Regarding comments by “Lawrence”, even when I use a cord other than the one running through furnace to run the motor through a different outlet it gets hot after repeated attempts by the motor to start. Regarding comments by “Md. R”, replaced belt with same brand/size and even backed up an already acceptable belt tension, the alignment is proper as I can see it, squirrel cage pulley moves smoothly and has been lubricated, the motor is split phase without a capacitor mounted on top. Regarding comments by “Rouse”, when I do hear the click ever so faint at shutdown it will restart, without it no; but why does the problem not occur when the belt is removed? Also one thing I failed to mention is that at times, although very rarely I do hear a quite (healthy?) audible rasping, sliding ratcheting sound when the motor does shut off; I think this occurred when I had the motor running from another outlet.

• Answer: This Question has not been answered yet! Send us Your best furnace blower rating Answer!

Question
Have been doing a lot of research on gas, forced hot air furnaces, as I
have to replace the existing one in a 30 year old 3 bedroom tri-level
(split) outside of Boston.

Have, with the great help of so many folks on this group, pretty much
settled on either Trane or American Standard. Thanks again all, for such
excellent information, and educating me on all of this; really appreciate
everyone’s time.

But, saw on the gas supplier’s website (Bay State Gas) that they also do installations.

So I called them, and yes, they have their own certified technicians, and
own warranty, and it all
sounds pretty good.

But the only brand furnace they install is from some outfit called Heat
Controller who has
models called Comfort Aire.

Found their web site, but doesn’t really say too much.

Never, ever, heard of them.

Who are they ?

“Quality” product ?

Worth considering ? Why ?

Any thoughts on would be most appreciated.

Answers
I’d be much more concerned with the quality of their installers than what
equipment they were installing. Ask them if they subcontract installations,
or if all work is done “in house”. I don’t have any problems with subs, but
with many large utilities, they’re required to use the lowest bidder for
things like this … and the lowest bidder for HVAC installs is NOT the one
you want to take!! Ask them to see photos of jobs, talk with some people,
see if you can find someone who had them install a system, go look at it …
etc etc

I’d suspect the reason they only install Comfort Aire is that they have some
sort of deal worked out with Heat Controller … again, not something I’d be
crazy about, as I’d rather my HVAC contractor be more concerned with the
quality of the unit they’re recommending rather than what type of incentives
they can milk out of the supplier …

However, if you were to have the SAME contractor give you the choice between
Trane/American Standard and Comfort Aire … then go with the Trane/American
Standard.

Associated Comfort Air Furnace Question:What can I do when you have H2O coming out of the bottom of the furnace with the A/C running?
This seems to happen when it is very hot and running all the time. It’s a Comfort Air A/C unit and a Bryant Furnace. This unit is not a new unit, about 10 years old and does get yearly check ups from a professional HVAC. This is the first time it has ever done this.

• Answer:At ten years old the drain line has algae build up in it, use a wet dry vac on the drain line. You should have the evaporator coil looked at because of the age, this will also help back up the line if the coil is dirty. If the coil is freezing in spots because of dirt on the coil this will leak water.

Associated Comfort Air Furnace Question:What is the optimum thermostat settings considering comfort and heating bills?
Gas forced air furnace; programmable thermostat

• Answer:Well dueing the summer I have mine on 78 and I dont go below 75. But I have fans in the house and I use them a lot. During the winter I have it on 65 to 70. Dont go out of that rang. Of course 65 at night and 70 during the day. But I i am used to what I have it set on and really its hard to tell other people how to do there thermostat.

Associated Comfort Air Furnace Question:If I have an Addison model furnace (force air unit), who do I call to replace it?
The Gas Company told me it has been recalled and I cannot use it until repaired or replaced. However, the phone number they referred me to only covers Amana, American Best, American Standard, Bard, Comfort-Aire, Franklin Electric, GMC, Goettl, Goodman, Hamilton Electric, Janitrol, Johnstone, Liberty, Sunburst by Carrier Southern California and Trane. Is there any number for my model? (Addison, model # GHC 050A-3EICC) Thank you.

• Answer:Here is the link. The recall is 9 yrs old. http://sandiegohomes4u.com/Furnace-Recall.htm

Associated Comfort Air Furnace Question:Home heating question pellet furnace v. in floor heat!?
In our home remodel we are planning a change in the heating system. A home addition and several updates in the current house. Currently we are using a forced air propane furnace and its very expensive. We are considering in floor heat for the addition (master bedroom, bath, and family room), and a pellet furnace for the entire home. Has anyone any experience with both systems. How does price compare in operation AND comfort level. ps we are in central IL!

• Answer:We had a radiant floor heating system in one of our previous homes, and we were absolutely delighted with it. However since it required an 80 gallon hot water tank it ate up the energy costs big time both in electricity to run the hot water tank and also natural gas costs. Your pellet stove, I’m almost confident would be more economical.

Associated Comfort Air Furnace Question:Why is no air blowing from the vents?
I have a Freedom 95 Comfort R, I think its a furnace or Whatever. Its suppose to blow hot and cold air. Not at the same time, but whichever one I want it to. I can go in the garage and hear its on. But when I feel the vents, Theres no air. I can feel the air, but its not blowing out. I just changed the filter. Whats Wrong? How much will it cost to have it serviced?

• Answer:The fan shaft is broken. The motor turns but the fan doesn’t.

Associated Comfort Air Furnace Question:Is this a good estimate to replace an A/C blower and furnace?
I live in a three floor townhouse/condo, 1,396 sq/ft. It was built in 1982 and has the original a/c and furnace which is horribly inefficient and is breaking down. Estimate reads as follows: “Remove existing furnace and air conditioning coil and also pump down outdoor condensing unit and remove. We shall install the following: one (1) Carrier 80% gas fired furnace. We shall match this furnace with a Carrier 2 Ton A-Coil. We shall then match the coil to a Carrier Comfort Series 2 ton condensing unit. All existing duct work will remain and existing electrical will remain. We shall also install a new digital, 7 day, programmable t-stat” Total cost: $10,500 Second proposal from same contractor is the same except uses Payne instead of Carrier equipment. Total cost: $8,957 Also, why are prices on equipment such a chore to find? I cannot find a website that just lists the prices of the equipment to see if this guy is on the up and up.

• Answer: This Question has not been answered yet! Send us Your best comfort air furnace Answer!

Associated Comfort Air Furnace Question:Which is the better HVAC system estimate?
An Infinity 80 Gas Furnace with a Carrier 2 ton Comfort Series Air Conditioning System. (Puron High efficiency Evaporator. Factory TXV) for $5,870 Or A Trane XV80 furnace XB14 system with a 2 ton Trane XB14 AC system for $6330?

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Associated Comfort Air Furnace Question:Furnace problem that I beleive to be electrical, perhaps?
Last winter, I had a problem with my furnace. There was an electrical buzzing sound when it would try to start up, but would not ignite/blow warm air. A friend of mine said something about (and he used the correct terminology, but I do not know it) that place where the five wires come together at one panel like-thing, where the screws hold them in place against a board, that I should loosen the screw on the yellow wire a little bit, because sometimes people tighten it too much and the connection gets wacky (like I said, his terminology is much better than mine). I didn’t trust myself to do it, but I watched him follow the directions for “Shut down” listed on my furnace, then he loosened the screw, then followed the directions to start it back up. and it ran like a charm the rest of the winter. This morning, I heard it struggling again, another electronic buzz, and it sounded like it was igniting briefly then shutting off then igniting again briefly, several times back-to-back, like 10 times in 6 or 7 seconds, for about a minute before it stopped working completely. Could this be the same or similar problem? I remember pretty clearly what he did, but am a little nervous about playing with wires. He is not available to talk to or come over, and I am in a remote location where the service guy will not be able to come out until Monday night. In the meantime, the forecast is for several days of -15 degree or below nighttime lows, with highs in the +0’s (farenheit). I am concerned about comfort and pipes freezing/bursting. Any recommendations or suggestions would be appreciated.

• Answer:I never mind giving people advice on their furnaces, but would just like them to know up front that there’s no magical code or up and down, on and off thermostat procedures that could possibly manipulate or trick a furnace into repairing itself when there’s a problem. If you happen to get it working for a moment by coincidentally playing with the controls or jiggling a wire, then you got lucky enough to have some heat for a short while until a heat and air tech can use his expensive meters and trained experience to resolve the real problem. So my thoughts on the problems that you have described, could be related to the flame sensor or even the control board (hard to say) but I can say this, all wire connections to the unit should be tight and secure, not loose and the yellow wire is to energize the outside condensor. And unless you have a dual fuel system, I dont think that’ll work twice. Anyway, I hope the best for ya cause I know money is tight for us all right now.

Associated Comfort Air Furnace Question:rental problems in NJ with central air.?
I live in an apartment in NJ, My central air has not worked since June first, also the day I put in the work order. Since than I have heard every excuse in the book and every b.s. repair method and it still does not work. I was told several times to leave it running so tests could be performed that were not done, I pay for electric. I was also told on several occasions from maintenance that work would be done on a certain day and they did not call or show. The one maintenance guy also laughed at my girlfriend a few days ago when she was trying to explain the problem. Maintenance lied and said we are ordering this part and than a week later said we are ordering the same previous part explained today. They now told me they were calling an outside contractor and they were supposed to come this past Friday and never did. I am now told Monday they will be here. Do I have a privilege to a severely discounted rent payment and to with hold rent until it is fixed? It states in the lease, the tenant is provided with maximum comfort at energy efficiency, I have been with out both for about 4 days under a full month. I have left the air on and it has been 80 degrees inside with the air on while its been 60 degrees outside, but they are trying to say it works properly. The furnace is about 25 years old with the condenser being about 5 years old.

• Answer:Be nice and work with them. 80 degrees is not that hot. No – you will not get discounted rent because there was no ac. 80 degrees is not considered a hardship. If you do not pay your rent he can evict you. Then both of you can square off in small claims court. Good luck.

Associated Comfort Air Furnace Question:cent. air outdoor cond Max Performance 12 ?need manufacturer approx. age, value$?
purchased used installer sold me carrier 13 seer 6 mo. old &switched outdr. condensor replaced it with max performance 12 removed paper manufactor label from one & stuck it on switched unit it says International Comfort Products condensing unit 13xf manufactor #HAC236AKA1 serial #LO12216037 plenum on furnace says ADP model#PT5436-C142AP serial#6004D57449 did not switch plenum definately switched outdoor condensing unit. need help to identify brand name & aprox. age

• Answer:It’s hard to tell what events took place by your description, the sentences just run together. There is no value in a used unit other than scrap value unless you know where it’s coming from and have the utmost confidence in the installer. Why would your installer remove original nameplate and replace it with a nameplate of another? The only reason I can think of is it’s stolen. The Max Performance 12 is not a Carrier unit but I would guess that it is a 12 SEER unit. Maybe someone else can identify that one by that trade name, it’s not a manufacturer or a model number. The model # that you show is for a Heil 3 Ton unit made by ICP and was manufactured in 2001.

Question

Does anyone know if there is a Heating Company that will do free estimates?
furnace heats only half the time.

Answers

No one will come to your house and diagnose your problem for free… there
is usually a minimum service charge involved… Free Estimates usually only
apply to new installations…

If you are interested, I own Furn-Air Heating and Cooling. We charge a
minimum $60.00 service call to come down and diagnose the problem and then
usually a flat rate for repairs. Try calling around for prices, i think we
are fairly reasonable compared to some of the big companies….

Associated air heating furnace Question: Whistling noise from the central air heating system with gas furnace?I have a new central air heating system with a new gas furnace. The whole house has one heating system but two zones. Whenever the upstairs call for the heating, the system starts to whistling. The noise is so strong that you can hear it anywhere in the house. Besides, I feel that the hot air blown out from the vents is very strong. It can shut a door if the door is open with about half foot opening. Is this whistling noise normal? What is the solution to fix it? Many thanks.

• Answer:sounds like your getting to much Volume upstairs. there should be a damper somewhere around the furnace on the duct work. Its just a small lever that will close a flap in the duct. this will reduce the amount of air being forced up there and should take care of the Nosies you are hearing. If the nosies don’t subside then there could be a small gap in the duct or vents somewhere. follow the nosies to its loudest area and see if you can pinpoint it that way.

Associated air heating furnace Question:What is better base board (water heating system) or forced air (gas, furnace heating system)?Which heating system is the most economical ? If a house has Base board heating and no central air conditioning how much would it cost to install centeral air. Should I install both central air and forced air gas heating system .

• Answer:baseboard will be more economical i would just install central air

Associated air heating furnace Question:heating furnace (forced air) making high pitched whistling noise. now i turn it on burning smell and fan stops
heating furnace (forced air) making high pitched whistling noise. the noise would come and go. now i turn it on this morning, burning smell comes from the air duct and fan doesn’t seem to be working. how can i fix this ?

• Answer:Bad blower motor, the bearing has seized in it, replace the motor.

Associated air heating furnace Question:how to get a new furnace (air condition/heating) system through insurance claim?how to get a new furnace (air condition/heating) system through insurance claim? is there anything i can do to get a new furnace by my homeowners insurance. It is a very old furnace that will break down any day now and it does not pump air through all 3 stories of our house?? how do i file this claim?

• Answer:Not likely. It has to be damaged by an identifiable event, e.g. fire, tornado etc. Just wearing out they are not footing the bill for a new one.

Associated air heating furnace Question:Why does my forced hot air heating furnace blower keep kicking on and off every five minutes.?

• Answer:Try putting a new air filter in ,maybe with more air movement your furnace will only run once ……………………………Nave a nice one…………….Mel…………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Associated air heating furnace Question:I have an electric furnace for heating, the air coming out of the heat ducts is cool?is something wrong with the furnace? Shouldn’t the air be warm? The tempature does get up to the thermostat setting.

• Answer:Electrician here. Your blower is running, giving you the air flow, but that air is cool because it is not being heated. There are a few reasons why this could be happening. First, your thermostat control could have been explored by little hands. Make sure it has not been switched to “summer”. If your thermostat is very simple (non-digital etc..,) just make sure you set it so it is calling for heat. Second, although the blower motor is just 110 vac, heating coils in an electric furnace require 240 vac. It is not unusual for a “tied” breaker to trip one side and twist a bit, not appearing fully tripped. Fully shut off and reset all breakers in your power panel that feed your heating system. Third, now that you have checked your thermostat and incoming power, see if you get heat. If you do not, open your heater panel and familiarize yourself with the writing in red. Then, in bold black, there should be instructions for your specific heater, things that you can do, such as reset a tripped overload or safety onboard the heating unit. Fourth, a heater will not turn on a heating coil if it does not know the blower is on. Look for wiring harness connections that may have become loosened when a filter was changed or over time due to vibration or other factors. Fifth, If you do have an elaborate thermostat, there are some things you can check on it. Run through the program parameters to make sure things are still set right. There are times when all I have needed to do is re-enter parameters in the heating program. Six, it is worthwhile at this point, if your symptoms have remained consistent, to unscrew the thermostat from the wall, and gently check to make certain all wires are unbroken and any jumpers (short wires) are attached to two points. This is normally only valuable if someone has been painting or remodeling, or if the unit and/or home is quite old. These are very small guage solid wires and disturbing them by moving the unit from the wall to paint etc.., can cause loosening or breaking of the connections. If these measures are not helpful, get someone with electric heater experience in your area to help you. Please shut off the breakers feeding your heating unit before checking anything with your hands such as the looseness of a connection. If you have your thermostat calling for heat and conditions are right for the heating coils to turn on; there will be inrush current at the point of reconnection, better to have the power off, then turn it back on to see how you did. Good Luck, happy hunting, just be careful, no bare hands on live wiring ever okay?

Associated air heating furnace Question:What is the best place in the kansas city area to call for Air Conditioning and Heating or Furnace repair?I either need it fixed or replaced i need a good dependable company in the kansas city area and for a good price..

• Answer:By far B-L-AIR he owns and runs his own businessvery dependable and nice rates you can almost call anytime nights or weekends…unless he changed his number its 913-634-5634 ok i just checked online and that is the number it has listed for him it also looks like he may be building a web site it looks its a work in progress but it is http://blairhvac.webs.com/ his phone number is under the contact us tab i hope this helps and you find what you are looking for

Associated air heating furnace Question:I have a hot air furnace and need to get some info on my upstairs cold air return problems.?
I have a 3 level home, cellar, main, and upstairs. My hot air furnace heats the main properly and has the thermostat, but the upstairs north facing bedrooms remain cold in the winter. There are 4 cold air returns on main floor, but none upstairs, except the spiral stairwell. I have a pellet stove that runs in the cellar that keeps the main floor supplemented and warmer, thus not kicking on the air furnace too often. I put two open floor grates to let some cold air go into the cellar from the main floor, and I also tried putting a grate in my son’s upstairs bedroom floor to allow some cold air to move downstairs. None of this has seemed to help the problem and it’s still only 63 upstairs in his room. I know the pellet stove is keeping the furnace from starting, but how can I get that cold air to leave the north bedrooms upstairs? There are 3 heat registers upstairs including one in my son’s room. I thought that putting the grate in his room would get some of the air moving.

• Answer:Where does the grate in the bedroom lead to? If it’s just a hole in the floor the cold air has no place to go. It has to be connected by ductwoork to the return air of the furnace. Otherwise the cold air will stay put. But putting ductwork from the 2nd floor would be a massive job. You’d be better of to get something like a portable quartz air heater for the bedroom and just turn it on an hour before bedtime.

Associated air heating furnace Question:Is it OK to run a central air, heat furnace with 2 filters?-one in the unit and one as a pop out change?

• Answer:You don’t want to restrict the air flow. No , not a good idea.

Associated air heating furnace Question:new home with gas heating, furnace seems to make a clicking noise in some air ducts?Am new to gas heating and have a two story house. When using the furnace, sometimes the house will have a noise that is like a clicking/ticking noise and this will sound then do it again in about 1-1.5 minutes. It is only heard in parts of the house, especially in one bedroom. Any possible anwsers would be appreciated. Thanks

• Answer:If you have used an electrostatic air cleaner in your furnace/air conditioner, these “pops” or “snaps” or “clicks” are what is called “arcing.” It is a normal process where, in the electrostatic air cleaner, negative ions clash against allergens and positive ions inside allergens and air contaminants in your heating/air conditioning system. It is the process of the cleaner getting red of those ions (the positive ones, or the “bad ones”) and replacing them with negative ions. Occasional arcing is okay, but repeated arcing signals that the air cleaner in the heater must be cleaned (the filters) before you use them again.