Question
The Pressure Relief on my hot water furnace / heater is
dripping. Could it
mean it is going bad or that the furnace is over
pressurized. My
combination temp pressure gauge has my pressure over 75
and off the scale,
but it seems to be operating fine
Answers
Unless this is a really high multi-story building, your
pressure, or as pointed out on another reply, feet of water,
is way too high.
Another common cause for this, while the water is
heating/hot anyway, would be a waterlogged expansion tank.
Other more dangerous reasons would be water temp too hot
(faulty cutout switch) and/or hot spots in boiler causing
steam.

The gauge should be marked to show proper temp and feet of
water for the unit.
Have the boiler serviced/repaired, (or DIY) and check
regularly for proper operation.
Associated Furnace Water Temp Gaug Question:Do you think my oil furnace is broken or simply empty?
I last filled my furnace exactly 2 months ago with 275 gallons of oil. In addition, the furnace heats both our house (app 1600 sq ft with the temp at 68 degrees) and the water. Unfortunately there is no oil gauge on the tank so I can’t tell if it’s out of oil or just broken. So what I’m wondering is whether you think that this amount of oil consumption sounds about right or whether the furnace is simply not working (there is a third option that the oil company jipped me, but I’d like to not believe that one). In any case I’d love to hear your opinion.

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

Question
Here’s the situation. We’ve had three power cuts this year, so far. I’m
tired of having no heat in a mobile home.

Marine trolling battery. Purchased today. Mfg June 03. 120 minute reserve
cap model.

750 watt Husky inverter, modified sine. (made in China). Supposed to do
1500
watts surge for motor starting. Hookup. Short wires which came with. Lugs
on
one end, and took the alligator clips off the other end, and put on lugs

Furnace: Miller 80k counter flow. Fan replaced in 98 or 99, shaded pole.
Rated 4.2 F.L. amps. When running fan off house power, Ammeter shows about
7
amps starting, and about 5 amps run.

Runs the inducer, and burner nicely. But when the fan comes on, it runs
for
about a second, and then suddenly the motor shifts on the housing. The
“fault” light comes on, on the inverter. And then a couple seconds later,
the fan tries to start….. again. Sometimes it does actually start.

Voltage at the battery is about 12.3 or so, and drops to 11.5 or so when
the
fan is trying to start. I’ve got a charger on the battery now (10 amp auto
regulated).

Spinning the fan by hand and then plugging it in while it’s spinning
provides the same results.

Any clue what’s going on? And what to do about it? In theory, that fan
OUGHTA run on this inverter. Or, so the theory goes. Are the inverters
getting wimpy? Does my battery sound low?
Answers
The motor and the rest of the furnace equipment (igniter etc.) together
probably use too much watts. Motors are hard to start on an inverter because
the start amperage is so high, sometimes by a factor of ten. Also your
inverter may not be doing what it is suposed to.
Associated Furnace Equipment Question:What’s the best furnace and a/c equipment available these days?
We’re getting a new furnace installed and it seems all the vendors are offering different brand equipment. In order of preference, what are the best furnace and a/c manufacturers these days?

• Answer:that’s a difficult question. one thing is to get a new unit, regardless of brand, with the highest SEER you can afford. i would want a unit with a scroll compressor. if you live in a milder climate i would also want a heat pump. now as far as brand, it’s hard to say. trane is probably the industry leader. lennox makes a quality unit. however, they all basicly use the same components as american standard and such. the most important thing is to use a really good contractor. whatever brand you buy, the install is the key!!!!

Associated Furnace Equipment Question:Does anybody know any good solar cell manufacturing equipment supplier to recommend?
I am working on a project about DSC (dye-sensitized solar cells). Need to buy some equipments/furnaces.

• Answer:no

Associated Furnace Equipment Question:Who are the world class consultants of blast furnace in India?
I need the name of equipment and machinery supplier of Blast furnace for a 60 m3 plant. It will also be helpful if any world class consultants outside India are known.

• Answer:sasha boot it”s names.

Associated Furnace Equipment Question:How do I increase my online sales for selling HVAC equipment?
I own Fair Price Furnace Company where we sell Heating/Cooling Equipment to home-owners. Any ideas on how I can increase my online sales? I use Adwords but haven’t gotten great success from it. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

• Answer:Marketing Training Program for serious Entrepreneur’s Greetings, This training information is a must have if you are serious about building your Network useing the Internet. There is no cost to sign up. I will send you two free Ebooks for signing up as a special thank you gift from me. These books will help put you in the right frame of mind to become successful.

Associated Furnace Equipment Question:What types of equipment are used on farms?
I am doing a market assessment on clean heat and power, and its applications specifically in agriculture. In order to do this, I need to know what types of equipment are used on farms, specifically equipment such as furnaces, boilers, and other equipment with extreme heat associated.

• Answer:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_machinery

Associated Furnace Equipment Question:My question to an Air Conditioner Contractor, do you guarantee your work and equipment for 5 years?
We purchased a house about 2 years ago and which the previous owner replaced the air conditioner / furnace with a new system. The problem is that sometimes the condenser wants to start, or runs for about ½ or 1 second and stops and keeps going ON and OFF but never runs. Or sometimes the condenser will run and cool the house for about 15 to 30 minutes and stops cooling (although the condenser keeps running). We called an independent AC repairman, he immediately “found the problem” and told us that the new AC was not properly installed. He indicated that there was excessive high pressure of the refrigerant in the copper lines due to a plug in the system. He said he would never have installed this unit at this house and did not want to get involved trying to fix a problem cause by the installer of the new AC unit. He indicated that the old AC system used R22 refrigerant and the new Trane XR12 AC unit uses R410 refrigerant, and should have never been installed because any trace of the old R22 refrigerant left in the unit is not compatible with the R410 refrigerant and will cause the oil in the refrigerant to “harden” and cause the line to plug up and stop the AC from operating properly. We then called the AC Company that installed the new AC, they have been to the house twice, the first repairman did not find the problem (we told him about the incompatibility of the R22 and the R410, and he said that he has never heard of this problem). The second repairman that came out and verified the very high pressure in the system and indicated that R22 and R410 refrigerants are not compatible and will cause the system to plug up and stop functioning properly, he indicated that the system needed to be “flushed out’ and that the “dryer” in the system needed to be replaced with a new one. I indicated they should be responsible for both labor and materials since the unit was not properly installed. He said they would call me back the next day (this was about 1 week ago); at this point I do not believe they are going to call back. My question to an Air Conditioner Contractor: Do you guarantee your work and equipment for 5 years? And would you come back to fix the incompatible R22 and R410 refrigerant problem on a unit installed 4 years ago. Also, would you still come back even when there has been a change in home ownership? And yes we have the original contact for the unit in our hand and it indicates a 5 year warrantee.

• Answer:I carry a one year craftsmanship warranty on my work. The equipment is covered under manufactures warranty. Full parts and labor warranty for one year and 5 year on compressors. That is a standard warranty, but there are other ones out there and your specific one would have to be checked for sure. Does the contract say only to original purchaser.The contractor has voided the manufactureres warranty when reusing the old lineset from the r-22 system. That is a big no-no. Even if he flushed the lines, that doesn’t guarantee he got all the oil out from the r-22 and obviously he didn’t. At this point you need to replace the entire system to do it right. I know that sounds extreme but that is the right way to do it. The manufacturer won’t like the installer screw up with there equipment, but that also depends on the companies reputation and relationship with them. I personnally would replace the system, but would not try to repair it for you because that is not the thing to do. There is no filter drier in the world that will correct that problem. The oil contanmination is now throughout the sysytem and in the compressor oil. If I tried to fix it cheap for you then you would hold me responsible from there on and you would waste your money and be mad at me when the repairs didn’t work which makes me look bad . Thats just how I operate. I do the right thing the first time and give my opinoin to you the owner on how to repair or replace the system properly. If you choose to not agree and want me to cheat it then I just politley refuse the work. Your best bet at this time is to have a good hvac company replace the system, pay the contractor, and then sue the oringinal one for damages if they don’t take care of the problem first with you.Best luck but get ready for a headache.

Associated Furnace Equipment Question:What home appliance or equipment will you have to replace soon?
Do you wait for the furnace or a/c to break before replacing it totally? How do you know when to replace a water heater?

• Answer:How do you know when to replace a water heater? The best way is to look at the sticker and see how old it is. The next way is to hook up a water hose to the valve and drain the water heater after you turn off the power to it so you don’t burn up the heating coils. Then remove one of the coils from the tank and inspect it for corrosion and inspect inside the tank with a flash light. If you see corrosion in the tank, replace it. The only tools you will need is a phillips screw driver and heating coil element tool to remove that from the tank. They cost about $3.00 at Lowe’s/

Associated Furnace Equipment Question:Need a 24VAC 120VAC power switch / relay / ssr for furnace duct fan application?
I need a relay that is constantly connected to 110VAC which will output 110VAC when 24VAC is applied, and not output 110VAC(output 0 V) when no voltage is applied. The application is for my furnace. I have an old gravity (octopus) furnace. It turns on when 24VAC is supplied (from a thermostat which runs off of a 110VAC to 24VAC transformer). I installed in-line duct fans to force the hot air into the home, which run on 110VAC. I tried powering the fans using an external 110VAC thermostat, (turn fans on when it senses heat moving through the duct- furnace is running-) however, that did not work due to the design of the furnace. Fans turned on when furnace was not running and didn’t turn on when furnace was running. I attempted to adjust the thermostat setting over a week and could not find the “sweet spot”. I want to use a relay to turn on the fans when the furnace is running (24VAC applied from thermostat) and turn off the fans when furnace is not running (no voltage applied from thermostat.) I needs to draw low current though; I’m not sure what the specs are on the furnace equipment (its some old stuff) and I don’t want to significantly alter the power delivered. The fans are rated at 2.25 amps (combined). Fans and thermostat are by suncourt Thermostat: DS100 Fans: 8″ DB208, 12″ DB212 Thanks!

• Answer:Offhand, you might look at pump control relays they use for irrigation & lawn watering. They’re 24v units that control 120/240v loads. The only thing I’m not sure about is whether once the relay is engaged, the removal of the 24v control voltage releases the relay or whether the timer circuit releases it. The good thing about them, if they’re workable, is that they have their own housing. Good luck…

Associated Furnace Equipment Question:Furnace or Thermostat not working?
I have a gas furnace and a 15 year old Honeywell programmable thermostat. No problems for all that time and no recent changes to any equipment or programming. Lately, the furnace does not come on when it should, sometimes. Last night for example, the furnace stopped coming on and house temperature dropped to 18, but stat was set to 22. All functions on the thermostat appear to be working, but the furnace won’t come on. So I go downstairs, turn the ‘master’ furnace switch off and on, and the furnace comes on immediately and runs fine. It stops running when house temperature reaches 22. It then may run fine for days, following the program rules. This has happened about 8 times over past month, with the solution being the same each time. My thoughts are that the thermostat is broken, but I’d like some expert input. I have a repair plan on the furnace, but I’m sure it doesn’t cover the stat. And if I call them in and they say its the stat, it will cost me much more! Thoughts?

• Answer:First of all, ignore the first comment —You will NOT have to replace your furnance. If you turned on the manual switch for the furnace and it turned on…then it is working. Your furnace has NOTHING to do with it. However, the thermostat is the problem. I also have a Honeywell thermostat and I had a problem getting the best energy use out of my furnance. I did some digging just recently and came across Honeywell’s website providing assistance for new and older products. Copy and paste the link below into a new window and everything should be at your fingertips. Once there, look under “Support & Contact”. You can look under FAQs or look up your product No with Thermostat Wizard. The Wizard will ask you specific functionality problems and give you a solution. If it does not resolve your problem, CALL Honeywell’s support number and explain your problem. They should send you out a replacement at no cost to you, or maybe just the shipping and handling fees. There’s no point in you wasting your time and money to fix a working furnace when your problem is the themostat….TRUST ME. Hope this helps! http://yourhome.honeywell.com/Consumer/Cultures/en-US/default.htm

Associated Furnace Equipment Question:Can you do the Fat Burning Furnace from your home?
I’m really interested in buying the FBF, but does it require you to go to a gym and use weight machines? I don’t really have access to a gym, all I have are 10-lb weights at home, and I don’t want to buy a gym membership if I’d only be going three times a week for less than an hour workouts. So is it possible to do the interval training at home without extra equipment?

• Answer:Yeah, you can do it at home. It’s probably easier if you join a gym that has all the fancy equipment, but you can do it anywhere. There are sections that explain how to do it at home with your own equipment, and even if you don’t have any exercise equipment at all (using a jug full of water if you don’t have weights, for example). Good luck!

Question
What are the warranty problems that one will run into if you so a DIY on a
replacement of your furnace?

I’ve seen some mfrs (Goodman for one) that no longer accept
non-professional installations for warranty
items. I fully understand the challenges involved in doing this as a DIY
project, but I am well skilled in
every aspect (sheet metal, gas lines, electrical, venting, etc) and I
don’t take any short cuts. I just want to
save some money, since it’s pretty tight right now.

Anything else to be concerned about?
Answers
The main concern is that you wind up with
a shithead as an installer.

Have a nice day!

Associated Furnace Diy Question:I’m removing an old floor furnace, and would like to close the hole. How do I DIY?
More details- 1955 house with hardwood floors, I’m removing the original floor heater for forced air, and need to patch the hole that will be left by the removal. Also, if I don’t remove it, is there a way to block it up so I don’t have a draft through the opening? Thanks!!

• Answer:we need more details,

Associated Furnace Diy Question:Leaking Carrier Furnace – DIY Problem Solving?
I have a Carrier Furnace that is 4 years old. This past spring it was leaking quite a bit of water so I turned the whole thing off as we don’t use it in the summer anyway. There is a line that is about a dime width that water is released from the furnace. This is full of water and it is not emptying into the sink where the line drains. This line originates at a box on the side of the furnace which I assume is a pump to push the water out. Is there a way to fix the pump? Determine if the pump is indeed not working? Replace the pump? I am fairly competent with most repairs if I understand what’s going on. Is this something I can fix myself? Or at least do a little problem solving? Or even put a quick fix on? It’s cold and I just need heat for another month. My cash flow is severely limited and the company that installed the furnace are horribly overpriced and inefficient and snotty. Hooray! I went down and made sure the furnace was completely shut off (gas and power). I unplugged the pump (thanks for that info!) and took off the top. After looking at it and figuring out how it worked (pretty simple really) I could see that I had a bunch of fairly easy solutions. a) I could poke around the float because maybe it was just stuck and try again b) just take the hose out of the pump entirely and let the water drain onto the floor or extend that pipe to the floor drain thus bypassing the pump for a quick and temporary fix c) just take the whole thing off and have it replaced or fixed without having some doofus repair guy come into my home and all that hassle (thanks Drewfuss!) So anyway I poked around the float which did seem to be sticky and gave it a wipe. Then I turned the furnace back on and filled the water reservoir with water to see what would happen and well… it just worked fine. THANK GOODNESS! Now it’s warm and toasty in here. Great advice guys! Thanks

• Answer:Ok, you are correct, the little box is the condensate pump. It could be broken, or maybe just unplugged. sometimes these are just plugged in, and sometimes they are hardwired into the electical box. I think there is some sort of float switch inside the box. Make sure it has power to it. if it does, and stilll doesn’t work. unplug it and open it up to see if there is anything you can see wrong in there. I should be a pretty easy thing to replace the whole pump, since it’s really not connected to anything except by a hose and a cord.

Associated Furnace Diy Question:DIY furnace problems please help…?
okay a couple of days ago i asked a question about this and got some very helpful answers so here i am again. my led light is telling me that i have an open limit switch. so i went and bought new one and replaced it (well guess what i have 4 doh!!) so i started cleaning everything (with the gas and power off of course) and had a friend over… he checked the fuses he saw that one was not blown but weak so he cleaned it off and pluged it back in and wala heat… he left furnace working great … for about 15 minutes. bam… back to just cold air. he bought some new fuses again wala heat… 15 minutes later … yep cold air. now its saturday night… cold here in utah… plz help thanks!!!! jen- can you ask him how to check to see which one is bad with the voltage meter… im sure my friend knows but hes not here thanks so much… is it as simple as unplugging one violet wire from one end of the limit switch and checking it with the voltage meter?? my worries is that all 4 of my limit switches kinda hook together please email me and let me know what he says thanks

• Answer:I’m sorta coming in on this late, but it sounds like your limits are doing what they are supposed to do,, turn off the furnace when it overheats…This sounds like you have an air flow problem,,, Have you checked to make sure your filters are not plugged with dirt,,, are all your vents open,,, are your return vents clear,, not covered with a throw rug or a piece of furniture..Is your blower coming on… Do you have A/C,,, if so maybe your A-Coil is plugged with dirt… On the name plate of the furnace it should give you a limit for the temperature rise,,, This is the difference between the air in the return going to the furnace and the air in the supply leaving the furnace… it will probably be a range like 35-65,,, Example,, if you have 65 deg air going to furnace and the air leaving is 125 deg… your rise is 60 deg and it is OK.. but if you have 65 deg air going in and the air leaving is 145 deg, then your rise is 80 degrees ans it is over the furnaces rating and this will probably cause you to cycle on limit. some limits have to be manually reset,, there will be a little red button that pops out in the middle of the switch,, just push the button in if you have this kind to reset it,,, Good Luck,, I hope this helps,, Bob G

Associated Furnace Diy Question::Lady DIY Needs Furnace Help?
I have a (12-15 year old) Janitrol furnace with a programmable thermostat. Sometimes the furnace comes on (ignitor, burners, blowers) in the morning, runs, then shuts off before it’s reached the desired temp. The burners will come on repeatedly while the blower is still running, and I hear an intermittent series of metallic clicks. Other times the furnace allows the temperature to drop below the desired set point. It won’t continue running to properly heat the house. If I take the furnace cover off, and push the button underneath, it will OFTEN (but not always) come on and run properly the rest of the day. I know where the ignitor and the heat sensor are located but not which could be the problem and I don’t know how to take out/replace either. Some sites say to clean the sensor with steel wool…others say NO. Some say look through the peephole to check for flashing red lights to diagnose, but I don’t have one. Any help/advice w/be SO appreciated.

• Answer:never use sandpaper to clean a flame sensor rod. this is a common error. when a flame sensor quits conducting its because it has become insulated by oxides thus the tiny current that flows through the flame (so small its measured in micro amps) can no longer and a flame failure fault is generated. the gas valve closes and the glow bar is re heated in an attempt to re lite the flame (relays usualy handle the switching that turns on the glow bar and they make a series of metalic clicking sounds when they opperate) anyways back to the oxides. sand paper grit is made from all kinds of different oxides so while you may scratch off enough oxides to get it to stay on for a while the heat of the flame will just recoat the flame rod with more oxides. the proper way to clean a flame rod is with a fine file or wire brush. never ever use sand paper. it sounds to me though like you ought to call a technician. I admire you for trying this but if you dont know how to remove the flame sensor, this is best left to someone with the know how.

Associated Furnace Diy Question:How to clean a gas furnace?
I am looking to find out how I can DIY cleaning my gas furnace.

• Answer:a wet rag and some elbow grease

Associated Furnace Diy Question:how do i convert my furnace from natural gas to lp?
just bought a new furnace to put in our garage but we don’t have natural gas and we want to run lp gas on it. conversion kits are too expensive. is there any other way to DIY so we don’t have to spend so much on it? can we just change the orifices and the valve or do we have to buy a conversion kit?

• Answer:Take heed, you have received sound advice from ” what a sweet heart ” Don’t simply listen to answers without a clear mind when you’re dealing with stuff like this If you have doubts, refer to specialists Couple of dollars saved won’t compensate for the consequences

Associated Furnace Diy 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 Diy Question:Why won’t my furnace turn on without being reset?
We have a propane furnace. It won’t kick on unless we manually reset it. Often it needs to be reset several times before the blower finally starts up. I have changed the batteries in the thermostat and the thermostat itself seems to be working fine. The glow plug works, propane is getting to the furnace. It just won’t turn on unless we reset it. Does anyone know what this could mean? Is there a DIY solution to this problem?

• Answer:Sounds like a problem with the safety devices. I think you need a AC Man to look at your fan control box…

Associated Furnace Diy Question:I have a t-pride oil furnace with a model “a”, “af” beckett burner. how do i prime and start burner?
I’ve tripped the breaker, hit the reset button, the fan kicks on but no heat. we just had our oil tank filled and it was pretty low, i would guess the furnace(?), burner(?), needs priming. Is this something a “diy” person should attempt?

• Answer:Your oil delivery probably stirred up sludge in bottom of tank,plugging up the filter,nozzle,call the oil man to replace these parts.Bleeding will only help you temporarily it will lockout again.It could get messy as a diy.It could also be component failure.Good luck

Associated Furnace Diy Question:when i hit the switch to turn on furnace, i have to hit reset in order for it to turn on?
everytime i need to turn on heater, i have to hit the reset under it and BTW its a gas furnace. i was wondering if i need a repairman or is it DIY capable?

• Answer:Your furnace sends 24 volts to the thermostat, through the red wire. It has a step down transformer to take the 120 vac to drop it down to 24 volts. It should not reset. Your furnace has a thermocouple that sits infront of the flame. It generates a couple milivolts (thousands of a volt) when heated. If no voltage is present from the thermocouple the gas vlave is shut off. This is so if there is no flame the gas is not allowed to build up until it explodes. As soon as you open the cover to the furnace the electrical safety switch turns off all power (voltage) to the furnace. So you can not get shocked. A $20 service guide from the furnace manufacturer will show and tell you how speciafically fix your furnace. And how to test the parts. It will save the $75 service call, and labor costs.

Question
I bought a house outside Halifax(Tantallon) that has a 20 year old oil
furnace. It definetly needs to be cleaned and checked out, and I’ll
likely need to replace it in the next couple of years. Any
recommendations on good furnace companies? I heard Esso is good, but I
wanted to check here first.
Answers
I like Scotia Fuels..

Not a fly by night company. Locally owned. Good burner people.

Prices.. well they all suck, so you have to weigh the other stuff as well
these days.

Associated Furnace Company Question:I have to replace my 20 year old furnace. Can anyone recommend/not recommend good furnace company to buy from?
Anyone recommend a good furnace for a side split open concept home? Air would have to get to different levels in home. I need a company that are good service wise to back up the product.

• Answer:I cannot give you a specific company name because most heating companies are locally owned businesses, and I don’t know where you are, besides, I only really know about companies in the Chicago area. What I can tell you is that the three best manufacturers are Bryant, Carrier or Trane. This, of course, is my professional opinion, and other people you talk to may give their input on which brands they prefer. The company I work for is a Bryant dealer. My advice would be to do your homework and get an idea of whats available. As for finding a local contractor, decide on which brand you want and go to their website. They will provide a list of factory authorized dealers in your area. Hope this helps!

Associated Furnace Company Question::What is the filter box my new A/C, Furnace company wants to put in my attic?
It will be a new gas furnace in the attic, and a new a/c outside. Currently, I use a 20×25x1 filter in the hallway of my home, and this company wants to put a filter in the attic thats changed yearly. Will I use both filters?

• Answer:That likely would be one of those newer HEPA filters that are about eight inches think. They do work and you have to replace them much less. But if I were you I would check the price of those filters first. I saw some that were $50-$100 each. They are far more expensive than changing the one inch thick ones more often. Unless you have people with allergies I doubt it is worth it.

Associated Furnace Company Question:What does the date code 30GA stand for on a wall furnace manufactured by Williams Furnace Company?
This wall furnace has a model number of 50GV-5 and the serial number of 3131.

• Answer:The 30 is the day of the month. The G is the month, July. The A is the year, ie: 2001, 1991, or 1981. A=1, B=2, C=3…K=10 or 0 for months or years. L=November M=December

Associated Furnace Company Question:I have a Furnace that is made by the Henry Furnace company Now I need parts?
:Any Idea where I can search online to get parts for this Furnace and Price. Need to get Heat in this house.

• Answer:I can relate to your problem as have a 40 year old Warm Morning Propane Heater that am unable to find parts for as they are now out of business. This is what I can tell you about the Henry Furnace Co. they were originally purchased by Luxaire Inc. That is now part of York International which is owned by Johnson Controls. www.johnsoncontrols.com would go to their site and go to the contact us fill out the form and find out if and where you can still get parts. Would be best to use an 800 number to talk to a tech. but I could not find one.

Associated Furnace Company Question:Can I expect a heating company to replace a faulty furnace?
All, I built a house 3 years ago and the brother of the builder installed the oil furnace heating system. To make a long story short, the system has had some issues, and we recently learned that it had a substandard efficiency rating when it was originally installed. The original warranty was only for 1 year. Being that the warranty is over, can I expect the company that installed it to replace or fix it at no cost? Do I have legal options? Are they worth it? It might cost $3000 for a new system.

• Answer:Negative. You don’t need to watse your time trying to point the finger at anyone. If you built the house or had a builder do it and the builder’s brother installed the heating system even if he was liscensed you were/are responsible three years later. You’ll have to replace it on your own. Better do your homework this time around as fuel costs are through the roof.

Associated Furnace Company Question:I want to find a brazilian company to build a blast furnace for me in Iran. How can I find one?
I want to find a brazilian company to build a blast furnace for me in Iran. How can I find one? I searched by search engeens but it didn’t help.

• Answer:Check with people in the industry and they will know.

Associated Furnace Company Question:In or around Omaha, NE, does anyone know someone or a company who could clean a furnace for a reasonable price?
I am looking for someone to clean my older furnace. We don’t have a lot of extra money, so we are looking for someone who is good, but less expensive than calling a company, or a reasonably priced company. Thank YOu!!!

• Answer:call 2 or 3 heating contractors and ask how much they charge. tell ‘em you don’t have a lot of money. hire the cheapest one. or if they are all too much, keep looking.

Associated Furnace Company Question:I a looking for the company that made furnace model # PBKM-LD16NN120D?
This furnace model number was recalled.

• Answer:Fraser-Johnston, a division of York http://www.york.com/

Associated Furnace Company Question:How do i find out information about a company installing a furnace and c/a??
The better business bureau has no info as far as i can tell so how do i make sure a company is in good standing ex: no unfinshed projects or faulty equiptment? I am in ohio

• Answer:I recommend joining ANGIE’s LIST <= membership is pricey but supposely can join for just one month and then just getting quotes from highest rated HVAC firms bec consumer/resident members do decent job subjectively rating firms for their quality of work and sometimes price on different/various repair services and most give honest opinions so please beware not to select bad apples or ones with lowest grades bec they are crooked and you don’t want to do business with them or get quotes from bec in the end, they will not install your HVAC correctly and you will have problems on your hand and might have to pay 2nd HVAC firm to do job correctly where lowest price is not alway best… Use your instinct and gut feeling bec normally HVAC firms have designated crews… Hope the Above Info Helps!

Associated Furnace Company Question:How much would it cost to replace an oil furnace in Central Maine & what company does it?
I live in Central Maine in a 1500 square foot house and think I need to replace my oil furnace which supplies my hot water and heats the house through the hot water base board. Does anyone know how much it would cost to purchase a new oil furnace and have it installed as well as who I might contact to do it? Thank you!!

• Answer:Most all your local oil suppliers do this or will recommend people they use. Central maine is a big area. Here in Augusta/ Waterville area there is OBrian , Fabian, Dead River, J&S, just to name a few. But check your supplier if you have questions as to who to call. Its a start.

Question
I am studying Electric Arc Furnaces and their heating effect.
>One furnace specifically in mind uses a 4.5MVA continuously rated 3 phase AC
>Start/Delta Transformer. The TX has 18 Tap settings that range from 30 kA @
>70 Volts Tap 1 and 13 kA @ 200 V Tap 18. The Electrodes are about 400 mm in
>dia.

>If I assume that the furnace charge (substance under change) is purely
>resistive and the heating effect of the furnace is directly related to P =
>I^2Rt. Therefore if the resistance of furnace charge is basically constant,
>the square of the current by time determines the amount of heat energy
>delivered to the charge.
>My question is, even though the input power (work) to furnace remains
>constant for each tap setting, will the higher current taps produce a Hotter
>charge (same work at a faster rate) as compared to lower current taps?
Answers
For electric arc furnaces things make more sense when talking about
furnace impedance rather than just charge resistance alone. For
example, the setpoints 30kA / 70V and 10.5kA / 200V will both give
about 3.64 MVA [P = V * I * sqrt(3) ]. The latter setting will
probably be associated with a considerably higher power factor (cos fi),
and thus result in a higher net power input to the furnace. However,
let us simplify things and assume unity power factor in both cases, so
that the two settings both give a power input of about 3.6 MW.

In the first case the impedance per phase will only be just above 2
milliohms, and the electrodes will either seek downward into the charge,
- or the furnace must operate with either a submerged arc or a very
short arc. In the second case the impedance will be as high as 19
milliohms, which may exceed the average resistance of the charge itself.
In such case an open arc will be created. The voltage drop through the
arc column plus the voltage drop through the bath and charge will then
be equal to the total phase impedance.

Your question was related to which power setting that would produce a
hotter charge. Well, it is all a question of the principle for energy
transfer applied from the electrodes to the furnace: resistance heating
of the charge and bath, – or by radiation and plasma energy transfer
from the arc. Resistance heating will normally always result in a
hotter bath, as the thermal energy is created deeper into the furnace.
Arc heating may produce a higher melting rate as the energy transfer
into the solid material can be much more efficient , but may not give
sufficient heat to the lower part of the furnace to maintain the bath
fully liquid. As may be understood, an electric arc furnace is a very
flexible melting machine, and can be operated in many different ways and
modes.

Good luck with your studies!

Question
We’re needing to replace our Furnace. Since we live in upstate NY, in the
Snow Belt,
I’m sold on the idea of two stage or variable speed furnaces.

The one that looks the best in this regard is a Rheem Contour (also sold
as
a Ruud, or
Weatherking.) I was wondering if anyone had experience with this product,
and
if you have any recollection of how it would compare in price with another
name high efficency,
brand furnace from Lennox, Carrier etc. From the little I’ve heard, it
provides a very comfortable

Answers
The Ruud is a modulating furnace, it varies the burner output from 40% of
rated output to 100% depending on the heating load required. I have
installed a few. As long as it is installed properly it is a trouble free
furnace, screw up the install and it is a hand full! Make sure you get a
experienced contractor to do the install.
As far as price, it varies with parts of the country, some dealers get
better cuts on prices than others, and labor rates, varies all over the map.
It will compare in price with two stage or multi-stage furnaces.
Greg

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Associated Compare Furnace Question: Compare furnace brands Trane versus Westinghouse?
We’re trying to decide whether to spend the extra money on Trane. We’ve heard Westinghouse furnace and heat pumps are good quality and less expensive. Would like to get homeowners’ or hvac contractors’ opinions.

• Answer:You probably heard they were good from the dealer that sells them. Most of the time you get what you pay for. If you live in a metropolitan area I would get another price on the same make from another dealer just so you know their in line. I think you will always have the best chance of getting a quality product and installation by buying the top name brands. They will be more likely to be around and supply replacement parts that may be needed in the future.

Associated Compare Furnace Question: A question for mobile home owners with an electric furnace?
How does an electric furnace compare with an oil furnace both in heating efficiency and overall costs?

• Answer:As far as efficiency, electric is tops; 100 percent of the money you spend on fuel gets used to heat the home; none goes up a chimney. The drawback is the cost of electric power is the most expensive. If you have to go electric, consider a heat pump. You pay to move the heat, but not the heat itself. It also serves as an A/C in summer. Heat pumps are only efficient when the weather is above 40* and dry. Oil furnaces have come a long way in the past few years. They are much more efficient, cleaner burning, and lower maintenance than in the past. Drawback is you pay quite a bit for fuel all at one time, unless you are with a company that lets you spread payments out over the season. The tank can also be an issue with some folks. On the up side, newer furnaces can burn bio-diesel. As for safety, “oil” is actually diesel fuel. It must be mixed with oxygen in order to burn. There is little to no danger of uncontrolled fire from diesel-oil fuel. Dollar for dollar, oil is less expensive to operate.

Associated Compare Furnace Question: What is the savings I could expect when I use a heat pump instead of a gas furnace?
I live in NE PA and am trying to compare with a 90% furnace.

• Answer:Unless you go with something like a groundsource heat pump, you’ll be mostly heating with electricity all winter if you do the heat pump — once temps of the source of the heat the heat pump is extracting drop below 0oF, they’re just the equal of running electric strip heaters. When temperatures outside are fairly warm — for instance, here in western Or valleys, most of the winter we’ve got temps in the 40’s– we get about twice as much heat per unit of electricity used if we use an air source heat pump instead of an electric strip heater. That difference is called COP, coefficient of performance. The closer the indoor and outdoor temps are together, the better the COP, up to 3 or 4. When you get down to around 0oF, COP is about 1 for a heat pump (and not a whole lot better than that around freezing!) I would bet your local power company can calculate the costs of a heat pump vs. gas furnace, given your power usage for the last few years. My guess is the gas furnace is going to be the winner here when costed out over a reasonable period of years. The other advantage of a heat pump is that it can also be used as central air conditioning in the summer — that’s an add-on to a gas furnace. You may want to include that in your calculations. Or not.

Associated Compare Furnace Question: How much should a 95% Trane Furnace cost installed?
I’m looking to upgrade my furnace and take advantage of the 1500 tax credit. I know it has to be a 95% efficiency. Any idea what this should cost? I’m going to get a few different estimates to compare, but would like to know if anyone has had one installed recently. Thanks! (Furnace Only)…

• Answer:4 to 5 grand depending on size and if there is a lot of re-piping of duct and or gas line to do.

Associated Compare Furnace Question: Is there a comparison between MERV ratings for furnace filters and CADR rat tings for air purifiers?
Looking to buy an air purifier and was trying to compare/find the difference between MERV ratings on a furnace filter and CADR ratings for an Air Purifier.

• Answer:MERV: Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, commonly known as MERV Rating is a measurement scale designed to rate the effectiveness of air filters. The scale is designed to represent the worst case performance of a filter when dealing with particles in the range of 0.3 to 10 microns. The MERV rating is from 1 to 16. Higher MERV ratings correspond to a greater percentage of particles captured on each pass. CADR: Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) indicates the volume of filtered air delivered by an air cleaner. CADR also determines how well an air cleaner reduces pollutants such as tobacco smoke, pollen and dust. The higher the tobacco smoke, pollen and dust numbers, the faster the unit filters the air.

Associated Compare Furnace Question: would installing a ventless gas stove be an effecient way to heat an old home as compared to a furnace?

• Answer:The new vent-free gas heaters are not meant to be the primary source for home heating. They present a couple of problems such as requiring additional air for combustion and ventilation. So a window or something has to be left cracked to supply the air. They put off alot of moisture (a normal by-product of combustion), so the house will feel “sticky”, and they don’t normally have the BTU capacity to heat a whole house.

Associated Compare Furnace Question: compare the process of feedback inhibition to the function of a furnace thermostat.?

• Answer:well a furnace reuglates tempurture…

Associated Compare Furnace Question: How to figure out how green my wood furnace is?
I have a wood burning furnace and want to know how energy efficient it is compared to heating with oil. I called the company but they had no information on emissions. Is there a place I can find this information or is there a way I can measure it?

• Answer:You can try here for that. http://www.squidoo.com/outdoor-wood-furnaces

Associated Compare Furnace Question: Anyone replace their oil or gas fired home furnace with a dual fuel (wood/oil or gas/oil) unit?
My dad is planning to replace his oil-fired furnace. Someone had mentioned to him the existence of a dual fueled unit, one that can use wood or oil. He has a good amount of firewood available, so, the only cost associated with it would be harvesting the dead wood and splitting it. Does anyone have any experience with such a unit? How well does it heat when using wood vs. using oil? Can you run it for extended periods on oil (say, if you are on vacation for a few weeks)? Compared to replacing with an oil-only unit, would a dual-fuel unit have a positive,negative or no effect on the value of the home (ie. is having a dual fueled unit viewed negatively by potential buyers, since he is also considering putting his house on the market in another year or two)? Thanks!

• Answer:Dual fuel furnaces are very inefficient when using the oil or gas burners and can be a maintenance problem for these components.Some where poorly designed and when throwing wood in you could do damage to the burner chamber for the oil and gas side and one I worked on the oil burner was below the wood door so it was often damaged when wood fell on it.If you are going to burn mostly wood and only oil once in a while and the oil burner is up high and out of the way of the wood it might be a good choice.If not you are going to burn a lot of oil compared to a single fuel furnace.I would say to install a wood furnace next to an oil furnace but that would require a second chimney because a duel fuel furnace is the only way to burn wood and oil in one chimney by code.

Associated Compare Furnace Question: How severe can a gas furnace explosion be?
I’m considering buying a home with natural gas but I”m concerned about the dangers associated with it. I have heard that a natural gas furnace can explode and I’m wondering, in the worst case scenario, weather that would be compared to the kind of explosions you see happen with Propane heated homes, where it basically levels the whole house, or weather gas furnace explosions are more likely to only do damage to the furnace itself or the basement.

• Answer:The good news is that all the newer furnaces (last 10 yrs or so) have many safety devices that older ones to not. One of the largest causes of gas explosions is with delayed ignition. This is where one or more burners do not light off until a load of gas has built up. It is usually caused by scale, household lint, burner alignment, and on a few improper air mixture or cracks in the heat exchanger. Newer furnaces will shut off the gas flow typically in 3 to 5 seconds if full ignition is not sensed. It may retry a few times before locking out. Propane is heavier than the air in your home so is even more dangerous. In fact my insurance prohibits me from working on propane. A yearly check should be done including a cleaning. This past summer I was on an a/c call and asked if I should check the boiler while I was there. He was hesitant. “It works fine, no problems, blah, blah, blah.” The upshot is I did end up checking it. He had one of those 1 in 10,000 issues I have seen only twice in 40 years. Had his pilot gone out on a 100% shut off redundant gas valve raw gas would have filled the room until finally the water heater would have lit it off! I do not have facts but would guess that 95% of furnace explosions could have been prevented with a yearly service call and cleaning. Again the newer units have so many safety switches built in that they almost can not even start much less run when there is a safety issue. In short, do not be afraid. Just have it checked yearly.

Question
I want to build a small furnace for the purpose of making and coloring
frit. I work with clear and colored (cobalt or copper) frits. Mostly I
am fritting up float glass. I may get interested in coloring or
fritting lead crystal but that is not immediate. Propane is my fuel of
choice. This is not a 24/7 operation.

I have gotten conflicting opinions on what configuration I should go
with. One opinion is that I should build a free standing pot furnace.
This would allow me to use different pots for different purposes. It
would also offer the possibility of removing the hot pot and pouring the
glass out. I’m told this setup will give me cleaner glass.

Another opinion is that I should build an invested pot furnace. I’m
told this would be easier to build, and be easier to run.

I am thinking about scaling the furnace to a 55 gal drum or there
abouts. I imagine castable refractory is a good route to make a
relatively inexpensive durable rig.

If I run this rig outdoors, intermittently do I need a safety system?
Will a venturi burner do the trick?

I’ll be interested to hear some opinions on what is the most practical
approach from more experienced furnace users and designers.

Answers
Too many years ago to reveal we were doing lots of experimental melts.
Almost universally they were done in pots holding about 1 or 2 pounds, which
we slip cast and fired in the lab. This was using a gas-fired furnace with
two tangential nozzle-mix burners and high/low gas flow temperature control,
with a thermocouple in the wall of the furnace.

At some stage as you scale up, it becomes impossible to lift the pot out
with ease, because of the weight and the need to grip with tongs. At that
stage you have to ladle the glass out, or have a means of tilting the pot to
pour it direct. Alternatively use a small day tank, and mount on a pivot. I
think it is AFT in England, at Retford, who have designed something on these
lines.

You are talking about oil drum size. Is this the glass containment? If so it
may need to be a clay pot, which would have to be fired in situ before use
to be any good, and may not last more than one firing. You will not get away
with lining an oil drum with castable, in my opinion, although Didier
Taylor’s 150 Zircon Patch is a surprisingly good material. A zircon-mullite
castable could also work well, but not inside an oil drum. As for firing,
the castable has to be prefired, and it needs to follow a careful heat-up
curve. You need a mould from which you can release it. A simple programmable
controller would be a good investment. The firing chamber can be a pile of
bricks held in a simple steel frame, with some insulation. In fact you could
probably use 2800 IFB for short term use, maybe coated internally with a
thin veneer of castable with a suitable rating.

An inspirator nozzle mix burner on propane or natural gas ought to be
suitable, but time is going to be the problem, and a controller will
definitely help, with a control valve on the gas line. You also should have
safety shut-off valves even working outside.

I suspect that you can buy a simple pot furnace for maybe USD20-30k. That
would be suitable for industrial use and would comply with most applicable
regulations. A DIY effort is obviously going to cost a lot less, but you may
have a learning curve. Have you ruled out electric heating totally? It may
have advantages for intermittent use. Molybdenum disilicide (Kanthal Super)
heating elements are the best way. You could then use insulating fibre
modules for the walls of the heating chamber (like Clinotherm).

Associated Cheap Furnace Question:Are waste incineration furnace cheap to use?
For plastics.

• Answer:It is cheaper to recycle plastics than to burn them. Waste Incineration is cheap to use. The waste burns itself. BUT Keeping the poisonous gasses and solid leftovers from polluting the environment are expensive. Waste Incineration is EXPENSIVE to clean up since burnt waste contains so much concentrated poisonous chemicals that it has to be disposed of in expensive landfills or caves.

Associated Cheap Furnace Question:How Can I get a new furnace cheap?
Without getting HOSED by my local HVAC bumcrack sportin unkept and smelly furnace man?

• Answer:Get a NATE certified technician. Go to www.natex.org, check the consumer-contractor connection area for the names of contractors in your area who employ NATE certified techs. Also check your local Better Business Bureau for contractors who have good reputations. There are plenty of them out there, but they are not likely to be the “cheapest” price. If you only look at “cheap” you likely get unlicensed moonlighters working with their bosses truck and tools on their own side jobs with no liability insurance and no way to make them stand behind their work – but they’re cheap!

Associated Cheap Furnace Question:
help me find a cheap priced person to fix my oil furnace in klamath falls or.?
i put some heating oil in my rental prop oil furnace and can’t get it to light. i have bled the line to the tune of 1 gallon oil removed and pushed the start button many times. i even let it sit for a day and tried again. no luck. i am now looking for someone to teach me to light it without these problems, but i don’t have the money for an experienced professional. does anyone know of anyone in kf who is retired or just handy?

• Answer:Just remember you usually get what you pay for so cheap often equals poorly done. Your best bet would be to find a tech who works for a larger company who does side work. I am in California so I could not recomend anyone in your area.

Associated Cheap Furnace Question:
What is the average price of a new furnace?
The furnace in my house died. Looking for the price for top of the line, mid range and cheap furnaces. Possiblity of using a heat pump instead. Home warranty co. is just going to upgrade the 30+ year old Bryant. Want it to last for another 30+ years. Lennox, Brant and Trane are all reputable companies and have great products. I’ve never had to purchase something like this before as this is my first house.

• Answer:I am also in Wisconsin and replaced my furnace only with a 95% efficient gas unit. The cost was pennies over $2,000 installed.

Associated Cheap Furnace Question:
how can I find a cheap solution to replce gas furnace(s) in ct?
I got laid off. Trying to get some supplemental income as a landlord. Just find out the place I bid on need new gas furnace(s), and I already give deposit. I am so worried….

• Answer:what kind of gas? size of unit? type? up flow down flow or horizontal? you have allot of choices. 80% furnace is plus or minus $800.00 to $1800.00. a high efficient type can get over $2500.00 real fast and up to 6 or 7 thousand not including the labor to hire someone. I can get one shipped to you for a great price just let me know the specs. if you have a large apt building and are considering many units. a hydronic system may be cheaper. by adding hot water coils to each conditioned space. t-stat fan forced with sol. shut off valves. hot water circulated by a central boiler.

Associated Cheap Furnace Question:
where can i buy a cheap forge furnace and anvil?
I need a furnace blacksmithing(steel primarily) and i Don’t have much money and i dont want to risk accidents by making my own. Where could i buy a cheap good size forge online or in phoenix? and for the anvil i just want a decent sized one for cheap thats all. thank you. ive seen some 55 lbs anvils for 80$ or some poor metal 100 lbs ones for 100$ but i want a good qauilty anvil for around that price or a bit less and for a forge i just need a small one not too big,maybe around 300$ or so if less then please

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

Associated Cheap Furnace Question:
can you just buy a used furnace for a home?
I looked online and theres some for 500, 1000, even less for 1500sq ft home, yet everyone on yahoo says it costs 3000 to 5000. I’m talking about a used, cheap furnace? Is there something i’m missing?

• Answer:Never buy a used furnace, the heat exchanger is likely to be bad, and gas you to death…. Yes you can buy a cheap 500-1000.00 furnace… if you can install it, you are home free… If not… you will need an installer…what costs is the labor for the duct-work… Shop around… call hvac companies, Home centers, Sears 1-800-4myhome, you will find prices ranging from 1500.00 installed to 10,000.00 installed….

Associated Cheap Furnace Question:
I have a Tappan 8o+ furnace and it says do not use pleated filters, but pleated are better, the cheap ones ar?
the cheap unpleated seem bad.

• Answer:The pleated filters are good at loading up and choking out your furnace, which can cause a considerable amount of damage. The best filter to install on your furnace will be the Electro Breeze Duct Mount UV kit at http://www.allergy-relief-air-purifier.com/air-conditioning-filters.html. This gives you the air flow of the cheap fiberglass filters but a HEPA efficiency of 97% down to 0.3 microns. Easy to install and turns your furnace into a whole house air purifier. The replacement pads are about $12 each, which compares to a decent pleated, and gets changed every 2-4 months. You can even sign up for a free filter change reminder. There is a video on this site to show you how to install the unit. These filters easily beat your best pleated filters that only get about 20% efficiency. I hope this helps.

Associated Cheap Furnace Question:
Does anyone know a site where I can find a cheap Honeywell furnace gas valve GSV 800 A108? thanks! ?
the cheapest I found is $236

• Answer:Try Craig’s list.

Associated Cheap Furnace 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! :^)

Question
This newsgroup has been very good with these kind of questions, even
if maybe they’d work better in an HVAC repair group or the homebrewing
newsgroup.  I have a grain mill for crushing malt for homebrewing.
The handle method is a pain in the but, and a lot of folks end up
motorizing their mills.  In my case, I asked the HVAC folks that had
done a lot of work on my house for an old motor if they come across
one.  I’ve got one here now and I’m trying to make sense of it before
I start trying to hook it up to the mill.

I think they were proud of themselves when they arrived with this
metal enclosure with the motor and everything, which was fine by me.
I had asked for a motor that works at 110V, and that’s what they said
they pulled.  I did test it with a switch up to wall power, and it
seemed to work–despite tripping the breaker when I turned off the
switch.  That was because methinks I botched that wiring.

So it is a 1/2HP, 1020RPM motor.  Reading the side here, I see
“V200-230.” So is this actually a 220V motor?  I’m not so sure because
I see three jumpers labelled A through C:

A: LO
B: MED
C: HI

Which one I pick works in conjunction with the black contact to give
me my line voltage.  So does this mean I have some flexibility in
voltage?  It was connected to ‘A’ originally, and I haven’t tried
messing with it.  If this somehow lets me using 110V, then what effect
will this have on the horsepower and the rpm?  I have yellow and black
lines going to a start capacitor rated 20.00/370.

It is a thermally protected motor and there’s a note “CONT AIR OVER”
which implies to me it normally would be cooled by the blower fins.  I
have to take that thing off to work this thing, so I’m wondering how
long I might reasonably expect to run the motor before it trips the
protection.  I’d probably only need to run the motor 5 minutes to
crush my grain, if that helps.

Answers
I’d guess the L/M/H are multi-speed contacts for an HVAC-application
motor.  The voltage rating certainly makes it appear it’s rated for 200V.

My suggestion on connections would be to ask the folks you got it from
for some guidance.

On the cooling, it’ll probably manage a few minutes at a time w/o
cooling anyway, although the load of a mill compared to that of an HVAC
fan may be significantly higher.  What about figuring out an arrangement
to extend the shaft, perhaps?

Would have to agree w/ the other responder it might not be the most
suitable choice for the job, but may get it to work.  You’ll need to
gear it down quite a lot if the mill is designed for hand cranking
unless it really does have intentions for being powered otherwise the
bearings and all may not be up to the speed, either.

Associated Change Speed Furnace Blower Motor Question:furnace blower motor any body can help?
I’m trying to change my furnace blower motor it has a 240 volts motor and I found a 120 volt motor with the same speed do I need special wiring, change any thing or I just replace the motor

• Answer:The only problem you may have is the existing wire size. To run the same RPM with the same power with half the voltage you need twice the current. That may be too much current for your existing wire size.

Associated Change Speed Furnace Blower Motor Question: Blower Speed Does not change?
we heat our home with a outdoor wood boiler so the only thing we use our furnace for is the blower,and i am trying to change the blower speed to run on low we have a 4 speed motor H,MH,ML and low and no matter where i put the speed taps on the control board it does not seem to change anything.can anyone tell me why?

• Answer:Sometimes you have to tie the unused leads together or place them on spare terminals on the board. The schematic should show what to do with them.

Question
I need to replace my natural gas forced air central furnace. I live in
Scarsdale, NY. My furnace is 20 years old. The contractor we are
speaking to wants to install one of the two furnaces below for a total
charge of $3,300 [including labor and 1 year service contract]. I
don’t trust this contractor because he originally quoted us a price of
$5,300 and reduced it to $3,300 when he heard a competitor would do the
job for $3,500. Should I trust this guy? Do you know of anyone in New
York who can do the job for less?

$3,300
Bryant Model 310, 312
Seer Tempstar Gas Carrier

I also want to replace my air conditioning unit. The same man quoted
me a price of $4,900 for parts, labor and 1 year service.

Answers
Aren’t those 80% furnaces? If I were living in NY, given energy
prices, possible tax credits or utility rebates, I’d likely be going
with a 90+% furnace

Associated Central Furnace Question:How often should I need to change my furnace/central air filter?
My furnace and central air share the same ducts. How often should I change the filter? (I use the 3M Filtrete brand). The home inspector said once every 3 months, the guy who installed the central air said once a month.

• Answer:The installer was correct. You need to replace the filter every month. Air conditioning systems are very low pressure systems. That is, the air flow through the various ductwork has a very low driving force. For comparison, when you talk about pressure in a balloon, you are measuring in pounds per square inch. In a household airconditioning system, you are talking about ounce of water pressure per square inch. This is a very small pressure drop, so dust accumlation on your filter will quickly reduce the flowrate. Two things can happen when the air filter is plugged…. The airflow across the cooling coils will become very low and the air will get very cold, causing water to drop out into the drain system. This can cause your drain system to become overwhelmed and you will get leakage out of the attic AC unit and onto your cieling. The other thing is, it can overload your AC system and cause premature failure. Buy the cheap whispy air filters 3 per pack and replace them every month. I use my yahoo calender to send me an email reminder automatically every month.

Associated Central Furnace Question:Is it cheaper to heat one room with an electric space heater or the whole house with central gas furnace?
I have a 3 bedroom house with a modern central heat/ac. The central heat is a new 3 burner/ton gas furnace by Lennox. I live in an area where daytimes are comfortable but evenings are cold and I have been using an electric space heater to keep the room I sleep in warm at night. I know there are many variables, but assuming everything is average (average size home, bed room, insulation, etc) would it be cheaper to heat only one room with the more expensive electricity or the entire house with the cheaper natural gas?

• Answer:Heat the one room.

Associated Central Furnace Question: How much would it cost to replace an entire central air and gas furnace system?
I would like to replace the outside unit, gas furnace and central air system. The house is about 2400 sq ft and is a 2 story. Something highly efficient and including labor.

• Answer:We recently replaced ours. We have over 2800 sq. Ft. and two stories as well. It cost a little over $14,000.00. It was Top of the line High efficiency unit. You should be able to do it for less. It just depends on what you buy.

Associated Central Furnace 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 Central Furnace Question:How much would it cost to replace an oil furnace in Central Maine & what company does it?
I live in Central Maine in a 1500 square foot house and think I need to replace my oil furnace which supplies my hot water and heats the house through the hot water base board. Does anyone know how much it would cost to purchase a new oil furnace and have it installed as well as who I might contact to do it? Thank you!!

• Answer:Most all your local oil suppliers do this or will recommend people they use. Central maine is a big area. Here in Augusta/ Waterville area there is OBrian , Fabian, Dead River, J&S, just to name a few. But check your supplier if you have questions as to who to call. Its a start. GL

Associated Central Furnace Question:
how much is it to put in central air conditioning and a furnace in a 2200 sq ft house with no air ducks.???
I just bought a house 22oo sq ft, i have no central air and it has base board heat. i want to have furnace and central sir installed, does anyone know a round about price?

• Answer:-how would you install the ducts? under the floor? in the attic? can workmen actually get there to do that? -how many rooms? ie, how many ducts? -where’s the furnace/a/c going to go? garage? -how much is labor in your part of the country? maybe you should call someone who does that and ask.

Associated Central Furnace Question:
Should I buy a heat pump or a gas furnace and central air conditioner unit?
We currently live in a home with ceiling radiant heat and no air conditioning. It is horrible. We want to change to either a heat pump or to a gas furnace and central air system. We have no idea which to do in terms of cost and efficiencies.

• Answer:It would depend on which area of the country which you live. If you live in an area with very cold winters… say the upper half of the U.S., you would be better served with a very efficient furnace (90%+)and air-conditioner. If you lived in more of a southern area your best bet would probably be a high efficient heat pump(14 or 15 SEER). Equipment prices have gone up drastically this year because of EPA efficiency requirements on the air-conditioners, but even with the higher prices you will want to look for the highest efficiencies you can afford… you will be paid back by lower utility bills. Pricing would also be determined by the size of the house being conditioned. You will also need new duct work installed, so don’t be surprised if you are spending in excess of 6 to 8 thousand dollars for a quality job with quality equipment. Of course your area of the country will dictate the price you will pay. Be sure to get at least three estimates from three contractors that you can trust. Ask neighbors and friends for the names of good contractors. This is always the best way to find someone honest who does quality work.

Associated Central Furnace Question:
Cost of new furnace with central air?
What should I expect to pay for a new 80% 2 stage variable speed furnace with 14 seer central air INSTALLED? The quotes I am getting seem extremely high to me. I would just like to know a round about price. I am in Ohio. House is about 1000 sq ft with partial finished basement and one room upstairs.

• Answer:In Northern Illinois expect to pay $4800.00 to $7000.00

Associated Central Furnace Question:
Central Air and Furnace not working?
My Central air, Furnace and even the fan is not working. Nothing turns on. I checked my house fuse box and nothing was flipped. Checked the batteries in the thermostat and they work fine. Any ideas why nothing works. getting cold here in Chicago.. 43 last night brrrr. The fuses on the unit seem ok too!

• Answer:Check the circuit breaker to the HVAC. The transformer may be bad. It is the component that reduces the voltage to dc that goes to the thermostat. Usually located in the attic. Perhaps, since your husband was able to install the new t-stat, he could check the voltage at the wires going into it ? No voltage with the breaker on would point to a broken wire or bad transformer. Calling a service tech is expensive and may not solve the problem. Techs do not benefit when things work, only if they break. I had to get 2 different companies to fix my AC this year because the first guy was an idiot, and I was afraid of damaging the compressor motor.

Associated Central Furnace Question:
How much added value will replacing a central air system and furnace give to my house?
I live in Iowa and our house appraised at 115,000 almost 2 years ago. We just had our central air and furnace replaced and put a bigger one than we had plus we had a new bigger water heater installed too. We are about to get another appraisal and was just wondering if the value will go up. Also we paid a little more than $8,000 dollars for all this.

• Answer:First answer was correct. Generally though any very new improvements only yield about 80% of cost. The illogical part of this is that not doing them reduces the value by a greater margin. Been there.

Question
I’m planning to put into my weld area a new power vent system. The
largest amount of my welding is aluminum and Chrom-moly, however, you
never know what the next job will bring. I would like to hear from
others about what you are using and if you are happy with it, and what
you might have done different from what you currently are using.
Answers
I’m starting to think you and I must be the only ones interested in
venting welding fumes.
My current plan to improve my ventilation includes a movable flex hose
of about 8″ in diameter that I can move around my welding table and
place right above the area I’m welding. I’m thinking of finding an
old furnace blower that I can make some ductwork to attach to the hose
on the inlet side of the blower. The exhaust will be dumped outside.
I have a friend that tells me he can build a variable speed control
for the blower. Keeping the cost down is an important part of this
project. However, I want to end up with something that works too.
Right now all I have is a fan that blows the fumes away from the weld
area but really does not force it outside. I have moved this way up
on my priority list after reading some of the messages from others and
there bad experiences with welding fumes.