HVAC guys furnace advice: (1 Viewer)

[Da Guru]

OK..I visit my aunt tonight who lives my herself in a 2000 SQ home.  I was helping her move some stuff from her basement and I keep hearing her furnace go on and off and when it stopped it was grinding a little.  I then looked on the furnace and there was a yellowed sticker that said it was installed in 1973 the year my aunt moved into her home.  I asked her how many times has this been serviced?  She said I think a belt broke about 10 years ago but that is it.  

I said I think it would be wise to think about replacement.  She says..no it is fine.    Not a HVAC guy but is a 44 year old furnace safe?

 

[Birdie048]

WOW....  44 years without a major issue?  Talk about lucky!!

Start with getting her a Carbon Monoxide monitor.  See if the efficiency is even safe.  Odds are they are above dangerous levels. 

Next get it inspected and checked up.  Odds the interior furnace gunnels are in need of replacement. 

I am not an HVAC guy... but I had mine replaced a few years ago...

Codes have changes to much and the cost is really skyrocketing.  2000 sq ft house for a new HVAC assuming she will have to replace all the duct work and electrical could cost her > $10K.  Not a simple thing to step into. 

Good luck...  but that is just a very fortunate thing for her no issues so far.

 

[Da Guru]

WOW....  44 years without a major issue?  Talk about lucky!!

Start with getting her a Carbon Monoxide monitor.  See if the efficiency is even safe.  Odds are they are above dangerous levels. 

Next get it inspected and checked up.  Odds the interior furnace gunnels are in need of replacement. 

I am not an HVAC guy... but I had mine replaced a few years ago...

Codes have changes to much and the cost is really skyrocketing.  2000 sq ft house for a new HVAC assuming she will have to replace all the duct work and electrical could cost her > $10K.  Not a simple thing to step into. 

Good luck...  but that is just a very fortunate thing for her no issues so far.

Can you do it just the furnace without the duct work needing to be replaced?

 

[ChiefD]

Can you do it just the furnace without the duct work needing to be replaced?

Yes.

A few other thoughts/questions:

1. Get her a carbon monoxide detector. Asap. A 44 year old furnace can be safe, but the truth is it probably has some cracks in the heat exchanger just based on age. This is what normally would leak carbon monoxide into the home. If she had a serious carbon monoxide issue, she would be dead. But get her a detector anyway.

2. That furnace is at best 50% efficient. Meaning, for every dollar she spends on heating, she is losing .50 up the flue.

3. Does she have air conditioning? If so, how old is that unit?

4. What city does she live in? I am in the business and may have some contacts in her area.

Here is the thing. A forty four year old system is WAY past its useful life. It is time to replace it. A full system which wold include air conditioning can be had for less than sixty five hundred bucks. Maybe less depending on what type of efficiency she puts in. But ANY efficiency she puts in will help her utility bills by as much as fifty percent.

And you can do the furnace independent of the air conditioner as well. A furnace can cost anywhere between two grand and probably four grand.

Feel free to ask me anything or run prices by me. I am a service and marketing manager for a hvac company here in KC.I have been in the business for about twelve years.

 

[shadyridr]

Its weird that this thread came up because my furnace seems to be cycling the burners on and off repeatedly and I was just ooking at it. House is still heating pretty normal. Can this cause any issues?

Googling seems to say clean the flame sensor but of course the sensor in this unit is a ##### to get to. 25 year old Lennox system so I'm definitely in the market for a new one. Just trying to put it off. Got a quote last year for HE furnace and ac for 9500 and my friend said that was ridiculous and shouldn't pay more than 6500.

@ChiefD thoughts? Can I hold out for now or call for quotes? 

 

[ChiefD]

Its weird that this thread came up because my furnace seems to be cycling the burners on and off repeatedly and I was just ooking at it. House is still heating pretty normal. Can this cause any issues?

Googling seems to say clean the flame sensor but of course the sensor in this unit is a ##### to get to. 25 year old Lennox system so I'm definitely in the market for a new one. Just trying to put it off. Got a quote last year for HE furnace and ac for 9500 and my friend said that was ridiculous and shouldn't pay more than 6500.

@ChiefD thoughts? Can I hold out for now or call for quotes? 

Yeah, could be the flame sensor.

At any rate, for a 25 year old furnace, its at the end of its normal life span. I would at least start thinking about replacing it. In your area, $9500 isnt really out of line for a full system, but I do think you can get it for less money.

 

[Da Guru]

Yes.

A few other thoughts/questions:

1. Get her a carbon monoxide detector. Asap. A 44 year old furnace can be safe, but the truth is it probably has some cracks in the heat exchanger just based on age. This is what normally would leak carbon monoxide into the home. If she had a serious carbon monoxide issue, she would be dead. But get her a detector anyway.

2. That furnace is at best 50% efficient. Meaning, for every dollar she spends on heating, she is losing .50 up the flue.

3. Does she have air conditioning? If so, how old is that unit?

4. What city does she live in? I am in the business and may have some contacts in her area.

Here is the thing. A forty four year old system is WAY past its useful life. It is time to replace it. A full system which wold include air conditioning can be had for less than sixty five hundred bucks. Maybe less depending on what type of efficiency she puts in. But ANY efficiency she puts in will help her utility bills by as much as fifty percent.

And you can do the furnace independent of the air conditioner as well. A furnace can cost anywhere between two grand and probably four grand.

Feel free to ask me anything or run prices by me. I am a service and marketing manager for a hvac company here in KC.I have been in the business for about twelve years.

Asked her this morning about her air unit.  The original that came with the furnace was replaced 10-12 years ago with a new one. 

 

[Da Guru]

Yes.

A few other thoughts/questions:

1. Get her a carbon monoxide detector. Asap. A 44 year old furnace can be safe, but the truth is it probably has some cracks in the heat exchanger just based on age. This is what normally would leak carbon monoxide into the home. If she had a serious carbon monoxide issue, she would be dead. But get her a detector anyway.

2. That furnace is at best 50% efficient. Meaning, for every dollar she spends on heating, she is losing .50 up the flue.

3. Does she have air conditioning? If so, how old is that unit?

4. What city does she live in? I am in the business and may have some contacts in her area.

Here is the thing. A forty four year old system is WAY past its useful life. It is time to replace it. A full system which wold include air conditioning can be had for less than sixty five hundred bucks. Maybe less depending on what type of efficiency she puts in. But ANY efficiency she puts in will help her utility bills by as much as fifty percent.

And you can do the furnace independent of the air conditioner as well. A furnace can cost anywhere between two grand and probably four grand.

Feel free to ask me anything or run prices by me. I am a service and marketing manager for a hvac company here in KC.I have been in the business for about twelve years.

First of all I got my aunt a carbon monoxide detector and everything was fine in that area

I then called my friend who knows a guy who owns an HVAC company and tell him what is going on and said I would pay for a guy to come out and do an inspection and to give me a price on a possible replacement.   I meet the guy at my aunts home and we head downstairs.  The first thing he says when he sees the furnace is "They don`t make them like this anymore"  I said it that good or bad and he says both.  The good this one built like an old army tank and will last forever, the bad it is not as efficient.

So he pulls everything off and does a full inspection and says to me "I will give you a price on a replacement and do the job but to be honest there is nothing wrong with this one, of course a new one will be more efficient but this furnace is in perfect working order" 

 

[ChiefD]

First of all I got my aunt a carbon monoxide detector and everything was fine in that area

I then called my friend who knows a guy who owns an HVAC company and tell him what is going on and said I would pay for a guy to come out and do an inspection and to give me a price on a possible replacement.   I meet the guy at my aunts home and we head downstairs.  The first thing he says when he sees the furnace is "They don`t make them like this anymore"  I said it that good or bad and he says both.  The good this one built like an old army tank and will last forever, the bad it is not as efficient.

So he pulls everything off and does a full inspection and says to me "I will give you a price on a replacement and do the job but to be honest there is nothing wrong with this one, of course a new one will be more efficient but this furnace is in perfect working order" 

Good news. That HVAC guy is a keeper. 

 

[shadyridr]

First of all I got my aunt a carbon monoxide detector and everything was fine in that area

I then called my friend who knows a guy who owns an HVAC company and tell him what is going on and said I would pay for a guy to come out and do an inspection and to give me a price on a possible replacement.   I meet the guy at my aunts home and we head downstairs.  The first thing he says when he sees the furnace is "They don`t make them like this anymore"  I said it that good or bad and he says both.  The good this one built like an old army tank and will last forever, the bad it is not as efficient.

So he pulls everything off and does a full inspection and says to me "I will give you a price on a replacement and do the job but to be honest there is nothing wrong with this one, of course a new one will be more efficient but this furnace is in perfect working order" 

Keep it

 

[Da Guru]

Keep it

She is going to keep it.  I am just blown away that a 44 year old furnace that has only been serviced a couple of times is still in perfect working order.

 

[Brony]

Thoughts on my situation?  30 year old original furnace.  No problems.  Had the blower motor replaced about 4 years ago.  I have some extra $ this year, so I was thinking about replacing it proactively.  My HVAC guy quoted 3,500 for new one plus another 500 to replace humidifier that barely works.  It will be 80% efficiency and he says we can't do high efficiency because there is nowhere to run a new exhaust since all nearby external walls have windows that can be opened.  Should I replace it? 

He says only improvement will be that 2 speed fan will be a little more efficient if just circulating air.  

 

[Da Guru]

Thoughts on my situation?  30 year old original furnace.  No problems.  Had the blower motor replaced about 4 years ago.  I have some extra $ this year, so I was thinking about replacing it proactively.  My HVAC guy quoted 3,500 for new one plus another 500 to replace humidifier that barely works.  It will be 80% efficiency and he says we can't do high efficiency because there is nowhere to run a new exhaust since all nearby external walls have windows that can be opened.  Should I replace it? 

He says only improvement will be that 2 speed fan will be a little more efficient if just circulating air.  

That was the same situation I was in at my aunts home.  The brick fireplace is above the furnace, to the right was a concrete outdoor patio.  So he said they could not run the exhaust of the high efficiency anywhere and it would have to be an 80% replacement when needed. Said the old one is probably running around 70%.  So the savings vs cost would be minimal. 

If it is good working order and safe why replace it now?

 

[shadyridr]

Thoughts on my situation?  30 year old original furnace.  No problems.  Had the blower motor replaced about 4 years ago.  I have some extra $ this year, so I was thinking about replacing it proactively.  My HVAC guy quoted 3,500 for new one plus another 500 to replace humidifier that barely works.  It will be 80% efficiency and he says we can't do high efficiency because there is nowhere to run a new exhaust since all nearby external walls have windows that can be opened.  Should I replace it? 

He says only improvement will be that 2 speed fan will be a little more efficient if just circulating air.  

If you can't get HE id just wait until it broke

 

[ChiefD]

Thoughts on my situation?  30 year old original furnace.  No problems.  Had the blower motor replaced about 4 years ago.  I have some extra $ this year, so I was thinking about replacing it proactively.  My HVAC guy quoted 3,500 for new one plus another 500 to replace humidifier that barely works.  It will be 80% efficiency and he says we can't do high efficiency because there is nowhere to run a new exhaust since all nearby external walls have windows that can be opened.  Should I replace it? 

He says only improvement will be that 2 speed fan will be a little more efficient if just circulating air.  

Yeah, agree with the others. Just wait until the next breakdown and replace it instead of repairing it.

 

[Brony]

Did I mention that I already bought it to surprise the wife and kids on Christmas? 

Thanks for the advice. I'll hold off. 

 

[shadyridr]

Did I mention that I already bought it to surprise the wife and kids on Christmas? 

Thanks for the advice. I'll hold off. 

Thanks dad! You shouldn't have!

 

[Da Guru]

Did I mention that I already bought it to surprise the wife and kids on Christmas? 

Thanks for the advice. I'll hold off. 

Wow..thought I was special buying my wife a high end vacuum cleaner.

 

[Beef Ravioli]

She is going to keep it.  I am just blown away that a 44 year old furnace that has only been serviced a couple of times is still in perfect working order.

What brand is it? Sears & Roebuck? 

 

[Da Guru]

What brand is it? Sears & Roebuck? 

Honeywell

 

[JoeSteeler]

Honeywell

Bee glad they built things to last back then or you would find yourself in a sticky situation right now