Time For a New Furnace

[Chetlaham]

Who makes the Speed Queen of Gas Furnaces? Who makes the best 2 pipe furnaces in terms of longevity? Right now I've got a 16 year old Heil h9mpd100j20c2 single stage high efficiency gas furnace and its acting up again. It has been eating replacement parts for years and the insides are rusted out from the evaporator coil raining down condensate all over the internals.

I want something that is like a modern Speed Queen Washer- crude, rude, reliable and with easy to obtain replacement parts. The rest is trivial to me.

 

[phillymatt53]

Chet, I wish I could help you there, but I've got a Crown boiler/radiator system.
Installed in 2002, 3 years before I moved into the house, it's doing just fine.
Crown's based in Philly by the way, and a popular choice here.

Your's is a central air system?
My one friend's got a Lennox system that he had put in back in 1999, and every year he has it checked out by a professional.
Never has any issues from what I've heard.

 

[DADoES]

Window units and gas space heaters seem the "crudest" choice available. It separates the two functions and eliminates the concern of evaporator condensate on the internals (of a heat exchanger?). Individual gas space heaters in each room also seem the most reliable for the heating function, without any complicated temperature control?

 

[Chetlaham]

Window units and gas space heaters seem the "crudest" choice available. It separates the two functions and eliminates the concern of evaporator condensate on the internals (of a heat exchanger?). Individual gas space heaters in each room also seem the most reliable for the heating function, without any complicated temperature control?

Ideally, a millivolt draft Furnace. Sadly I don't have a chimney, wish I did though. If I had the option I would take your idea though. With a dedicated through the wall sleeve for the ACs.

 

[combo52]

There are many good, hot air, gas furnaces, you’re generally best with a high-efficiency 90+2 pipe system with ECM fan motor, but it’s really impossible to recommend something because we have no idea where you live if you’re in South Florida get the cheapest thing you can if you’re somewhere where you actually need heat, I would go with my recommendation.

I have a 17-year-old American standard trane system. It’s been wonderful.

It’s also a good idea to take care of your equipment. Why did you let it keep leaking and ruin the furnace you should’ve been able to fix that.

John L

 

[Chetlaham]

Chet, I wish I could help you there, but I've got a Crown boiler/radiator system.
Installed in 2002, 3 years before I moved into the house, it's doing just fine.
Crown's based in Philly by the way, and a popular choice here.

Your's is a central air system?
My one friend's got a Lennox system that he had put in back in 1999, and every year he has it checked out by a professional.
Never has any issues from what I've heard.

Yes, central heat and cooling. No radiators or hot water. I had baseboard hot water in the early 2000s and it was nice. But forced hot air with an over sized gas furnace makes for decadent heating. I love oversized HVAC equipment. Contrary to what all the HVAC guys will tell you now. I despise the trend. As long as the exhaust PVC isn't yellowing its fine in my book.

 

[phillymatt53]

Yes, central heat and cooling. No radiators or hot water. I had baseboard hot water in the early 2000s and it was nice. But forced hot air with an over sized gas furnace makes for decadent heating. I love oversized HVAC equipment. Contrary to what all the HVAC guys will tell you now. I despise the trend. As long as the exhaust PVC isn't yellowing its fine in my book.

Another reason why I'm prone to liking boiler/radiator heat is...... it's silent.
Throughout the house, upstairs, downstairs, no annoying "whoosh" of air blowing and no "turbine" fan noise.
Plus.... no possibility of dust blowing from the vents, no filters to change.
In fact, the only sound I hear when the system's running is a very, very faint hum from the Taco circulation pump down on the boiler. - which uses a magnetic-coupled impeller.

Back in 2018, I upgraded the system with the Honeywell electronic ignition system, which means no more wasted gas keeping a pilot lit.
And I designed a temp sensor module on the hot water exit line which, when the system thermostat shuts off, the circulator pump stays on, circulating the residual hot water through the house until the water becomes luke warm.

I probably increased the boiler's efficiency level from the 80% originally, to maybe 90%.
Needless to say, my heating bill's not bad considering..... I like a warm house for my old bones. LOL!

 

[william8]

I'm with John, if you knew it was leaking condensate from the evaporator coil, why wasn't it fixed? It either has a clogged drain, or it was installed incorrectly. Since it's leaking at the rear, and the drain is at the front, I'd put money on incorrect installation.
I have a Trane 95+ installed in 2016, it has never leaked, or had any other issues. I inspect it annually for issues.

My last furnace was a Lennox 80%, worked great for 22+ years, and was still going when I replaced it, but my homes original 1975 exhaust stack had rotted out. Cost to replace all that double wall vent pipe through the roof, was MORE than the cost of a new furnace and adding air. Stick with the HE furnace type, PVC is cheap.

The installation is far more important than the brand, as your unit shows. And if the company that worked on it could never fix it...don't call them.

May even want to call someone else, and see if it really needs replacement. Most heat exchangers have a 20 year warranty, though yours would probably be denied do to the installation.

Not sure what you mean about oversized systems, they usually die an early death from insufficient airflow. The trend for decades has been an oversized system due to "rule of thumb" installs. Hire a company that will do a proper manual J measurement.

 

[Chetlaham]

Not sure what you mean about oversized systems, they usually die an early death from insufficient airflow. The trend for decades has been an oversized system due to "rule of thumb" installs. Hire a company that will do a proper manual J measurement.

ABSOLUTELY NOT. NEVER. MY BODY MY CHOICE. I WILL NEVER LET THE NORMANDY LANDINGS GO IN VEIN.

I DESPISE manual J sized systems. My AC is currently specked that way and it is awful. As have been some of my past properties. The system runs all the time when new just to stay at 74*F, register air is warmish, indoor temp goes up anytime I cook, run the dryer, leave the house ect and gets worse as the system ages.

Manual J assumes ideal scenarios, idea systems, ideal use and ideal structures. And that power interruptions and portable generator will never take place.

Cooling I want sized by a factor of two and heat by a factor of four.

So a home that requires a 2 ton AC unit will get a 4 ton and a home that requires 25,000 BTUs of heat on the coldest says will get a 100,000 BTU furnace.

It is a myth that an over sized heating system will die an early death. It is myth that an over sized AC will lead to cold clammy air. It is a myth that the evaporator will frost up or the heat exchanger will crack.

Nothing more than another energy saving ideological gimmick.

 

[Chetlaham]

Another reason why I'm prone to liking boiler/radiator heat is...... it's silent.
Throughout the house, upstairs, downstairs, no annoying "whoosh" of air blowing and no "turbine" fan noise.
Plus.... no possibility of dust blowing from the vents, no filters to change.
In fact, the only sound I hear when the system's running is a very, very faint hum from the Taco circulation pump down on the boiler. - which uses a magnetic-coupled impeller.

Back in 2018, I upgraded the system with the Honeywell electronic ignition system, which means no more wasted gas keeping a pilot lit.
And I designed a temp sensor module on the hot water exit line which, when the system thermostat shuts off, the circulator pump stays on, circulating the residual hot water through the house until the water becomes luke warm.

I probably increased the boiler's efficiency level from the 80% originally, to maybe 90%.
Needless to say, my heating bill's not bad considering..... I like a warm house for my old bones. LOL!

Not saying you're wrong but the way I see it is that convectors become clogged with dust over time. No smell when the heat comes on in the fall with forced air.

Forced hot air isn't drafty. With an correctly sized gas furnace hot airs comes quick, and it is very hot which makes for a luxurious experience. If I have my feet underneath the vent of my kitchen or bathroom sink I have to move my feet otherwise it becomes very painful. A blower off delay runs the fan for 90 second letting the heat exchanger cool. This delay can be adjusted if the air coming out becomes to cold during the cool down period.