Yet another furnace question...

[firedome]

So this Williamson "GaSaver" came with our 1955 rancher that we bought from the original owner's family. We always assumed it was original, given the size and general look, but it has the yellow Energy sticker on it?? The house is very small and it does an excellent job, and the galvanized duct-work quality is wonderful (I hate those cheesy tin-foil insulated tubes that they use nowadays, even if they are more efficient!) It even has a cool paint job with a big chrome logo! I'd like to see it last indefinitely, but we haven't been able to find any information as to whether critical parts would be available if and when needed. I dread a breakdown in the extreme cold weather that we can get here and hate the thought of ever replacing it!

 

[firedome]

pics:

Williamson furnace, year unknown:

 

[funktionalart]

I could be off base on year by a few, but seems like the energy stickers began appearing circa 1978....maybe 1980. I've got one on a 1985 SubZero fridge, and recall my dad (who was a contractor), pulling water heaters out of boxes for our 1978 build home...those stickers were present on those units, as I recall.

 

[rp2813]

Yeah, I agree that it's probably late '70s or early '80s vintage.  I think "Energy Crisis:  The Sequel" of 1978 is what triggered those stickers to be required on appliances.  Certain aspects of that furnace are similar to the mid-'80s high efficiency Payne system my parents had installed.

 

[supersurgilator]

What a beautiful furnace! Does it have a matching AC unit or not? Is there anything on that Energytag that says anything about an efficency rating? I couldn't make it out if it was there, but the print was small in the pic.

 

[launderess]

Again

Go over to Heatinghelp.com and post your query along with pictures. As we are here to appliances that lot is to heating and equipment. There's nothing they (as a collective group) largely haven't seen or don't know.

 

[firedome]

There's no a/c...

The original owner, whom we knew, was too cheap to put it in, and we don't care for it. SO cheap he canceled his house insurance when the house was paid off!!

Will check that heating site, never heard of it, thanks.

Taking off the front panel the burner setup looks pretty old school, but knowing Ken, if he replaced the furnace he got it because it was cheap! It works great though, and our combined gas & electric bill is never more than $225 or so, even in deepest mid-winter, so we have no desire to replace it, knock on wood.

 

[gusherb]

The heat exchanger, blower housing and burner are likely not replaceable as specific parts like that aren't available for that furnace anymore. But common items that may fail like the gas valve, thermocouple, pilot assembly, fan/limit switch, capacitor, belt, fan motor, transformer are all common universal parts one can find anywhere. That's another good thing about these old furnaces is they take universal parts.

 

[cfz2882]

odd...

...to see a ~1980 Energyguide sticker on what appears to be a ~1965 furnace Components in the furnace likely have date or date code stamps that can be used to determine approx.date of manufacture

 

[washman]

Williamson is still around, but it looks like their bailiwick is all oil furnaces now

 

[circlew]

Williamson was very popular in my area as they were made on Madison Rd. in Oakley. I still see houses in my neighborhood with Williamson outside AC units.

 

[jmm63]

I had a Williamson oil furnace put in 2 years ago.. seems like a decent unit, but none of them will ever last as long....