Home Repair forum - Furnace recommendations

Author

Furnace recommendations

lanman

2008-03-31, 8:25 pm

I am in need of a new furnace for a rental property. The property is a
small cape, and the size of the furnace needed is 85K BTU, and it uses
oil.

I'm told by friends that the brand of furnace is less important than
the burner, and that as long as it has a Beckett burner all will be
well.

Can anyone recommend a good furnace with no frills, a Beckett burner,
and an efficiency rating around 85% that a non-licensed consumer can
purchase at a discount warehouse. Thanks...

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fpbear

2008-04-01, 3:25 am

This review site recommends Thermo Pride OH Series.
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/h...aces/index.html

"lanman" <xlanmanx@aol.com> wrote in message
news:3g33v3pakq808d16033k224rbogop02ggv@4ax.com...
>I am in need of a new furnace for a rental property. The property is a
> small cape, and the size of the furnace needed is 85K BTU, and it uses
> oil.
>
> I'm told by friends that the brand of furnace is less important than
> the burner, and that as long as it has a Beckett burner all will be
> well.
>
> Can anyone recommend a good furnace with no frills, a Beckett burner,
> and an efficiency rating around 85% that a non-licensed consumer can
> purchase at a discount warehouse. Thanks...
>
>
> ---- Posted via Pronews.com - Premium Corporate Usenet News
> Provider ----
> http://www.pronews.com offers corporate packages that have access to
> 100,000+ newsgroups

Boden

2008-04-01, 3:25 am

layman wrote:

> I am in need of a new furnace for a rental property. The property is a
> small cape, and the size of the furnace needed is 85K BTU, and it uses
> oil.
>
> I'm told by friends that the brand of furnace is less important than
> the burner, and that as long as it has a Beckett burner all will be
> well.
>
> Can anyone recommend a good furnace with no frills, a Beckett burner,
> and an efficiency rating around 85% that a non-licensed consumer can
> purchase at a discount warehouse. Thanks...
>
>
> ---- Posted via Pronews.com - Premium Corporate Usenet News Provider ----
> http://www.pronews.com offers corporate packages that have access to 100,000+ newsgroups
Both of the furnaces in my home are Thermopride (forced hot air) with
Beckett oil burners. My water heaters also use Beckett oil burners and
I've had no problem with any of them. The Honeywell controllers are
another story though.

Blattus Slafaly 0/00 ? ? ?

2008-04-01, 3:26 am

lanman wrote:
> I am in need of a new furnace for a rental property. The property is a
> small cape, and the size of the furnace needed is 85K BTU, and it uses
> oil.
>
> I'm told by friends that the brand of furnace is less important than
> the burner, and that as long as it has a Beckett burner all will be
> well.
>
> Can anyone recommend a good furnace with no frills, a Beckett burner,
> and an efficiency rating around 85% that a non-licensed consumer can
> purchase at a discount warehouse. Thanks...
>
>
> ---- Posted via Pronews.com - Premium Corporate Usenet News Provider ----
> http://www.pronews.com offers corporate packages that have access to 100,000+ newsgroups

Utica boilers. Beckett is not the only burner maker others are just as
good like Wayne, Miller.

Monitor heaters are nice too. Propane furnaces are nice and quiet.

--
Blattus Slafaly ? 3

7/8

Jim Elbrecht

2008-04-01, 9:25 am

Boden <Boden@tidewater.net> wrote:

-snip-
>Both of the furnaces in my home are Thermopride (forced hot air) with
>Beckett oil burners.

I'm not the OP- but I'm sort of looking for a furnace. Since you're
the second one to say Thermopride, I had to go look. I haven't
looked at furnaces for 30 yrs- so I was impressed with the idea of a
2-stage. Then I look at the specs and they confused me.
http://www.thermopride.com/OH6_2Stage.cfm#spec

At " low capacity" it has 'low fire' and 'high fire' at 70k & 85k BTU-
and at 'high capacity' it has 'low fire' and 'high fire' at 85k & 106k
BTU.

Is the low/high capacity different set-ups [just a nozzle &
adjustment?] - or does it output all those different BTUs from the
factory?

Jim

Joseph Meehan

2008-04-01, 9:25 am

"lanman" <xlanmanx@aol.com> wrote in message
news:3g33v3pakq808d16033k224rbogop02ggv@4ax.com...
> I am in need of a new furnace for a rental property. The property is a
> small cape, and the size of the furnace needed is 85K BTU, and it uses
> oil.
>
> I'm told by friends that the brand of furnace is less important than
> the burner, and that as long as it has a Beckett burner all will be
> well.
>
> Can anyone recommend a good furnace with no frills, a Beckett burner,
> and an efficiency rating around 85% that a non-licensed consumer can
> purchase at a discount warehouse. Thanks...
>
>
> ---- Posted via Pronews.com - Premium Corporate Usenet News
> Provider ----
> http://www.pronews.com offers corporate packages that have access to
> 100,000+ newsgroups

I will suggest you are trying to make the wrong decision. The decision
you should be making is the contractor who will put it in.

First the contractor should consider the sizing and not relay on what is
there. They also should be able to consider local conditions and help you
choose a brand and model that will fit your needs far better than we can.
If you have a good tech, they will chose good equipment.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

lanman

2008-04-01, 5:25 pm

On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 09:29:13 -0400, "Joseph Meehan"
<sligoNoSPAMjoe@hotmail.com> wrote:

>"lanman" <xlanmanx@aol.com> wrote in message
>news:3g33v3pakq808d16033k224rbogop02ggv@4ax.com...
>
> I will suggest you are trying to make the wrong decision. The decision
>you should be making is the contractor who will put it in.
>
> First the contractor should consider the sizing and not relay on what is
>there. They also should be able to consider local conditions and help you
>choose a brand and model that will fit your needs far better than we can.
>If you have a good tech, they will chose good equipment.

While this may be good advice, it's slanted towards what's best for
the installer, not the customer. "Trust me" is hard to do with so many
unscrupulous contractors running loose. Even an honest contractor may
select something with a higher profit margin or minimum features
allowing for easier maintenance. I'd prefer to educate myself on
what's available, solicit advice from disinterested parties, and make
an informed decision.

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lanman

2008-04-01, 5:25 pm

On Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:14:38 -0400, Blattus Slafaly 0/00 ? ? ?
<boobooililililil@roadrunner.com> wrote:

>lanman wrote:
>
>Utica boilers. Beckett is not the only burner maker others are just as
>good like Wayne, Miller.
>
>Monitor heaters are nice too. Propane furnaces are nice and quiet.

From the conversations I've had thus far with people in the HVAC
business, Beckett is a favorite with many. Why? Simplicity,
durability, ease of maintenance, and availability of parts. Since I
need a furnace for a rental property, and since durability and easy
maintenance are the most important criteria for me, Beckett is
currently at the top of my list until someone convinces me of
something better.

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Joseph Meehan

2008-04-01, 5:25 pm

"lanman" <xlanmanx@aol.com> wrote in message
news:tmv4v3h9fp1hsnhlt2rrq46p46m5qur744@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 09:29:13 -0400, "Joseph Meehan"
....

>
> While this may be good advice, it's slanted towards what's best for
> the installer, not the customer. "Trust me" is hard to do with so many
> unscrupulous contractors running loose. Even an honest contractor may
> select something with a higher profit margin or minimum features
> allowing for easier maintenance. I'd prefer to educate myself on
> what's available, solicit advice from disinterested parties, and make
> an informed decision.
>
>
> ---- Posted via Pronews.com - Premium Corporate Usenet News
> Provider ----
> http://www.pronews.com offers corporate packages that have access to
> 100,000+ newsgroups

That is true enough. I certainly did not emprise the importance of your
choice of contractors. It is the most important choice and critical for the
job. Asking neighbors, friends, co-workers and family members is a good
first step.

Keep in mind that the cheapest bid is not likely to be the best or
cheapest in the long run, but it could be.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

Bubba

2008-04-01, 5:25 pm

On Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:41:56 -0500, lanman <xlanmanx@aol.com> wrote:

>On Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:14:38 -0400, Blattus Slafaly 0/00 ? ? ?
><boobooililililil@roadrunner.com> wrote:
>
>
>From the conversations I've had thus far with people in the HVAC
>business, Beckett is a favorite with many. Why? Simplicity,
>durability, ease of maintenance, and availability of parts. Since I
>need a furnace for a rental property, and since durability and easy
>maintenance are the most important criteria for me, Beckett is
>currently at the top of my list until someone convinces me of
>something better.

Just so you dont confuse yourself keep this in mind.
There is not ONE oil furnace out there that is "easy" to maintain.
This is due mainly in part that the average homeowner CANNOT set up an
oil burner without somewhat expensive digital combustion analyzing
equipment including a smoke pump and draft gauge.
You cannot "look" at the flame anymore and try to adjust it NOR just
take a guess at where you think that flappy damper thingy belongs.
You can cost yourself or the person paying for the oil hundreds of
extra dollars in wasted fuel.
Bubba
>
>
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ransley

2008-04-01, 8:26 pm

On Mar 31, 8:25=A0pm, lanman <xlanm...@aol.com> wrote:
> I am in need of a new furnace for a rental property. The property is a
> small cape, and the size of the furnace needed is 85K BTU, and it uses
> oil.
>
> I'm told by friends that the brand of furnace is less important than
> the burner, and that as long as it has a Beckett burner all will be
> well.
>
> Can anyone recommend a good furnace with no frills, a Beckett burner,
> and an efficiency rating around 85% that a non-licensed consumer can
> purchase at a discount warehouse. Thanks...
>
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0---- Posted via Pronews.com - Premium Corporate Usenet News=
Provider ----http://www.pronews.comoffers corporate packages that have acce=
ss to 100,000+ newsgroups

A regular furnace will be near a max of 83% not 85% efficient,, a
condensing unit will be 92-96%, it will allow you to raise rents
Quicker. Tenants move if not happy. .

Boden

2008-04-02, 3:25 am

Jim Elbrecht wrote:

> Boden <Boden@tidewater.net> wrote:
>
> -snip-
>
>
>
> I'm not the OP- but I'm sort of looking for a furnace. Since you're
> the second one to say Thermopride, I had to go look. I haven't
> looked at furnaces for 30 yrs- so I was impressed with the idea of a
> 2-stage. Then I look at the specs and they confused me.
> http://www.thermopride.com/OH6_2Stage.cfm#spec
>
> At " low capacity" it has 'low fire' and 'high fire' at 70k & 85k BTU-
> and at 'high capacity' it has 'low fire' and 'high fire' at 85k & 106k
> BTU.
>
> Is the low/high capacity different set-ups [just a nozzle &
> adjustment?] - or does it output all those different BTUs from the
> factory?
>
> Jim

I don't know but suspect that these are accomplished by changing the
nozzle. Two-stage furnaces today make a lot of sense.

My furnaces are both 175K BTU/hr units and I run them only at the high
fire level with fairly high air flow rates so that the output air is
maintained at 140 F.

These furnaces were installed 15 years ago and have been trouble free.
The initial problems that I had were due to an installer and engineer
who made numerous mistakes designing the multi-zone control system.

Boden

lanman

2008-04-02, 5:25 pm

On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 16:42:38 -0700 (PDT), ransley
<Mark_Ransley@yahoo.com> wrote:

>On Mar 31, 8:25_pm, lanman <xlanm...@aol.com> wrote:
>
>A regular furnace will be near a max of 83% not 85% efficient,, a
>condensing unit will be 92-96%, it will allow you to raise rents
>Quicker. Tenants move if not happy. .

That's a good point. All things being equal, what is the cost
difference in the monthly bill for an 83% efficient furnace vs. a 92%
efficient furnace?
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Jim Elbrecht

2008-04-03, 9:25 am

lanman <xlanmanx@aol.com> wrote:

-snip-
>That's a good point. All things being equal, what is the cost
>difference in the monthly bill for an 83% efficient furnace vs. a 92%
>efficient furnace?

I'm probably missing a step- but roughly 9%.

Jim

lanman

2008-04-03, 9:25 am

On Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:54:44 -0400, Jim Elbrecht <elbrecht@email.com>
wrote:

> lanman <xlanmanx@aol.com> wrote:
>
>-snip-
>
>I'm probably missing a step- but roughly 9%.
>
>Jim

LOL.

Is it really that straightforward, e.g., a $100 bill would be $91 with
the better furnace?

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Tony Hwang

2008-04-03, 1:26 pm

lanman wrote:

> On Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:54:44 -0400, Jim Elbrecht <elbrecht@email.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> LOL.
>
> Is it really that straightforward, e.g., a $100 bill would be $91 with
> the better furnace?
>
> ---- Posted via Pronews.com - Premium Corporate Usenet News Provider ----
> http://www.pronews.com offers corporate packages that have access to 100,000+ newsgroups
Hmmm,
Ultra high efficiency furnace tends to give more trouble. If you want
it, get an extra warranty coverage specially for variable speed ECM DC
motor. Saving is for the LONG term living there for long time.

DerbyDad03

2008-04-03, 1:26 pm

On Apr 3, 8:34=A0am, lanman <xlanm...@aol.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:54:44 -0400, Jim Elbrecht <elbre...@email.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> LOL.
>
> Is it really that straightforward, e.g., a $100 bill would be $91 with
> the better furnace?
>
re: Is it really that straightforward, e.g., a $100 bill would be $91
with the better furnace?

You have to consider TCO - Total Cost of Ownership.

Even if it was as easy as $91 vs $100, if you paid more for the higher
efficiency furnace, you have to factor in your payback period at,
let's say, $9 a month. The service calls and parts might be more
expensive also, so you need to look into the MTBF - Mean Time Between
Failure - numbers and average repair costs. In many cases, the more
complex a unit is, the higher the cost to maintain (or repair) it.

Since it's a rental, you have some other things to consider...

If the tenants pay for the heat, then you'll never see the payback for
the more efficient furnace, but you will be responsible for the
(possibly) higher upfront and on-going maintenance costs.

Just some things to factor in...

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