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Posted by Tony Hwang on November 11, 2007, 6:59 pm
Noon-Air wrote:
>
>>Zyp wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Who are you kidding? I've been in this crappy trade for 36 years.
>>>Those older standing pilot furnaces needed tons of service every
>>>year!
>>>Replacement thermocouples, rusting iron heat exchangers, crappy
>>>belts, plugged burners, man those were the days.
>>
>>Not only do I have an old furnace (circa 1976) in my house, I also
>>have a large double unit (8 burners, circa 1981) at my office (for the
>>second floor) and a smaller (but newer?) unit for the first floor
>>(electronic ignition). That newer furnace (Whisper heat?) was a pain
>>in the ass because the electronic ignition started to act up last
>>winter and I took the electronic control module apart and resoldered
>>the cold joint that developed at the ignition coil.
>>
>>In the combined 10 years I've owned and operated these 3 furnaces,
>>I've never called for a tech to service them, but the only one that
>>had problems was the one with electronic ignition.
>>
>>I've never had a problem with thermocouples. Yes, the heat exchangers
>>are rusty, but I vacuum them out along with the burners every few
>>years.
>>
>>Crappy belts? Are you saying that belts used in 90+ furnaces are
>>somehow different? In my experience, belts last a long time, even
>>when I run the fan almost continuously for the 3 peak summer months.
>>
>>If I were installing these furnaces back when they were new, I would
>>have fabricated an exhaust gas and combustion intake heat exchanger to
>>improve the efficiency of the units. That could have been done with
>>all those units installed 20, 30 years ago to improve efficiency if
>>they wanted to do that.
>>
>>The idea of electronic ignition does not thrill me. Too much
>>technology (and too expensive) given the savings.
>>
>>The idea of a closed (sealed) combustion intake side (with scavaging
>>heat from the exhaust side) does appeal to me - but that is basically
>>"plumbing" and could have been done years ago with add-ons outside the
>>furnace itself.
>>
>>Something else I'd do is create a ducted, gated path around my AC evap
>>coil so in the winter the air can flow around the coils instead of
>>being forced through them.
>>
>>Beyond a more efficient heat exchanger (which I presume they are today
>>vs 20 or 30 years ago) I would think they'd be making them out of
>>stainless steel by now (are they?). I would also think they would
>>have variable gas valves (variable BTU output, instead of full-on or
>>full-off) or staged valves. Do they have this today?
>>
>>What about electronically commutated motors? How many furnaces have
>>those today? I would replace my motors with those if they were
>>available - at a reasonable price.
>>
>>But you know what would really motivate me to replace my furnaces
>>today?
>>
>>Give me a furnace where the motor also runs on natural gas so I still
>>have heat if there's a power failure.
>>
>>I'd also like to see someone come out with a heat exchanger that has
>>water sprayed onto it as a way to humidify the air (and take even more
>>heat away from the exchanger and put it in the house). Does anyone do
>>that?
>
>
> Not yet, because the engineers are scrambling to design equipment that meets
> the ever-changing DOE, and EPA laws, rules, and regulations. Then there's
> the problem of reducng the carbon footprint and creating "Green" equipment.
> There are gas furnaces on the market that are 96% efficient. Unless there
> are major changes in technology, thats about the best your gonna do.
>
>
Hi,
If there were 100% efficiency furnace, that means we can build perpetual
machine, LOL! HVACguy is a painter who keeps painting himself into a
corner.
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