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Replacing a Furnace


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Replacing a Furnace
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drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2020-09-26, 13:02

Our old GE gas furnace is 55 years old this year, and as I'm replacing the thermocouple the nut that holds down the lower part of that assembly doesn't seem to want to snug up (I'll try again after lunch).

But it looks like there's heat "damage" to the area where the brains of the unit are located.

So I'm thinking it's time to spend the dough on a brand new unit, and would love some advice.


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Yontsey
*AD SPACE FOR SALE*
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cleveland-ish, OH
 
2020-09-26, 14:05

55 years? Yeah might be time for an efficiency upgrade lol
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turtle
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
 
2020-09-26, 14:44

Yeah, I'd send the money on a new unit. The cost savings of the fuel alone should easily net you a gain in short order.

Given how old it is there isn't any surprise to see some damage in the interior, so it likely could be fixed, but I can't help but think it would be like trying to keep a Yugo on the road today because some parts are still good on it.

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Matsu
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2020-09-27, 08:50

Shop around. Like everything else involving a home there’s a huge range of prices for often essentially the same stuff. A lot of the time contractors base their price solely on what they think they can get. In our area HVAC guys would routinely fleece seniors with insane quotes and shady door to door marketing companies offering “free” estimates.
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Frank777
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Toronto
 
2020-09-28, 15:48

Quote:
Originally Posted by Matsu View Post
Shop around. Like everything else involving a home there’s a huge range of prices for often essentially the same stuff. A lot of the time contractors base their price solely on what they think they can get. In our area HVAC guys would routinely fleece seniors with insane quotes and shady door to door marketing companies offering “free” estimates.
True, though I imagine the Canadian market simply has more furnace-related shenanigans than other places.
We get a bit passionate about being protected from freezing to death.

The Atlanta market is probably different, given that people are still contemplating the lifespan of 55-year-old furnaces.
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PB PM
Sneaky Punk
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
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2020-09-28, 23:32

Our furnace was over 42 years old when we replaced it this past spring. A good unit, at least old ones, lasted a long time. Of course we have two gas fireplaces that supplemented it for the past 30 years, so it didn't have to work as hard as a stand alone unit might. We had the thermocouple replaced a few times, had the gas lines cleaned and such, but the welds throughout the unit were starting to fail, so time was up, and we wanted AC. If we are lucky the new one will last 10 years...
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drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2020-09-29, 08:35

Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank777 View Post
The Atlanta market is probably different, given that people are still contemplating the lifespan of 55-year-old furnaces.


HEY!!! We get cold too!!!

I just come from a long line of frugal people.

Now I do understand "built in obsolescence", but why do the newer units have such shorter lifespans? Is it because they're more complicated, in order to gain efficiency?

Also: I am dragging my feet on getting quotes.

Also: my dad always said he didn't get central air I installed because the between-floor ducts in the house were never wrapped, just installed "raw".

...
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Matsu
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2020-09-29, 09:50

You can try this stuff: www.Aeroseal.com. In our area it seems like the quotes are about equal to $1 CAD/sq ft), so typical job tends to be about $2,500 for a 2500sq ft home.

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Yontsey
*AD SPACE FOR SALE*
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cleveland-ish, OH
 
2020-09-29, 13:08

Aeroseal is nice. My uncles company is a licensed installer for that stuff.
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Anonymous Coward
Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2020-09-29, 13:18

Quote:
Originally Posted by Matsu View Post
You can try this stuff: www.Aeroseal.com.
Link should be https www.Aeroseal.com
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