Buying a Used Reznor or Trane

[dartsportsteve]

If you were to pick one of these two used heaters, which would you pick and why? He is asking $175 for either of them.

Trane Model GPA-75A model year undetermined
60,000btu
110 volts
Natural gas

Reznor Model F75-3 model year 2002
60,000btu
110 volts
Natural gas

 

[dartsportsteve]

I guess I should also ask if you think one of these would be a good fit for my garage:

26x28 outside footprint, 9' 10" ceiling. Walls are concrete up 4', then 2x6 studded above that. I plan to use R19 rolls in the walls and blow in insulation in the ceiling/attic.

Thanks!

 

[Higgins]

If you have a friend who is in the Heating / AC business, I would have him check the exchanger to make sure there are no holes / cracks in the exchanger!
Otherwise personally I would pass and purchase new! It's not worth the risk! IMHO

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

Are either a power vent model? If so that's the one I'd pick. I have the same Reznor as the top one in your post. It has the power vent feature and works great. Heats my 20 x 40 space very quickly...

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Those are rather simple heaters and are easy to examine the heat exchangers on. Although you don't know the year on the Trane, if you look at the serial number and other info, you may find the year included in the S/N or other numbers.

I would look real good at overall condition of components and how clean, decent looking it is. If its rough on the outside, its probably rough on the inside. Make sure the gas valves and such have not been damaged by handling during removal. Either should be a good unit.

Charles

 

[dartsportsteve]

Thanks guys. I think I'm gonna pick one of them up.

Is 60k BTU enough/too much for my 26x28x10 garage? (will be insulated) I've tried the heater calculators online but they all seem to differ on opinion.

 

[philjafo]

http://www.buildingcenter.org/content/hvac-production-dateage
Here is a website that might give you an age on the trane unit if you can get the serial number, as was said before take a very close look at the heat exchangers all the parts of both units are replaceable, the question is only is it worth the repair or just better to get a new more efficient model possibly with a warrenty.

 

[kik_start]

The reznor will have more "off the shelf" parts than the trane. You might even have to get some parts directly from trans.

 

[frankush]

My guess is 60K btus is overkill. 45K btu's is probably all you need.

 

[CNGsaves]

I'd go with the Reznor . . . . it's the "Cadillac" of the two.

Unless there's something wrong with heat exchanger on Reznor (which I doubt), you'll like get another 20 years out of that unit . . . and who cares if 60K Btu if maybe 50K Btu is all your garage needs.

Price is little high . . . . start by handing him $140 cash and see it that gets you out the door. I'd stop at $150 but I'm cheap. Invest the extra hundeds of dollars in a growth stock like Apple / Amazon / Google (versus if you were to buy new heater), and in 20 years that savings you invested will help pay chunk of your kid's college education!!

 

[dartsportsteve]

I may try to get it for $125. I'll have to spend some gas$ to get it too.

Thanks!

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Check to see if you can even buy a heat exchanger. In Washington State, only certified HVAC license holders can buy furnace parts these days due to safety restrictions. :/


That said, I'd go with the Reznor as well. I'd be happy to pay $200 for either if I could plumb it into my garage. I'd love to have such in the corner heating my place up. Got just the spot for it too.

 

[Shocker]

60k btu is a bit overkill, but not by much. My 45k BTU unit heats my 24x32.