Input please

[schwalby]

I know this isn't 100% garage related but you guys are usually willing to help with anything. My new wife and I are looking to buy a house and found one we really like (has a small 2 car garage) Only real uncertainty with it is the forced hot air gas furnace. I am guessing / assuming the home inspector will be able to check it well but here are some pics of the identifying marks, hoping you guys might have some insight on it. It looks to be in great shape. Sorry I didn't get any full unit shots.

This is directly below the other photos, not sure if it is of any importance. Camera is pointing straight down.

 

[kbs2244]

That thing is WWII vintage.
Sell it to a antique shop and get a modern one.

 

[jack stand]

That thing is WWII vintage.
Sell it to a antique shop and get a modern one.

I bet that 45 on the front is the year!

 

[theoldwizard1]

You need a new furnace and possible some new ductwork !

 

[yeldogt]

Is it in the middle of the house with round ducts coming out of it?


I can't see the whole thing but it looks like a coal furnace They originally had no blower -- you filled them with coal and the heat was distributed by way of the ducts -- it was all gravity -- IE heat rises -- you always had a small fire going in them and they worked quite well. That little door was a water well to put humidity into the air.

Normally they were updated with an oil burner and a fan/ blower.

With the cost of fuel most of these have been changed out 30 years ago.

Most of the time the whole mess needs to come out including most of the ductwork -- this can get expensive if you have any asbestos.

 

[tdkkart]

A home inspector is gonna have a hemorrage when they see that.

Home inspectors write up any major appliance that is more than 5 years old as "nearing the end of it's useful life".

And no, don't trust any home inspector to be qualified to tell you anything about any major mechanical item in your home. Anything more complicated than a door lock exceeds most of their qualifications. If there's any question, furnaces need to inspected by an HVAC contractor/installer.

 

[schwalby]

It is round and quite large. I would say 5'+ tall and around 4.5' in diameter. There are round ducts coming out of the top, looks like an octopus on its head. The outside of the unit looks to be in great shape. No rust, no dents no pealing panels. All the duct work coming out is also in great shape, everything has been painted with a sealant, 99% there is no asbestos since it is all painted metal and no insulation around the ducts.

At the top there is an electrical motor, (kicking myself for not getting a picture) it has a chain drive that goes to a center shaft, assuming that is an updated fan. The electric motor looks to only be 4-5 years old max. Guessing high on that. After the mention of coal I am certain you are right but this one has been converted to gas, house is on city service.

I will definitely have an HVAC guy come in and check it out. I did look down some of the floor registers and all the ducts look spotless. Hoping the whole system was gone through in the last year, certainly would believe it if someone said it.

Any recommendations for an HVAC guy in NH?

 

[Randy in Maine]

They were sold "door to door" back in the time.

 

[e-tek]

Not garage related, but at least it's "hardware" of some sort. More on topic than helping to name kittens.....

 

[porschedude996TT]

They were sold "door to door" back in the time.

I bet there were no full size models in the salesman's case.

 

[philjafo]

The plus to that furnace is they are almost indestructible, made of thick metal and not many parts to fail. The downside is efficiency, its likely oversized and putting a lot of heat right out the chimney. If I were looking at buying that house I would want a new furnace and all of the ductwork. The heat supply registers are likely in the middle of the house and the return registers on the outside walls, this is backwards from the way they are setup now. Modern high efficiency furnaces can work with this duct system but sizing and airflow is much more critical with new furnaces. If not sized right sure it will work but it will have a short life with lots of problems. I have seen jobs like that one new ductwork, furnace, ac, moving gas line, and possibly asbestos go over $20,000. Not saying yours would go that high but its possible. I'm not sure on yours but some are insulated inside with asbestos, just because you don't see it outside doesn't mean there isn't any. Good luck. If you go to a site called HVAC talk there are a lot of good guys that can recommend a reputable HVAC company in your area, I would say try to stick with a bigger company that's been around for a long time. Not saying you won't get good service from a small operation but small companys come and go and may not be around the next time you need them.

 

[theoldwizard1]

They are called octopus or gravity feed furnaces. Probably looks something like this

They are EXTREMELY inefficient and potentially dangerous. They frequently used asbestos as insulation on them.

Replacing it, and replumbing the vents could be very expensive.

 

[lessersivad]

http://www.nachi.org/forum/f20/living-nostalgia-holland-furnace-12849/

 

[nehog]

where in NH is this?

 

[schwalby]

where in NH is this?

Manchvegas.

But the selling realtor F'd up and forgot to change the listing to under contract. The seller has already accepted another offer. Would have been a damn near perfect house for my wife and I too.