Replacing XE70

[stangrcr1]

I want my old Trane XE70 downdraft furnace replaced. It still works, but I would like higher efficiency than this old POS. I have been hearing so many different stories about what is good and what is bad as far as a replacement furnace. I am not picky on brand or installer, just want to not do this again for another 15 years.

[stangrcr1]

A little more info. I am not asking which I should buy, but maybe which have you worked on least.

I am an ASE certified Master Auto Tech and understand about DIYs. Too many times have I had to fix cars that someones brother the mechanic tried to fix. I am not a pro at furnaces and will have it installed by a pro.

Just asking another pro what is good and what to look out for.

[hankmcneil]

I think all the pro's here will agree: The most important thing is to get a reputable dealer that you can trust and trust him/her. As an Auto Tech i'm sure you see the vality of this. Hint, if they don't do heat loss calculations - move on.

[stangrcr1]

Ok, just to show how much I don't know....

What is a heat loss calculation? Kind of like a leakdown test on an engine?

[hankmcneil]

A heat loss will determine the amount of heat needed to keep YOUR house warm. Our industry has/is learning a lot. One of those things is that your furnace needs to be just big enough to do the job, to get the most from your money. There is a very good chance the old furnace is not the optimal size.

[stangrcr1]

I was wondering about that. The XE70 says 80kBTU. Hmmmm. My minifurnace for the garage is 45k BTU and it blasts the garage up to temp in seconds. 30 and snowing outside right now.

Is the heat loss done over time measuring temperature drop over time versus outside temp? The house seems to hold heat fairly well. The attic is 18" deep in pink and blown. Furnace now may run once to twice every two hours holding 66 inside with 30 degrees outside. Good?

[Edited by stangrcr1 on 11-27-2006 at 12:14 AM]

[totaleclipse]

To do a heat load, someone will come in, measure the house, figure what kind of windows, doors, walls, insulation, roof, floor, direction the house is facing, etc., etc. They will then take this info and put it into a computer(or get out the pencils and paper and long forms if they do not have a computer program for heat loads) and it will basicly claculate how much heat in BTU's your house needs. You may also hear someone refer to it as manual J. You can click on the HVAC Calc tab at the top of the page and do one yourself, but I would recommend your contractor do there own also.

[stangrcr1]

Thanks. Appreciate the help.