Help,?! what's a Concord furnace?

[yitzi]

I'm still working out wether to bite the bullet and pay for my own high quality furnace Trane/Rheem/whichever top brand and quality installer (which I'm willing to do), or, to go with the program from the gas company where they'll bring in one of the contractors they "work with" (obviously one who'll work for cheap) and install some generic furnace. Right now they're going with; Dewey Brown, to install a Concord??? single stage furnace.
Is this a steer clear furnace/situation?
yitzie

[BaldLoonie]

Made by Armstrong. We use them on rentals. A no frills model but for the buck, no reason to avoid them. As long as sized and installed properly including proper venting (chimney liner if using a chimney) it will be a good furnace.

[yitzi]

Thanks much,
yitzi

[billva]

only problem will be the amount the gas co. pays the sub-contractor, not much. which also means inexperienced, low pay installers.

do you like gambling?

good luck.

[redhawk]

I just installed one for my brother, 125K BTU. I was impressed with it. Well built, and like Loonie said, for the money it seems to be a good unit.

[sadlier]

Silicone carbide ignitor and clamshell heat exchanger... I'd be cautious. Any furnace will heat fine the first few years, but what about the long run?

[addfreon]

Any furnace will heat when it comes out of the box....how about 3 years from now...think about what you want...do you want to come out cheap or do you want comfort...how about having both!....investigate and get a good deal out of a quality installation contractor....there's plenty in the phonebook....
I'm not bashing Concord air....but hey...gas utility,third party installers....who reccomends that crap.......just watch-out.


Good Luck,

[addfreon]

Originally posted by redhawk
I just installed one for my brother, 125K BTU. I was impressed with it. Well built, and like Loonie said, for the money it seems to be a good unit.


I'm curious ...125,000 btu/hr furnace.....whats the square footage of the house and what was the total air return size for the system...in otherwords...what is the return CFM.....the reason why I'm curious....I hav'nt sold a 125,OOO btu furnace at 80% effi.. but once..and that was for a garge that kept the doors open all the time...WOW

[redhawk]

Originally posted by addfreon

Originally posted by redhawk
I just installed one for my brother, 125K BTU. I was impressed with it. Well built, and like Loonie said, for the money it seems to be a good unit.


I'm curious ...125,000 btu/hr furnace.....whats the square footage of the house and what was the total air return size for the system...in otherwords...what is the return CFM.....the reason why I'm curious....I hav'nt sold a 125,OOO btu furnace at 80% effi.. but once..and that was for a garge that kept the doors open all the time...WOW

His square footage was 2200. He purchased the furnace then called me and said he needed some help. I go there and help him install it. Was a 90+ furnace, with 2000 cfm. I asked him about the size and he told them he wanted the biggest one they make. You have to know my brother to understand. I pointed out that he needed to add a return, but he said he did not have the money. I suggested that he put a filter on both sides to draw as much air in as possible.

[billva]

[i]

His square footage was 2200. He purchased the furnace then called me and said he needed some help. I go there and help him install it. Was a 90+ furnace, with 2000 cfm. I asked him about the size and he told them he wanted the biggest one they make. You have to know my brother to understand. I pointed out that he needed to add a return, but he said he did not have the money. I suggested that he put a filter on both sides to draw as much air in as possible. [/B]


this is what you will get. spend a little extra and be safe.

[billva]

His square footage was 2200. He purchased the furnace then called me and said he needed some help. I go there and help him install it. Was a 90+ furnace, with 2000 cfm. I asked him about the size and he told them he wanted the biggest one they make. You have to know my brother to understand. I pointed out that he needed to add a return, but he said he did not have the money. I suggested that he put a filter on both sides to draw as much air in as possible. [/B]


this is what you will get. spend a little extra and be safe.
this post will have the furnace drawing exaust gasses into the return, which will then be dispersed into the home.

bet there wasn't a permit pulled on this one.

[redhawk]

this post will have the furnace drawing exaust gasses into the return, which will then be dispersed into the home.

bet there wasn't a permit pulled on this one. [/B][/QUOTE]

Exaust gasses dispersed into the home, how do you figure that? The intake is drawn from the outside. The exaust is vented to the outside of the house. The air being drawn into the furnace is from the basement and open stairway to the upstairs.

[billva]

I suggested that he put a filter on both sides to draw as much air in as possible. [/B]

water heater?

[sadlier]

this post will have the furnace drawing exaust gasses into the return, which will then be dispersed into the home.
I was also curious, too. Even if it isn't in direct vent configuration, how is it going to suck the flue gasses in?

[addfreon]

I hear ya...I get customers like that too....give'em what they want.

[krd]

Concord is a Lennox owned company. They carry a iso rating higher than lennox. The heat exchanger is aluminized steel with a 20 year warrantee. and I believe if it cracks in the first 10 years lennox will give you a whole new furnace at no cost to you. Obviously this depends on proper installation. If you want to and can upgrade, I would go with the Armstrong, It is also a lennox owned company. the heat exchanger on them is stainless steel and is warrantied for life. They both basically have the same design except for minor modifications.

[krd]

If you pull too much air into the blower compartment from return air duct leakage, it is possible to downdraft the water heater. If this is the case you will want to bring and equivalent outside air supply into the area where the furnace and hot water tank are located. Your brother did himself a dis-service not getting the unit sized properly and most likely will cycle on high limit with excessively short heat cycles. This will wear out the components of the furnace prematurely and then he'll be complaining the furnace is no good.

[addfreon]

Originally posted by sadlier


this post will have the furnace drawing exaust gasses into the return, which will then be dispersed into the home.
I was also curious, too. Even if it isn't in direct vent configuration, how is it going to suck the flue gasses in?


I wouldnt be as worried about flu gasses as much as havin to replace the heat exchanger after a few seasons.

[redhawk]

Originally posted by billva




I suggested that he put a filter on both sides to draw as much air in as possible.

water heater? [/B]

Electric