Bruce
Herd Master
T-13
Misfitmorgan's Journal - That Summer Dust
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misfitmorgan
Herd Master
The contract i signed said something about I had the right to turn on utilities in my name blah blah...so when the appraisal company demanded power/water/furnace be on for appraisal they said hey its your job. I didnt feel like arguing i just want it done so i can move if it cost me another $100 at this point i dont care.
We got the hot water heater lit(i may have mentioned that already). Couln't get the furnace to light so DH went back last night with a torch to heat up some kinda thermostat thing and try lighting the furnace directly instead of thru the pilot light but no go still. DH said something about he is pretty sure it needs a new controller but to call a furnace repair person to have them out.
We got the hot water heater lit(i may have mentioned that already). Couln't get the furnace to light so DH went back last night with a torch to heat up some kinda thermostat thing and try lighting the furnace directly instead of thru the pilot light but no go still. DH said something about he is pretty sure it needs a new controller but to call a furnace repair person to have them out.
Bruce
Herd Master
T-11
So if something blows up it is YOUR responsibility?? Seems not right somehow.
The furnace has a pilot? How old is it? Might be something to replace in the not distant future, I don't think furnaces have had pilot lights for a couple of decades. Of course I've not purchased many gas furnaces, one to be exact and that was 4 years ago.
So if something blows up it is YOUR responsibility?? Seems not right somehow.
The furnace has a pilot? How old is it? Might be something to replace in the not distant future, I don't think furnaces have had pilot lights for a couple of decades. Of course I've not purchased many gas furnaces, one to be exact and that was 4 years ago.
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misfitmorgan
Herd Master
The furnace is an Amana from the 70s we are guessing, so yes it definitely has a pilot light.
Many newer furnaces still use pilot lights but there is the option to buy a furnace with an electric igniter, personally for me that would just be another part that could break. I have always had furnaces with pilot lights and only ever had two issues. A) Thermocoupler isnt working or B) controller isnt working.
We do plan on replacing it just not before we buy the house
The new furnace would be approx $1,500, that is a furnace to heat up to 3500sqft with 85,500BTU and 95% efficiency. We also plan on installing a tankless water heater at the same time which will be between $400-900(have to see what our hot water use is first) so it will likely be a year or two until replacement.
In other news we have the water on and all. The water is beautiful!!!
We have a deep well, zero rust, zero smell, wonderful water.....only down side i can see is a slight slight calcium deposit.
We also were screwing around while we were there alone and just realized all the bedrooms have new ceiling fan/light combos and the ceilings in both living rooms have ceiling lights wired in.....so we can put in ceiling fans....plus the ceilings are high enough DH has no problem with the fans.
Many newer furnaces still use pilot lights but there is the option to buy a furnace with an electric igniter, personally for me that would just be another part that could break. I have always had furnaces with pilot lights and only ever had two issues. A) Thermocoupler isnt working or B) controller isnt working.
We do plan on replacing it just not before we buy the house
The new furnace would be approx $1,500, that is a furnace to heat up to 3500sqft with 85,500BTU and 95% efficiency. We also plan on installing a tankless water heater at the same time which will be between $400-900(have to see what our hot water use is first) so it will likely be a year or two until replacement.
In other news we have the water on and all. The water is beautiful!!!
We have a deep well, zero rust, zero smell, wonderful water.....only down side i can see is a slight slight calcium deposit.
We also were screwing around while we were there alone and just realized all the bedrooms have new ceiling fan/light combos and the ceilings in both living rooms have ceiling lights wired in.....so we can put in ceiling fans....plus the ceilings are high enough DH has no problem with the fans.
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
That's good to hear about the water....and sure hope ya don't have the frozen pipe problem ya faced last winter at the other place....
Bruce
Herd Master
You might want to reconsider the tankless water heater. We have one, got it when half the house was rebuilt 4 years ago. It is useful only when taking a shower. For small uses it is really inefficient and water using appliances (dishwasher, clothes washer) use very little these days. I doubt the washer ever gets the proper temp water, at least at the beginning, since it puts in a little water, spins, puts in some water, spins, etc. The on demand isn't on long enough to heat that water at all.
Your well water is likely the same temp as ours which means maybe 45°. The basement even in the summer is only about 60°. I've watched the temp guage on the temperature control valve. It takes several minutes to get up to even 100°, longer to get to 120°. Thus you are sending a lot of tepid water through the pipes before you finally get hot water. With water starting at 120° you aren't wasting nearly as much.
Then there are the "rapid cycle" things. It goes on after it senses 1/2 gal/min for 3 seconds. Unless you leave the water running, you build up a lot of "cold pockets" in the pipe. The place where I first ran into that was shaving then showering. I don't use an electric, all the little rinses don't kick the heater on so when I got to the shower it was hot at first, then cooled, then got hot again. So you have a choice, waste gas by leaving the water running when you aren't using it or living with colder "hot" water.
Your better bet is a hybrid. It will use the heat pump when it can, electric elements otherwise. I didn't replace the on demand with one though because the heat pump needs minimum 60° water and if that is what I have in the summer, I'm screwed in the winter. The basement gets down to freezing sometimes. I had to put a heat tape on the intake and outlet pipes of the pressure tank (they froze one year) and run the condensate drain for the on demand water heater to a bucket because the water in the condensate pump freezes. The pump HAS to be basically on the floor since the bottom of the water heater is only about 12" up.
If the (soon to be your) water heater is NOT in the basement or the basement stays warmer, look into a hybrid.
Your well water is likely the same temp as ours which means maybe 45°. The basement even in the summer is only about 60°. I've watched the temp guage on the temperature control valve. It takes several minutes to get up to even 100°, longer to get to 120°. Thus you are sending a lot of tepid water through the pipes before you finally get hot water. With water starting at 120° you aren't wasting nearly as much.
Then there are the "rapid cycle" things. It goes on after it senses 1/2 gal/min for 3 seconds. Unless you leave the water running, you build up a lot of "cold pockets" in the pipe. The place where I first ran into that was shaving then showering. I don't use an electric, all the little rinses don't kick the heater on so when I got to the shower it was hot at first, then cooled, then got hot again. So you have a choice, waste gas by leaving the water running when you aren't using it or living with colder "hot" water.
Your better bet is a hybrid. It will use the heat pump when it can, electric elements otherwise. I didn't replace the on demand with one though because the heat pump needs minimum 60° water and if that is what I have in the summer, I'm screwed in the winter. The basement gets down to freezing sometimes. I had to put a heat tape on the intake and outlet pipes of the pressure tank (they froze one year) and run the condensate drain for the on demand water heater to a bucket because the water in the condensate pump freezes. The pump HAS to be basically on the floor since the bottom of the water heater is only about 12" up.
If the (soon to be your) water heater is NOT in the basement or the basement stays warmer, look into a hybrid.
Baymule
Herd Master
For the calcium deposits, use cow magnets. Place them on the pipe nipple coming out of the well tank. I think they are placed opposite poles to each other. My parents had calcium crud on their faucets and they used cow magnets. It even cleared the deposits off the faucets.
babsbag
Herd Master
I've heard about magnets but never believed it. Calcium isn't a metal so how does that work???
Mini Horses
Herd Master
So, Does the calcium build at magnet OR does it in some way change properties of the calcium? I would think the latter.
Where's our chemist? Our well/water experts?
Where's our chemist? Our well/water experts?
Baymule
Herd Master
The magnets change the ions in the water or something like that. There is lots of discussion on the internet on it, mostly doubting that it works. But cow magnets are cheap, so why not try it?
