Buying a scratch & dent furnace from Florida and finding installation?
June 14, 2014 8:20 AM Subscribe
I intend to buy a scratch & dent furnace from these guys, even after shipping (100 dollars) It will be much cheaper than buying a new one. I want to find some heating/cooling company to install it for me.. Snowflake details inside.
Iintend to find some local furnace people to install it. I will be getting duct work installed just to the first floor, and hoping heat will rise to the 2nd floor. What pitfalls should I avoid? How can I know what kind of furnace suits my needs? (two story small home (1400 sq ft) in Ohio). I heard I should make sure they will install the brand I buy. Any tips or suggestions are appreciated.
Iintend to find some local furnace people to install it. I will be getting duct work installed just to the first floor, and hoping heat will rise to the 2nd floor. What pitfalls should I avoid? How can I know what kind of furnace suits my needs? (two story small home (1400 sq ft) in Ohio). I heard I should make sure they will install the brand I buy. Any tips or suggestions are appreciated.
Response by poster: OK, so get duct work to 2nd floor, got it. thanks!. I'll do that. What else?
posted by crawltopslow at 8:43 AM on June 14, 2014
posted by crawltopslow at 8:43 AM on June 14, 2014
Well I am sure other people will have solid suggestions, but when we were renovating our house and putting in a boiler, I actually picked the installation contractor first and had him look at a range of choices online and make a recommendation that was suitable for our house. So that's an option.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:50 AM on June 14, 2014
posted by DarlingBri at 8:50 AM on June 14, 2014
Well, you need a furnace sized appropriately to the house, and a lot more goes into that than square footage. Adjustments have to be made for climate and how well the place is insulated. Too small, and it won't be able to keep up on the coldest days. Too large, and the noise of too much air being forced through too few ducts will be annoying, it will cycle on and off more frequently, wear out some components sooner and be less efficient. I know I've seen software offered online to assist in sizing a furnace, but I think it might be better to get a pro involved sooner rather than later.
posted by jon1270 at 8:58 AM on June 14, 2014
posted by jon1270 at 8:58 AM on June 14, 2014
I think the labor cost of installing the ductwork is going to make the cost of the furnace seem irrelevant. I would just go ahead and get a new furnace. To me the cost saving of $1000 or $2000 vs getting a new furnace would not be worth it especially since it sounds like you're doing a new installation.
posted by eatcake at 9:04 AM on June 14, 2014
posted by eatcake at 9:04 AM on June 14, 2014
Response by poster: eatcake I am getting a new furnace (that has a cosmetic scratch that affects it's functionality 0%), and $1000 or $2000 has an absolute value, the relative value compared to installation is irrelevant. $1000 dollars is $1000 dollars, even if it's compared to $10,000.
posted by crawltopslow at 9:30 AM on June 14, 2014
posted by crawltopslow at 9:30 AM on June 14, 2014
Sorry I missed that part. I guess the point I was trying to make is that the ductwork from what I understand will cost more in labor than the cost of the furnace. My reasoning in getting a new furnace (vs whatever I thought you were getting) would be to have the thing be warrantied and cost less in maintenance.
There's nothing that says that the load calculation needs to be done by the same person/company that does the installation but I do agree with the above advice to make sure to get the correct size furnace.
I found this site in my research for cooling units (still ongoing) to do the load calculations yourself. loadcalc.net. It seems pretty thorough but I couldn't vouch for accuracy.
posted by eatcake at 10:26 AM on June 14, 2014
There's nothing that says that the load calculation needs to be done by the same person/company that does the installation but I do agree with the above advice to make sure to get the correct size furnace.
I found this site in my research for cooling units (still ongoing) to do the load calculations yourself. loadcalc.net. It seems pretty thorough but I couldn't vouch for accuracy.
posted by eatcake at 10:26 AM on June 14, 2014
I would make sure the furnace people who install the scratch-n-dent unit are authorized installers/dealers for that particular furnace brand. Otherwise, you may run into warranty issues down the road, should anything fail (Provided the scratch-n-dent still carries a factory warranty. You might want to check that out, too, before you buy.)
You also might want to make sure they will install a furnace you purchased elsewhere. Some people are skittish about such arrangements.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:19 AM on June 15, 2014
You also might want to make sure they will install a furnace you purchased elsewhere. Some people are skittish about such arrangements.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:19 AM on June 15, 2014
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Getting duct work installed just to the first floor, and hoping heat will rise to the 2nd floor. There are homes where this is a thing in Ireland and it is brutal in the winter. I cannot imagine a winter in OHIO with no heat to bedrooms and oh God the bathroom(s). I also suspect that this is short-sighted in that it would seriously ding the resale value of your house.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:39 AM on June 14, 2014 [3 favorites]