Therm Propane

Do You Own an Inefficient Furnace?

You are reading this article because your wondering how old, or how inefficient your old furnace/heater is, and whether or not it has a big carbon footprint. I will specifically talk about natural and propane gas fired furnaces and heaters. Some people call them a furnace, some call them a heater, if they don't have the word condensing in front of them I call them inefficient. If your furnace does not make water when it operates, then it is inefficient.

In California and according to PG&E: (Pacific Gas & Electric) Company

http://www.pge.com/about/environment/calculator/assumptions.shtml13.446

Burning one Cubic foot of natural gas will produce 13.446 lbs of carbon dioxide. All furnaces will produce carbon dioxide because it is a byproduct of burning natural gas. Go out side and clock your PG&E meter while the furnace or heater is on for a full minute then multiply that figure by 60 minutes to get your total cubic feet per hour. Multiply that number by 13.446 and you can see how much carbon dioxide that your furnace produces in one hour.

If your furnace does not remove 90% or more of the heat from the total number of cubic feet of natural gas burned before the gas is vented out of the furnace, then it is absolutely inefficient!

You ask "how can I tell if it's removing at least 90% of the heat" from the burned gas that is vented out of the furnace?

This is the easy part. Simply look at the furnace exhaust pipe - if it is metal, about 4-5" in diameter and it gets really hot, hot enough to burn your hand after its been operating for a while, the furnace is inefficient. It's a gas hog, a gross polluter in my book. In comparison to a 98% efficient furnace. Your old furnace is like a car that gets 14 miles to the gallon when it could get 30. Some condensing furnaces have a rating of 98% AFUE (look it up) which means it removes 98% of the heating value from the burned fuel before it is vented out of the furnace.

In terms of the amount of useless carbon dioxide the 80% furnace produces, a furnace that has an AFUE of 98% delivers almost 100% of the heat value of the fuel into your home as a result of producing that 13.446 lbs co2 per cubic feet consumed. Its wasted co2 production factor is only about .446 lbs per cubic foot consumed because it only has one heat exchanger, condensing furnaces have two..

In contrast an 80% AFUE furnace with a metal vent pipe is not only inefficient in terms of heat value delivered to your home, but it is extremely inefficient in terms of producing heat as a result of producing carbon dioxide or Co2. You can do the math your self and see that for every cubic foot of natural gas your old furnace consumes. You are producing more wasted carbon dioxide than a condensing furnace would at a rate of about 3lbs per cubic foot of natural gas consumed. More Co2 than a condensing furnace would, that gives you no direct benefit, and which costs you money while contributing to global warming.

Your furnace uses fuel at a much higher rate than it should and it produces wasted carbon dioxide at a much higher rate than it should. Your furnace has to have a metal vent pipe because of the temperature of the exhaust gases. A condensing furnaces exhaust gas is cooled so much that the vent pipe has to be made of PVC because they make water when they run.

In the old days a furnace with an 80% AFUE rating was considered to be high efficiency and many of them came with a sticker that said high efficiency on them. But once the first Condensing Furnace came out and natural gas consumption started to soar - the 80% furnace with a single pass heat exchanger became inferior in terms of energy efficiency.

If your using an old furnace with a metal vent pipe, then you are behind the times. It is sort of like driving one of those great big long American made cars of the late 70's with an enormous engine, during the gas shortages. A condensing furnace is like driving one of today’s hybrids. Extremely energy efficient, saves gas and low pollution.

A condensing furnace is safer too, in that most condensing furnaces have totally enclosed combustion chambers which protects from total flame roll out in the case of a failed induced draft blower motor. I am 100% sold on condensing furnace technology, so much that I don't provide 80% low efficiency furnaces as one of the products we carry, you won't find any links to low efficiency equipment on our website. As a result our customers get longer heat exchanger warranties, limited lifetime warranties on a condensing furnace vs. 20 year limited warranty on an 80% furnace.

Take a look at your utility bill and see how many therms of natural gas you consumed last month, how many therms were in the base line usage and how many were in the over base line category. If you’re over base line usage is higher or close to your base line usage, it's time to change that old gas furnace out to something more modern.

The best way to understand the waste your old furnace produces, is to imagine that you run your furnace for one hour this morning trying to heat your home. For the first twelve minutes of that hour your system does not blow any of its heat into your home, but blows it to the outside and you do not feel any of the warmth that you are spending money on. That’s essentially what you are doing by utilizing an inefficient furnace. By tomorrow that 12 minutes will be 24 minutes of two hours, 36 minutes of three hours and so on. At some point the money you waste in using that old furnace will pay for most, if not all of a new condensing furnace.

 

About the Author

John Grisler
Heating Air Conditioning Refrigeration
23 years Field Experience Diagnosing Troubleshooting Repairing and Installing systems
Licensed Contractor since 1991
C-20 & C-36
Field of expertise - Residential & Light Commercial Air Conditionig and Heating
Expertise: High Efficiency residential Heating and Air Conditioning equipment installations and repairs. http://greenfeetco2.com/

AC0507 Therm $285 Elkay AC0507 Therm Valve

TSP847IIC THERM FRICTION 2 $413.99 TSP847IIC THERM FRICTION 2

TSP743IIU THERM FRICTION 2 $303.99 TSP743IIU THERM FRICTION 2

Corti-Therm Capsule 60 $19.95 Corti-Therm Capsule 60

JUMBO THERM PRINTHEAD CLN PENS $16.99 JUMBO THERM PRINTHEAD CLN PENS

PROPANE, HEATER $28.99 PROPANE, HEATER

Star / TSP143UII THERM FRICTION 2 / 39464010 $223.47 Star - TSP143UII THERM FRICTION 2 - 39464010

Star / TSP143U THERM FRICTION 2 COLOR / 39461110 $230.69 Star - TSP143U THERM FRICTION 2 COLOR - 39461110

Taylor / Sf Wireless Rain Gauge Therm. / 91915 $35.14 Taylor - Sf Wireless Rain Gauge Therm. - 91915

HP / BLACK EXTENDED TIJ 1.0 THERM / C6602A $30.72 HP - BLACK EXTENDED TIJ 1.0 THERM - C6602A

Taylor / WW Remote Probe Cooking Therm. / 808N-4L $27.89 Taylor - WW Remote Probe Cooking Therm. - 808N-4L

Taylor / Sf MultiZone Wireless Therm. / 91049-1 $27.66 Taylor - Sf MultiZone Wireless Therm. - 91049-1

Star / SM-T301-DW50 PORTABLE 3IN THERM / 39631110 $516.02 Star - SM-T301-DW50 PORTABLE 3IN THERM - 39631110

Taylor / Taylor Dig. Programmable Therm / 1478-21 $27.89 Taylor - Taylor Dig. Programmable Therm - 1478-21

Star / TSP847IIE3RX THERM CUTR TEARBAR / 39441130 $602.63 Star - TSP847IIE3RX THERM CUTR TEARBAR - 39441130

Star / TSP654U THERM FRICTN USB GRAY / 39448610 $242.97 Star - TSP654U THERM FRICTN USB GRAY - 39448610

Marineland Visi-Therm Submersible Heater 250W $25.49 Marineland Visi-Therm Submersible Heater 250W

Marineland Visi-Therm Submersible Heater 300W $26.99 Marineland Visi-Therm Submersible Heater 300W

Bosal BOS364 Poly Therm Fleece 10 yards $79.99 Bosal BOS364 Poly Therm Fleece 10 yardsBosal BOS364 Poly Therm Fleece 10 yards

Pentair MaxiTherm 400K BTU Low NOx Propane Gas Pool Heater -( SR400LP , Pentair ) $2399.99 Free Hydraulic Lift Gate Delivery - No Lifting Heavy Items off the Truck Yourself!THE MAX-E-THERM HEATER WAS DESIGNED to outperform all other pool and spa heaters on todays market. For example, its the only heater to feature a rustproof exterior. Unlike metal enclosures, Max-E-Therm is made of Dura-Glas - a sleek, lightweight and rustproof exterior.Which means it not only lasts longer in the elements, but its also far more attractive than the large metal units. All these great features are backed up with a 2-year warranty.Weather-proof easy-read digital display: The weatherproof digital display rotates to six different positions, making it accessible with any plumbing configuration. To help you read the display on bright days, a pivoting plastic visor filters the light.Two Programmable temperatures: To accommodate pools with a built-in spa, the Max-E-Therm has two temperature settings displayed in F° or C°. The internal safety feature lets you set maximum temperature levels.EasyHookup: Compact and lightweight, the Max-E-Therm connects easily with Sta-Rite pumps and filters or retrofits easily with other systems.Choice of energy source: Available in natural gas or propane. Exhaust venting adapts easily for indoor or outdoor use.Safe ignition: With its hot surface electronic ignition, younever have to worry about a pilot light blowing out and leaking gas. Note: Requires 120V Electric Hook-upDiagnostic lights: Should a problem arise, the control panel indicator lights tell you whether to service the heater or the system.Environmentally Friendly: All units areLow NOx; meet all clean air standards.Proven Sta-Rite Technology: The revolutionary technology that made Sta-Rite pumps and filters the industry leader is now adapted for the Max-E-Therm.

Pentair MaxiTherm 200K BTU Low NOx Propane Gas Pool Heater -( SR200LP , Pentair ) $1859.99 Free Hydraulic Lift Gate Delivery - No Lifting Heavy Items off the Truck Yourself!THE MAX-E-THERM HEATER WAS DESIGNED to outperform all other pool and spa heaters on todays market. For example, its the only heater to feature a rustproof exterior. Unlike metal enclosures, Max-E-Therm is made of Dura-Glas - a sleek, lightweight and rustproof exterior.Which means it not only lasts longer in the elements, but its also far more attractive than the large metal units. All these great features are backed up with a 2-year warranty.Weather-proof easy-read digital display: The weatherproof digital display rotates to six different positions, making it accessible with any plumbing configuration. To help you read the display on bright days, a pivoting plastic visor filters the light.Two Programmable temperatures: To accommodate pools with a built-in spa, the Max-E-Therm has two temperature settings displayed in F° or C°. The internal safety feature lets you set maximum temperature levels.EasyHookup: Compact and lightweight, the Max-E-Therm connects easily with Sta-Rite pumps and filters or retrofits easily with other systems.Choice of energy source: Available in natural gas or propane. Exhaust venting adapts easily for indoor or outdoor use.Safe ignition: With its hot surface electronic ignition, younever have to worry about a pilot light blowing out and leaking gas. Note: Requires 120V Electric Hook-upDiagnostic lights: Should a problem arise, the control panel indicator lights tell you whether to service the heater or the system.Environmentally Friendly: All units areLow NOx; meet all clean air standards.Proven Sta-Rite Technology: The revolutionary technology that made Sta-Rite pumps and filters the industry leader is now adapted for the Max-E-Therm.

Pentair MaxiTherm 333K BTU Low NOx Propane Gas Pool Heater -( SR333LP , Pentair ) $1799.99 Free Hydraulic Lift Gate Delivery - No Lifting Heavy Items off the Truck Yourself!THE MAX-E-THERM HEATER WAS DESIGNED to outperform all other pool and spa heaters on todays market. For example, its the only heater to feature a rustproof exterior. Unlike metal enclosures, Max-E-Therm is made of Dura-Glas - a sleek, lightweight and rustproof exterior.Which means it not only lasts longer in the elements, but its also far more attractive than the large metal units. All these great features are backed up with a 2-year warranty.Weather-proof easy-read digital display: The weatherproof digital display rotates to six different positions, making it accessible with any plumbing configuration. To help you read the display on bright days, a pivoting plastic visor filters the light.Two Programmable temperatures: To accommodate pools with a built-in spa, the Max-E-Therm has two temperature settings displayed in F° or C°. The internal safety feature lets you set maximum temperature levels.EasyHookup: Compact and lightweight, the Max-E-Therm connects easily with Sta-Rite pumps and filters or retrofits easily with other systems.Choice of energy source: Available in natural gas or propane. Exhaust venting adapts easily for indoor or outdoor use.Safe ignition: With its hot surface electronic ignition, younever have to worry about a pilot light blowing out and leaking gas. Note: Requires 120V Electric Hook-upDiagnostic lights: Should a problem arise, the control panel indicator lights tell you whether to service the heater or the system.Environmentally Friendly: All units areLow NOx; meet all clean air standards.Proven Sta-Rite Technology: The revolutionary technology that made Sta-Rite pumps and filters the industry leader is now adapted for the Max-E-Therm.

Shopzeus USA zeusd1EPST2731816 Repti Therm Undertank Heater Mini under 10gal $39.27 Repti therm undertank heater mini (under 10gal)

Shopzeus USA zeusd1EPST2731813 Repti Therm Undertank Heater Small 10 To 20gal $41.45 Repti therm undertank heater small (10 to 20gal)

Shopzeus USA zeusd1EPST2731814 Repti Therm Undertank Heater Medium 30 To 40gal $50.94 Repti therm undertank heater medium (30 to 40gal)

The Craftsman - Indoor/Outdoor-Therm & Hygrometer $118 The Craftsman - Indoor/Outdoor-Therm & Hygrometer is available from bedbathstore.com for only $97.99. Shop bedbathstore for the best price and quality with Free Shipping.

Texsport / PROPANE, HEATER / 14215 $51.57 Texsport - PROPANE, HEATER - 14215

ALP24210 Propane Tank/Trash $333 Propane TankTrash Drawer

Propane Post, F-Proppost3, For Stove $36.99 PROPANE POST, F-PROPPOST3, FOR STOVE

PROPANE, DOUBLE MANTLE LANTERN $20.99 PROPANE, DOUBLE MANTLE LANTERN

PROPANE, SINGLE BURNER STOVE $17.99 PROPANE, SINGLE BURNER STOVE

PROPANE, TWO BURNER STOVE $27.99 PROPANE, TWO BURNER STOVE

Therm Acai 60 caps $9.99 Biogenixs has put together a powerful antioxidant product containing Acai Berry. Acai Berry products have become very popular on the market. Therm A?a? is effective and one of the most powerful antioxidant fat burner products out there! Therm A?a? is the #1 selling antioxidant fat loss supplement in America. The potent ingredients used for internal fat loss are what make this product unbeatable. The Acai present in Therm A?a? will help your body lose the excess fat buildup and prevent future fat buildup from occurring.What is the Acai Berry?The Acai Berry is a reddish, purple fruit found in the rain forests throughout Central and South America. This berry is a relative to the blueberry, cranberry, and other dark purple fruits. Acai berries act as an excellent source of fiber, antioxidants, and heart-healthy fats. Products on the market that contain Acai have been used for years as a premium for natural energy, weight loss, and lowering of cholesterol.Why is the Acai Berry Healthy?Acai consists mainly of the two substances anthocyanins and flavonoids. Foods that contain the substance anthocyanins are very strong colored, ranging from deep purple to black. Along with flavonoids, anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants that help the body defend against stressors. These antioxidants are also vital in the body's cell protection system. By including these powerful antioxidants, you are interfering with aging and any disease process by neutralizing free radicals. Some of the disease processes this includes are heart disease and cancer and by including the antioxidants in your diet you are lessening the destruction of free radicals.Therm A?a? works to:Stimulate fat digestionMove matter through and out of your bodyExpell fat from the digestive trackRid your body of waste and toxinsSupport healthy fat eliminationAcai Berry has become so popular it has made its way to Hollywood. Many celebrities are using Acai to give them the antioxidant fighting superpower they need to get through their busy day. Therm A?a? is a product amongst the celeb elite. If celebrities are using this product it must work effectively.The weight loss results for Therm Acai have been amazing! A majority of the customers reported 15-30 lbs of weight loss in only the first month! For some that's a pound a day. No other fat burner on the market can give you results like these. Not only fat loss, but customers experienced a reduced occurrence of bloating and flatulence while using Therm A?a?. The researchers at Biogenixs have created an unbelievable weight loss supplement that has had great success. The powerful antioxidant, Acai Berry, is effective and is the main ingredient in Therm A?a?. Choose the best fat loss product ever made, choose Therm A?a?!

Mettler Capacitive Applicator Cable for Auto*Therm 395 $212 Mettler Capacitive Applicator Cable for use with Mettler Auto*Therm 395 Shortwave Diathermy (MET-ME395).

Ovopur Therm-O Vessel by Aquaovo $25 Ovopur Therm-O Vessel by Aquaovo The Therm-O Vessel provides an ecochic alternative to bottled water - at home and at work! Comes with a removable, stainless steel strainer for your leaves. Made of double-paned glass so it’s always comfortable to hold, even if you pour boiling water right into it! Made of BPA free and lead free glass. FDA approved food grade materials! Holds 16 oz.

Citizen / CTS651 THERM PRNT USB I/F / CT-S651S3UBUBKP $249.91 Citizen - CTS651 THERM PRNT USB I/F - CT-S651S3UBUBKP

Citizen / CTS651 THERM PRNT SERIAL I/F / CT-S651S3RSUBKP $249.89 Citizen - CTS651 THERM PRNT SERIAL I/F - CT-S651S3RSUBKP

Citizen / CTS310II THERM PRNT ECO BLACK / CT-S310II-U-BK $207.24 Citizen - CTS310II THERM PRNT ECO BLACK - CT-S310II-U-BK

Tags: heaters, pool, therm propane

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 27th, 2007 at 4:48 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.