Remember to check your backup heat source periodically

[ikessky]

I decided that it was warm enough in the house when I went to bed last night, so I didn't light the wood furnace. I figured it wouldn't get too cold in the house and that I'd start the fire when I get up at 5AM. I set the t-stat at 64 and went to bed. When I woke up, the house seemed a little colder than what I expected. Sure enough, temp was at about 61-62. I turned the t-stat to 70 and headed to the basement to see what was going on. The gas furnace was making some kind of sound, but it sure wasn't the combustor kicking in. So, looks like I'm on wood only for a while. Glad I found this out now as we are heading to Florida for a week at the end of this month.

 

[soupy1957]

There are those in here, who live only with their wood heat, and on some compassionate level, I feel for them. I'm personally glad that we maintain and have a heating system that is there, and working.

There are always those unexpected problems that can come up, and fortunately we can get it fixed when it's needed.

-Soupy1957

 

[ikessky]

I will always keep a back up heating system because I don't want to be a slave to the stove. We like to travel, not always far, but many times we will get home and the fire has been out for a while. It's nice to not have to worry about leaving some place at a specific time because you "have" to fire.

 

[LLigetfa]

I test it every day. Thermostat is set for comfort and the wood stove keeps the furnace from coming on until the fire dies down to coals.

 

[Kenster]

We haven't had our two heat pumps on for more than a few hours in the past three years. However, we do have the systems serviced every year. After all, we really depend on those pumps for our air conditioning in our brutally hot summers. Two 4.5 ton units.

 

[laynes69]

I had the same experience recently. I have fired my central furnace about 4 times this season. The last time I didn't want to wait for the woodfurnace to take the house up from 68 in the morning. The blower on the central furnace was running consantly with no heat. I removed the temp sensor, knocked a few times and it was fixed. I try to maintain our furnace in the off season, but don't always get to it. So now I cycle it every so often to make sure things are working. Our LP furnace now is just backup heat.

 

[ikessky]

Still haven't heard back from the HVAC place. I'm sure it's because I told them I still have heat because I'm running the wood furnace. That's fine, take care of those who are getting cold first.

 

[rdust]

Good advice! We have some nasty weather coming through right now so I let the furnace stretch it's legs for an hour or so tonight. One never knows what can happen.

I have family out of town so around the winter holidays we always travel. I have to keep the furnace running for those times.

 

[BrotherBart]

I just checked mine. Still broken. Hasn't fixed itself in the last ten years.

 

[Dix]

I just checked mine. Still broken. Hasn't fixed itself in the last ten years.

I'm lagging. It's only 1 year.

 

[ikessky]

I just checked mine. Still broken. Hasn't fixed itself in the last ten years.

I'm lagging. It's only 1 year.

That might be fine for you guys, but re-read the original post. I'm heading to Florida for a week and can't leave the house with no heat in Wisconsin weather.

 

[begreen]

Definitely good advice and something I have been pushing for years. You never know when you are going to be called suddenly away for an extended stay at the hospital for a loved one or yourself. Or when a family member needs help. Or when you just need to get away. Keep your backup systems in good working condition and check them regularly.

 

[ikessky]

Goodbye work bonus, hello new furnace! HVAC company was out today and they have condemned my old furnace. So, now I'm on the hunt for something new. They quoted me $1775 just to install the new furnace. I have a couple more calls to make, but my original thoughts are that is a lot of money when I already have most everything in place.

 

[begreen]

Sorry to hear that. It might be a little high, or maybe not. Some of the better gas furnaces are pricey. What size and what efficiency? Will they need to fabricate and install a new plenum for the new furnace?

 

[ikessky]

It's a 60K BTU furnace that is 93% eff. It's nothing fancy at all, but all I really use it for is an air exhanger with my AC in the summer and the occasional back-up heat in the winter. They would hardly have to fabricate anything to install it. Furnace plus install would be $2725. Now, I was talking to one of my cousin-in-laws (he's a general contractor) last night and he gave me the number for the HVAC guy that he uses. Turns out the guys is a shirt-tail relation to them. So, I have to give him a call and see what he can do. I guess I'd rather give him the business rather than a stranger. Plus, the cousin-in-law said that he would come up and lend a hard with the install so the price really shouldn't be that much. His jaw almost hit the floor when I told him the place wanted $1775 just for the install.

 

[Wood Duck]

My backup is electric baseboard heat, and it is always set to come on when the room gets too cool. Actually the wood is my backup, and electric is the primary heat source. Some days I think most of the heat is from wood, but on cold days both wood and electric are heating the house. Nice thing about electric basebaord heat is that the heaters are simple and if one does go bad, not expensive to replace.

 

[FixedGearFlyer]

Our primary heat is wood - our modified Norseman 2500 central furnace - but we also have electric baseboard heaters as our backup. The three units on the first floor were here when we bought the house, but we installed the 4 units upstairs (one in each bedroom and the bathroom) when we built the second floor. They only kick on when we're gone for a full day or more, but it's very reassuring to know that our pipes won't freeze if we stay out longer than planned.

 

[tiber]

That's what happened to me this year - we're on oil heat and we didnt' run the thing for about two weeks in really cool winter, so the bubbles collected in the radiators and I made several posts cursing the thing out before the water reabsorbed the air and things started working again. I "jog" the system periodially by setting it to 90F or whatever and letting it run long enough for the oil furnace to complete one cycle.