About to buy a new furnance

[Tintreach]

Long story short my LP company of 8 years has decided to screw me. I'm at day 8 with out propane and they still haven't came out even after calling daily.

Anyways with some help of these forums I think I am going to buy Drolet Tundra after Christmas and get a contractor to install a chimney and start integration into the existing duct work.

The house is a little over 2500 sqft plus the garage. The bonus room is a little over 500 sqft and it doesn't get used much so I just shut the vent off in that room unless there is company over.

The house is really well insulated fortunately, since I haven't been able to use the existing furnance I have been able to keep the main part of the house in the mid 50's with just my pos insert fireplace.

So any input in the direction I'm heading it would be greatly appreciated. So far I think this is best direction and looks like the Tundra is the best bang for the buck out there right now before stepping up to a gasification boiler.

Happy Holidays

 

[brenndatomu]

Sounds good. Pics when ya do it.
FYI, Menards usually does a "11% off everything" sale after Christmas (maybe after the new year?)

 

[Tintreach]

That's exactly what I was shooting for! I have a narrow window if the sale at Menards happens and before the first of the year to make the purchase. So that means $1800 - 11% Sale + 7% Sales Tax but if I get it before the 1st I think I qualify for a $300 tax credit too. So that puts my total investment into the furnace itself at $1400 and change.
I did a ton of measuring and crawling around yesterday... looks like I can drop it next to the LP furnace in the garage and go straight vertical with the chimney for it. Hoping this will make for a cleaner looking install and easier integration into the existing duct work.

 

[JRHAWK9]

I'm not so sure that furnace will qualify for the tax credit.

 

[Tintreach]

I'm not so sure that furnace will qualify for the tax credit.

Indeed it does......
Tax Credit extended to 12/31/2014
http://forgreenheat.blogspot.com/2014/05/wood-stove-tax-credit-unlikely-to-be.html

The Tundra/Heatmax is listed #737 on the EPA's certified wood stove list
(broken link removed to http://www.epa.gov/oecaerth/resources/publications/monitoring/caa/woodstoves/certifiedwood.pdf)

 

[JRHAWK9]

interesting. According to -THIS- biomass units must be at least 75% efficient in order to qualify for this most recent 2014 $300 tax credit. The list of EPA stoves you linked to seems like a pretty loose standard, that's for sure. The (broken link removed) is way more efficient than most (if not all) on that list but yet is not even on the list though it meets the 75% efficiency needed for the 2014 tax credit.

 

[brenndatomu]

looks like I can drop it next to the LP furnace in the garage

Careful with that, you might wanna do a lil checkin first, garage installs on solid fuel heaters aren't "legal" in a lot of places. Call your ins co about it and check into local codes too

 

[JRHAWK9]

Careful with that, you might wanna do a lil checkin first, garage installs on solid fuel heaters aren't "legal" in a lot of places. Call your ins co about it and check into local codes too

If it's not in a insulated and heated garage it also may not not function like it would if it were down in a heated basement due to the constant cold return air temp being so low.

 

[Tintreach]

interesting. According to -THIS- biomass units must be at least 75% efficient in order to qualify for this most recent 2014 $300 tax credit. The list of EPA stoves you linked to seems like a pretty loose standard, that's for sure. The (broken link removed) is way more efficient than most (if not all) on that list but yet is not even on the list though it meets the 75% efficiency needed for the 2014 tax credit.

Yeah that article was talking about that "loophole". That's why most you see are certified at 76% and the EPA list is estimated. From what I understand the loophole is still in place.

As for the garage thing, not an issue from a code perspective but if I get any push back insurance wise it's not hard to frame out that wall of the garage where are the existing furnace is and make it a "seperated room". My neighbor is the fire chief, he concurs, either way shouldn't result in not being able to move forward with the installation.

 

[1970roadrunner]

If you install the Tundra (wherever you end up installing it) you should be good to go for years.

 

[newyorker]

+1 on tundra i have the caddy (same firebox) and it puurs like a tom cat in a creamery

 

[woodsmaster]

Just be aware the the tax credit is exactly that, a credit. If you don't owe any taxes as a lot of people don't due to claiming kids and or low income, you will NOT get a refund of $300 for the credit. You must owe taxes for the credit to do any good.

 

[Fred61]

A tax obligation whether through withholding or payments.

 

[brenndatomu]

Was at Menards tonight, no 11% off everything sale, but I did see that they had the 6" x 36" class A pipe on sale for $59 each...killer price!

 

[1970roadrunner]

Your propane company is something else. At least with heating oil you could always haul diesel yourself in a pinch. Hopefully you find a better company in the future for your propane.