Replacing a Riteway 37 with a Drolet Heat Commander. Here we go!

[Highbeam]

Are all of the 6" prepunched holes on the sides of the plenum? I though they were. Then your old furnace used 8" holes on top of the plenum. Any reason you can't put new 8" holes on top?

In my part of the country you can rent tractors with loaders, miniexcavators, and even skid steer loaders at a local mom and pop place that delivers the stuff and you rent by the 8 hour "day". SSLs have a lot of lift capacity and are very maneuverable.

Do you have a cherry picker engine hoist? That would seem to be a decent way to lift the furnace onto the blocks.

 

[brenndatomu]

Are all of the 6" prepunched holes on the sides of the plenum? I though they were. Then your old furnace used 8" holes on top of the plenum. Any reason you can't put new 8" holes on top?

They are...as I understand it they prefer coming off the side rather than the top...I personally would try to have at least most of them come off the side, if not all.

In my part of the country you can rent tractors with loaders, miniexcavators, and even skid steer loaders at a local mom and pop place that delivers the stuff and you rent by the 8 hour "day". SSLs have a lot of lift capacity and are very maneuverable.

All it takes is $$$

 

[mondain]

I'm keeping the tow truck idea in the back of my mind. Right now the leading idea seems to be rental of a small mini excavator, and maybe purchase a pallet jack to move it around the basement. Regular old dollies are an option of course, but under super heavy loads 500 lbs+ they become a pain in the ass, the wheels either trip on microscopic pebbles or they universe decides that swivel wheels dont work on Thursdays.

 

[mondain]

Are all of the 6" prepunched holes on the sides of the plenum? I though they were. Then your old furnace used 8" holes on top of the plenum. Any reason you can't put new 8" holes on top?

In my part of the country you can rent tractors with loaders, miniexcavators, and even skid steer loaders at a local mom and pop place that delivers the stuff and you rent by the 8 hour "day". SSLs have a lot of lift capacity and are very maneuverable.

Do you have a cherry picker engine hoist? That would seem to be a decent way to lift the furnace onto the blocks.

Correct the holes are pre-punched into the side of the upper plenum. I was thinking about cutting out the top, however that changes the height of the plenum and they have minimums they want you to use. I'd have to measure if the heights work out.

I am looking into renting a mini excavator, trying to find the best place. I still have some weeks before the basement is prepped for any of this.

I do not have an engine hoist, but I think their V-shaped legs would interfere with the pedestal.

 

[mondain]

They are...as I understand it they prefer coming off the side rather than the top...I personally would try to have at least most of them come off the side, if not all.

All it takes is $$$

Yea the plenum is designed to pipe out the sides, if I can keep it that way I'd like to. A mini excavator rental near me is about $370/day and you have to trailer it to your job site. Some places deliver for another fee.

 

[salecker]

Yea the plenum is designed to pipe out the sides, if I can keep it that way I'd like to. A mini excavator rental near me is about $370/day and you have to trailer it to your job site. Some places deliver for another fee.

Owch
A tow truck should run about $125.00 an hour which would be lots of time.
On my small truck the boom extends 6 ft and has 2 10,000 LB winches
extend the boom,back over the furnace and winch it off the ground, back over your basement opening and winch it down the opening onto you rolling device.Pay the man and send hi, away.
No trailering, chewing up your yard with tracks, no learning curve of the mini excavator, no rigging.

 

[mondain]

Owch
A tow truck should run about $125.00 an hour which would be lots of time.
On my small truck the boom extends 6 ft and has 2 10,000 LB winches
extend the boom,back over the furnace and winch it off the ground, back over your basement opening and winch it down the opening onto you rolling device.Pay the man and send hi, away.
No trailering, chewing up your yard with tracks, no learning curve of the mini excavator, no rigging.

Thanks it sounds like a good idea, I just need to find someone with a tow truck/wrecker near me. I'm kinda in the middle of nowhere out there lol

 

[maple1]

I'm keeping the tow truck idea in the back of my mind. Right now the leading idea seems to be rental of a small mini excavator, and maybe purchase a pallet jack to move it around the basement. Regular old dollies are an option of course, but under super heavy loads 500 lbs+ they become a pain in the ass, the wheels either trip on microscopic pebbles or they universe decides that swivel wheels dont work on Thursdays.

You can move a lot of weight a long way across concrete with a few pieces of steel pipe and a couple of planks.

 

[mondain]

You can move a lot of weight a long way across concrete with a few pieces of steel pipe and a couple of planks.

That is true. I am still in the process of cleaning the basement so that there is a clear path of smooth concrete from the Bilco pit to the furnace location. And also a location to move the old furnace out of the way. I'm not sure how the timing will go--should I order, ship, and receive the new furnace into the basement before removing the old one, just to ensure I qualify for at least the 22% write-off on the furnace purchase even if I dont get the rest of the HVAC work done in 2023? Or wait until the old furnace is completely removed from the basement first, so that there is more spaceto maneuver and only 1 furnace to worry about..

 

[brenndatomu]

I think the way its written anything you are using the tax credit on has to be bought/installed in that year...check with your tax guy though, I'm not for sure.

 

[mondain]

I think the way its written anything you are using the tax credit on has to be bought/installed in that year...check with your tax guy though, I'm not for sure.

Yea that is my understanding. While I would love to pay for it all and get it all done in 2023, to be able to write off 22% of it all, I might not be able to afford it all that fast. The furnace is $4k, prolly another $4k for hvac to re-duct everything and install it in place (if I dont do that myself). I'm still trying to talk to hvac guys to get price quotes so I really dont know how much I might have to shell out. I'm handy but there's something to be said for someone doing it according to safety code and providing warranty help if something needs fixing later etc

 

[laynes69]

The furnaces are tailored to DIY. They have plug-in power connections. You can choose to tie into the cold or keep the return in the basement and just duct the 4-8's in the plenum (I would choose that route also). Once it's in the basement, a few schedule 40 pvc pipes makes easy work to transport. I've installed a couple fireboxes and moved a few furnaces from point a to b using small pipes. Following clearances and having the recommended installation requirements isn't difficult. I couldn't imagine paying 4k for an install of a diy unit. Our furnace had a full return, supply and backdraft components and I installed it for next to nothing.

 

[mondain]

The furnaces are tailored to DIY. They have plug-in power connections. You can choose to tie into the cold or keep the return in the basement and just duct the 4-8's in the plenum (I would choose that route also). Once it's in the basement, a few schedule 40 pvc pipes makes easy work to transport. I've installed a couple fireboxes and moved a few furnaces from point a to b using small pipes. Following clearances and having the recommended installation requirements isn't difficult. I couldn't imagine paying 4k for an install of a diy unit. Our furnace had a full return, supply and backdraft components and I installed it for next to nothing.

I was just spitballing the $4k price for install, trying to think of everything it might include (moving the new furnace into the basement, removing/breaking up the old furnace and removing it, redoing the existing 8" ducts with new insulation and hangers, building a block pedestal for the new furnace and air handler, etc.)

I really hope it doesnt cost $4k but, when the house is in the middle of nowhere and any hvac guys have to drive an hour one way to get to you, I just prepare myself for the bills to mount. I can do some of the work myself, but I work in another state fulltime, it's almost impossible for me to be on-site when hvac guys can be on-site, so a lot of work I could do has to get offloaded onto them. I'm ok with that, I hopefully wont have to do anything like this again the rest of my life lol.

 

[LogCabinFever]

Yea that is my understanding. While I would love to pay for it all and get it all done in 2023, to be able to write off 22% of it all, I might not be able to afford it all that fast. The furnace is $4k, prolly another $4k for hvac to re-duct everything and install it in place (if I dont do that myself). I'm still trying to talk to hvac guys to get price quotes so I really dont know how much I might have to shell out. I'm handy but there's something to be said for someone doing it according to safety code and providing warranty help if something needs fixing later etc

Just as a heads up, the tax credit was changed for this year under the current administration. It’s now 30%, but there’s a catch: max of $2000. That may or may not be better than 22% with no limit, probably depending on if you do DIY or not. Also there’s no rush because I believe it’s good for like 10yrs.

 

[mondain]

Just as a heads up, the tax credit was changed for this year under the current administration. It’s now 30%, but there’s a catch: max of $2000. That may or may not be better than 22% with no limit, probably depending on if you do DIY or not. Also there’s no rush because I believe it’s good for like 10yrs.

Thanks for the info! Do you have a link to somewhere describing this change to 30%? I do my own taxes so hopefully the tax software would know about it..

 

[mondain]

Tax Credit | Biomass | Stove | Initiatives | HPBA