I had a 20 + year old Lennox Pulse in my previous house. It was in my in-laws house and the county took their property for a highway exit, so before they demolished the house, we scavenged it.

Anyway ... the only thing that ever went wrong with it in all those years was the heat exchanger cracked, and that was fixed by Lennox due to a recall on it.

98% efficient. Probably why my gas bills where less than $100 in the dead of winter up in Iowa. I'm on track to have $600 a month gas bills here, but it's a piece of garbage furnace rated at 75% efficiency, so real world, probably 50% or less.

IF YOU CAN SMELL ANY PROPANE, YOU'VE GOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

Bub


Quick question for you digi2ns ... seems like you know a lot about this stuff ...

I'm hearing a hissing sound from the vent on the regulator on my 500 gallon LP tank, and I smell a lot of gas. Is this normal or should I call the gas company? I'm reading conflicting reports on the net, some say it's ok, some say it's not.

??

Sorry for the delay Bub,  I was out shopping


Some of them things are funny that way.  


Safest thing I would recommend would be to have the Gas guys that deliver check it out for you just to make sure.  LP is nothing to mess around with if there are problems.


I hate to say one way or another without being able to look at it. If I was local Id stop in for ya but....  Im way up here

Yeh Geothermol is the best option if you have money to just throw away.

You just cant get a better heat transfer than what you get from the earth verses trying to pick up or pass the heat captured in the refrigent by air across coils.

I used to explain to customers by saying "hold up a glass of water and blow on it, you dont feel the heat on the other side of the glass from your breathe." meaning - liquids and solids in direct contact with the coil will get rid or pass the heat immediately verses letting it blow around in the air fighting to get out.

As for the heat side of it, say the air temp is down below 35 (or much colder up north)-A heat pump can pull heat from the air but not as good as a geo will being directly in contact with dirt or water that remains at around 55 degrees.

The down side is the expense in maintenance on the loops used to to pull or get rid of the heat for ya. ( Whether its an open loop into a lake or river, or a closed loop that is drilled way down into the earth.)

Ive seen these not maintained and its just deteriorates all the metal in the pumps and clogs up the system.  Very costly

Federal Law that all heating unit's be 98% efficient

Federal law clearly will supersede the laws of physics in this case. Depending on how it is measured, no combustion source will be able to meet that standard. A $20.00 space heater will however.


A more reasonable expectation for heating efficiency is here:


http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/furnaces-and-boilers

I would take into strong consideration which local company has the best service and reputation. Years in business means NOTHING, in fact it could mean that the guy who really cared has retired and his kids are now running the company. I would make a short list of businesses you think are good. Call them all and see how they handle a call, not for buying a new unit but for servicing a hypothetical unit. Maybe even get past the receptionist and try to talk to a serviceman. You don't want them to come out because they will charge you for that... however, you may be able to tell a LOT from the way they handle your call... and really, customer service is what matters unless you are buying a really cheap second rate unit. Any TOTL unit... CS and price of a maintainance program or yearly service is what matters... and it matters a lot. Ask around too.
 
IMO... from experience.
 
J

IF YOU CAN SMELL ANY PROPANE, YOU'VE GOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

 
Or a dead rat...
 
J