Need an Efficient Stand By Propane Furnace.

1/04/2013 | Self

[Little Bill]

I heat my home with wood and have regulated my forced hot water furnace to back up. It sucks and is maintience intensive. I am going to replace it with what?

I Live on a snow line in central New Hampshire and it gets COLD, F'n Cold. What I need is a reliable single zone propane furnace that can stand long periods of NON use. NO Pilot.

[Little Bill]

I have been cutting my heating expence but my backup needs replacement.

[Jonty30]

If it’s just some hot water, have you tried one of those solar bags, that you fill with cold water and let stand in the sun?

[KC_Lion]

[DakotaGator]

How about a propane-fueled soapstone stove? Some models can provide the aesthetics of a “fireplace” with the utility of a backup room furnace and a cooking surface.

[wrench]

My understanding is the new stuff doesn’t use a pilot

[ohiobuckeye1997]

I have a Ruud achiever 90+. Tough furnace. In summer 2007 we had 10 inches of rain in a 7 hour period over night. record rainfall in nw Ohio woke up with 2 feet of water in basement. All the electronics were underwater. i let it dry for 2 months and then in the fall I fired it up and it worked fine. In 2012 I finally had to have the mother board replaced. the tech said that the water likely started some corrosion that eventually got it....but that is the only expense on that furnce in th 13 years I have had it.

[Little Bill]

This is New Hampshire, there ain’t no sun during the winter, right now, 14 F.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

When we built new in 2001, we opted for a ground source heat pump and thermal floor. Very inexpensive to run.
R-60 cellulose in the attic, 2 X 6 walls filled with blown cellulose and the best Anderson doors and windows.
We also have a wood stove since we're surrounded by oak and hickory woods...

[mylife]

Here is what you need

http://for-sale.yakaz.com/dearborn-propane-heaters

[mylife]

dearborns are 99% efficient

[Little Bill]

I will look that up. My problem is that I need reliable back up after long down time.

I was watching a neighbor get a fill up at 3.70 a gallon. My heating bill, with wood has run around $1200 a season plus $600 for cooking and hot water, propane.

[TheRhinelander]

I have a Rheem Classic 90 Plus. It’s VERY efficient and I love it.

[virgil283]

I would strongly suggest you get a wall hung or console -VENTED- heater. Unvented heaters are not for more than 4 hours use [with a window cracked they say in the instructions]. Second propane is more dangerous than natural gas because nat. gas is lighter than air and will evaporate but propane is heaver than air and will ‘pool up’ waiting for a spark [boom]. For example putting a propane furnace in a basement is practically forbiden See this for example of wall hung...

http://www.johnstonesupply.com/storefront/hvac-equipment/specialty/heaters-furnaces/wall-heaters-furnaces/c1027078-c1026859-c1026932-c1028302-b201359-p1.html

[Little Bill]

My Kid was talking these, his faggot uncle put in something similar. On my look up list.

[Cboldt]

Monitor. Burns K-1 or fuel oil, vents outdoors. Needs electric to run, so that may cut it off as an option for you. I’d consider a standalone K-1 burner, instead of propane. More heat for a given volume of fuel.

[virgil283]

“On my look up list.”.....Oh I forgot to mention the reason this type is good is that they are natural draft, meaning no electricity needed because there is no fan. Works when the power is off...

[primatreat]

Try New York thermal. They are located in Canada and have many distributors in the NE. They have150 K btu propane “condensing” boilers that hang on the wall. I have one that heats 7000 Sq foot house with radiant tubes under the floor. The exhaust is just vapor and is relatively cool.
My son has one of the boiler system that works extremely well with radiators.

No pilot light. Works well with the balancing of the OATvs temp in house.
Very efficient!
Recommend this brand highly. Others out there as well. Look up “condensing “ heaters.

[goodtomato]

When you say ‘back up”, do you mean that if you are gone for a few hours more than anticipated and the wood-burner goes out, you need something to heat enough to keep the pipes from freezing, or do you need something to keep the house at the same temp when you are burning wood?

[Secret Agent Man]

single zone? mr buddy or big buddy.

[maine-iac7]

the sun is a little ‘thin’ in NH these days - LOL