Furnace Age

[hausdok]

Hi,

Based on the ones where I'd seen the stamped number before, I'd expect it to be somewhere on the curved surface of the right side of that blower because I usually see those blowers with the discharge side facing away from me with the belt on the side. If it's not there, it's not there. I think the newspaper is the best clue that you have.

What's the condition of the firepot and heat exchanger? I've looked at a lot of those old monsters and about the only thing that ever seems to be a serious issue is a cracked/spalled fire pot or an old pre-flame-retention burner that is burning really, really dirty.

The danged heat exchanger is usually literally a heavy steel tank with an oil burner and clay pot at the bottom and a smoke pipe at the top. Some of the old Rossoes that were made here in Seattle are nearly 70 years old. Those usually have a new mud lining in the fire pot, a new belt, bearings, motor and burner and flame retention burner and look like they'll be around for another quarter of a century.

When one goes to the home shows and sees these things set up as cutaway displays, it's pretty easy to see that gas furnace technology has changed a lot over the years but the design of oil furnace heat exchangers is still largely the same.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Bill Kibbel]

It's a gas furnace Mike. They have cast iron burners that last forever. The '50s and 60's furnaces of that type have the typical pressed steel sectional heat exchangers, but they're often porcelain enameled interiors. Probably why Savannah's is still there.

[hausdok]

Hi,

Yeah, I forgot it was a gas furnace (Damned mad cow disease!); however, the ones that I've seen here that were designed to be gas or oil have the same round tank-type welded steel exchanger with the same issues and the only difference is the burner.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

M.

[savannah]

I pulled one of the panels off that covered the actual furnace. Inside is a big round tube, probably the porcelain enamel you're talking about. It is probably 1 1/2 ft wide and as tall as the furnace. The guy who tried to date it today thinks it's 1962, b/c of the 62 in the serial number (84AN-6203A). There's a catalog online (from 1962) that I linked a few posts back, and the interior of that furnace on the third page looks different than what i've got from that year. If you see that page, would you think mine is older based on the porcelain tube? Or does that not matter too much???

Thanks for all the help. Much appreciated.

I also have a house with an American Standart/Sunbeam model (SGF-85), series E-8. He thinks that's 1956. Any thoughts?

[savannah]

The American Standard code was incorrect...it's SGA-85, Series E-1.

Thanks in advance.

[savannah]

Any new thoughts (Carson Dunlap maybe) on the Montgomery Ward 84AN-6203A???