Old furnace too large to remove?

9 years ago

I have an older relative that lives in another state had some work done at her 2 story home that required the gas supply to be turn off.
When the work was done and the gas company came to relight the pilot for the furnace in the attic, they said they cannot relight it because the furnace is on a list of recalled models.
The manufacturer is out of business so there are no parts available to fix the recall issue and for other issues that were causing it to not work very well the last few years,
The furnace is at least 25 years old (installed by the builder during new construction) and was overdue for replacement anyway, so now she is shopping for a new model.
The first contractor that came out is telling her that it will be very expensive to replace it because there is no room to remove it from the attic, He is saying support beams will need to be removed from the attic and a large hole will need to be cut in the ceiling because it is too large to fit through the existing access panel. So, then she would need to have the ceiling in the master bedroom replaced and repainted after the work was done or there will be an obvious patch.
So, this would mean the builder would have had to have installed the furnace first and then built the rest of the attic around it afterwards with no regard to removal in the future.
I find this hard to believe especially since there is a chance some of the new furnaces could have been defective and failed during the builder's warranty period and they would have had to deal with replacing it under warranty. I would have been surprised if they would have taken that risk instead to leaving room to remove it.
She is going to have a couple more contractors look at it to see if they all say the same thing.

Has anyone heard of furnaces being installed that way in new construction from 25 years ago?

Wouldn't it make more sense to disassemble the furnace into smaller pieces while in the attic rather than remove support beams and cut a giant hole to make it fit through the ceiling in one piece?
He says the replacement furnace is more compact, so she will not have the same problem in the future.

Comments (9)

mike_home
9 years ago
The whole story sounds a little fishy to me. Ask your relative to get the make and model number of the furnace. Someone should be able to verify whether there was a recall and if it can be repaired.

Builder's will do a lot of things just to save some money. Who knows how this furnace was originally installed.

If the new furnace can be installed through the existing attic access, then it makes sense to try to disassemble the old furnace. It may be difficult but possible. The other suggestion would be to build a larger access with a pull down stair. If you are going to spend money on a modification then do it right so it can be used in the future to access the furnace.
jaxo
Original Author
9 years ago
I'll have to talk to her to get the make and model, but doing a Google search for recalled furnaces from companies out of business, I am 99% sure it is a Consolidated Industries furnace or a rebranded version of their furnances based on matching time frame and location.

http://www.achrnews.com/articles/tens-of-thousands-of-furnaces-recalled-in-california

http://articles.latimes.com/2000/sep/27/news/mn-27512

http://garrettf1.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/the-top-two-most-dangerous-furnaces/
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pprioroh
9 years ago
I can't speak to the rest of the issue, but a simple sawzall will solve the "too big to remove" nonsense - I wouldn't trust that contractor at all.
mike_home
9 years ago
I was thinking sledge hammer, but a sawzall is probably faster.

The article about the recall was interesting. A 25 year old furnace in an attic is at end of life. It should be replaced before the start of winter.
jackfre
9 years ago
I never worked with them, but I think the CI unit was a Quattro model. It was a multi-position unit and was popular due to its small size. A drill with nut driver chucks will remove the skins and a saws-all will reduce the rest. The question is...will the new unit fit. I've "reduced" many heating appliances, but would not want to disassemble, place and re-build a new unit.

I am always so disappointed that this happens. A house is a machine. You build it to service it, or at least you should.
klem1
9 years ago
Thank goodness the furnace isn't needed any time soon so there is plenty time to reason this out. So far I believe we all agree the furnace should be replaced simply because it is past expected life of heat exchanger. It is also majority opinion the old unit can be dismanteled and removed. Is the furnace handeling air for cooling? If the cooling side is 25 years old,now's the time to replace it as well. I say you should talk directly to the contractor to see if he is indeed suggesting the ceiling be torn out and if so,dump him unless there is good reason it is nessary. If the homeowner isn't capiable of making desisions,she needs someone assisting her who understands hvac and can talk directly with contractors. No offence inteeded but if you don't feel qulified to advise her,it is risky at best for you to be a go between in all this. Facts can be lost in translation and discisoins must be made quickly if problems arise after job is started.
If it's not possible to have a knowledgable party intervine on her part,you should at least comunicate directly with contractor on issues the homeowner is incapiable of handling.
jaxo
Original Author
9 years ago
New models are supposed to a be more compact than the ones from 25 to 30 years ago.
It's only a 40,000 BTU unit.
klem1
9 years ago
"It's only a 40,000 BTU unit. "
That's got to be one interesting 2 story house. At least the lady can heat the place with a portable heater if replacement of central furnace doesn't come to fruit.
jaxo
Original Author
9 years ago
It's a townhouse, and not a huge one, in an area of Southern California where winter low temps only occasionally get close to 32 or below even the coldest part of winter.