oil furnace info

sparkie

Hello all! Can anyone please give me some insight about these two brands of oil furnaces----Regal (Boyertown) and Metromatic.
Thanks much and I hope everyone is doing well.

STEVEusaPA

What do you want to know? To me the Metro looks a little outdated, belt drive blower, old style fan/limit-probably cheaper.
The Regal looks better to me.

HVACNUT

The Regal I believe is owned by Peerless of Boyertown.
Is it heat only, or are you adding A/C?
Look for a furnace with an ECM blower motor and a circuit control board with A/C terminal relays.
If equipped with a Beckett burner, probably comes with the Genysis primary the has an A/C ready kit installed.
Warm air is a very dry heat and I would invest in a good steam humidifier. They're fairly expensive but it is well worth it.

sparkie

Thanks for responding guys. The Regal is indeed made by Boyertown. My application is a small house. there is no AC. Humidity control equipment separate from furnace is already in place.
Looking for a very simple basic unit, no frills, no electronics. Easy and economical to service. That is what I like about the Metro. Burner is a Becky AFG on either unit. Only need output of about 86000 btu.

HVACNUT

I live on Long Island and never heard of Metromatic.
Most manufacturers will come with the Beckett AFG unless specified for a 40 series Riello, which is a superior burner, but the Beckett is fine in most furnace applications. Don't look for "no frills". You want the ECM motor for efficiency and the ability to ramp its speed according to static pressure. I.E. the fan won't blow your socks off, it self adjusts. You also want a circuit control board as opposed to a fan/limit control and will actually be your only option with the ECM motor. Look into a good air filter, MERV 11 or better rather than the 1" filters that you get at Home Depot etc.

HVACNUT

Also, what do you mean by separate humidity control? Do you have a dehumidifier or a humidifier? What brand and application?

sparkie

There is a dehumidifier (console type) for summer and humidifiers for winter. There is no problem at all with indoor air quality. Current system is a basic simple system which has worked perfectly for about 32 years now. FYI, Metromatic is a small local manufacturer of oil furnaces just outside of Boston.

HVACNUT

Just checked their website. Those pics are from the 80's. The components on the Beckett burners have been obsolete for decades. Time to update the Web page.
I don't see specs for ECM blower motors. Only belt drive. Not exactly practical in the 21st century in a residential system.
If their products are stuck in the 80's, maybe look elsewhere. I understand buying local but why have an outhouse when you can have indoor plumbing at a small price diff.

sparkie

I absolutely agree. I wasn't going to buy it, just seeing whats out there now. Been out of the loop sort of speak for quite some time.

HVACNUT

Ok, cool. Keep in mind that most service/install companies stick to 1 or 2 brands that they primarily use. Once you narrow down your choice of furnace manufacturer(s) you need to find companies that offer and are familiar with said furnaces. Good luck.