Old vs. New Blowers

bean

Why does it seem that any older furnaces use belt driven blowers while everything newer is direct drive?

Alan Welch

Variable speed.

DZoro

More efficient, no bearings, no belt, no pulleys, no oiling, no motor adjustments, ,,,,,,,,now theres 5 speed motors, variable drives, ecm motors. Todays entire furnace is smaller than some of the old return air, stand alone belt drive boxes...... Geez think I just really dated myself......:)

JUGHNE

I never have missed the phase out of belt drives and all the grief that goes with them as the hardware ages.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Direct drive you can use slower speed for heat and higher speed for ac.

On belt drive your stuck with one speed unless you wan't to constantly readjust

JUGHNE

One of the last belt drive furnaces available promoted the belt drive as being quieter than direct drives. (over 30 years ago)

And they could have been as the furnace was wider, blower bigger and could run at a lower speed. And the furnace weighted twice as much as anything today. You would not carry it downstairs by yourself.

I still never brought one.

Solid_Fuel_Man

Fewer parts, cheaper to manufacture as well. But more costly to fix, but cheaper to operate... etc etc etc.

HVACNUT

Why are carburetors not offered on autos anymore? Instead we have to deal with direct injection AND better HP and MPG.
But I do miss the Holley double pumper 4 barrel.

Jamie Hall

HVACNUT said:

...But I do miss the Holley double pumper 4 barrel.

Oh no. Carters. With hand chokes and mechanical secondaries.

Solid_Fuel_Man

I've got a hot air choke on an Autolite on my '59....

KC_Jones

Jamie Hall said:

HVACNUT said:

...But I do miss the Holley double pumper 4 barrel.

Oh no. Carters. With hand chokes and mechanical secondaries.

I run Edelbrock which is very similar (if not identical) to Carter. Holley was nothing but trouble for me, well unless you like working on the carb every week.

I do like an electric choke though.

HVACNUT

The Carter AFB I think was better for a 4x4 could handle steep inclines without stalling.

Jamie Hall

HVACNUT said:

The Carter AFB I think was better for a 4x4 could handle steep inclines without stalling.

Also true for drag racing -- the Carters (and Edelbrocks) didn't lean out so much on launch. The sleeper Buick GS I had for years used a 750 cfm Carter on the 401 nailhead -- stock from the factory that way (the Buick performance group didn't play games -- the tuned intake and exhaust were also stock)(the nailhead also had a pretty wild cam; getting it to idle reasonably smoothly was a bit of a trick).