19 year old oil furnace repair or replace??

EBEBRATT-Ed

Just wondering what most of you would recommend in this situation. Went on a call on a 19 year old oil fired horizontal overhead furnace in a commercial garage. Fridigidaire (Nordyne) furnace with a Beckett AF. 275 gallon tank, two pipe 10' of lift

They had been having a few lockouts. Hasen't been cleaned in a couple of years Took the burner apart and their was some carbon in the blast tube. Looked like maybe an after drip caused it. Not much

I was concerned about the possibility of carbon on the burner head so I started to pull the burner. I couldn't get the flange bolts out, they just spun.

So, next best thing I took the burner off and left the blast tube and flange (welded flange to air tube ) on the furnace.

After getting a better look at things I got the carbon out of the tube and didn't see any on the end cone but the end cone has some faint cracks in it so it probably got overheated. The combustion chamber is just about shot so it's going to start burning the hx.

I told them that we could do the chamber, new end cone and maybe a clean cut pump and do they wan't to put the money into it?

He said no, they will have to go out to bid for a new furnace this summer (State of MA building) They already had someone put an ignitor and a cad cell control on it.

I guess with a 19 year old furnace it's probably the right choice. So I cleaned up the burner and put it back together, they only need it for 2-3 weeks at this point. I didn't pull the smoke pipe or do anything else as there going to replace it. It picked up oil and lite immediately, didn't even have to bleed it.
Just for fun I threw the analyzer on it, 11.5 CO2, 550 stack, 4 ppm no smoke, draft ...marginal. The original installer had written his #s on the return duct with a marker, they were pretty much a 100% match

So here's the funny thing.

I replace this furnace back in the late 70s (as best I can recall) so that was furnace #2 (at least). The one that is in their now was installed in 1999 so that would make it #3 (most likely) and now #3 will be replaced. This is the first time I have been back there since the 70s.

You know how they say when you croke your life flashes before your eyes? Well I have run into way too many old job that I have been on lately that I haven't been at in 30--40 years.

I guess 20 years on an oil fired furnace isn't bad but I have something against scrapping something that is still good. But at 20 yrs would you replace or repair?

Replace seems like the right answer

lchmb

proactive instead of reactive.. it's paid for itself.. although some of the new one's aren't as good as old...I'd still go new..

DZoro

If it was a T-Pride I'd vote let it be.

The others probably replace, maybe, kinda, it's hard to find a really good new without spending $. Bids....low man wins.
Maybe get 20 years again??? probably not.

SuperTech

I would repair it only if it's a Thermopride. A Nordyne isn't worth it to me. If this was a boiler I would probably recommend repairing it.

KC_Jones

My parents original Tappan oil furnace lasted 33 years, BUT they had it serviced every year. Full cleaning and combustion test since new. My father is strict about doing PM work.

If it was serviced and maintained yearly I say fix, if not I'd replace. Might want to mention to them the importance of maintenance.