Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

NEED GAS BURNER ASSEMBLY FOR OLD GRAVITY FURNACE

Abba3love
Abba3love Member Posts: 3
I have an old Roberts- Gordon conversion burner, Model Number 302-21X-3, Serial No. M3-01117. I may need to replace the entire burner assembly soon, including the horn and flame spreader. Can anyone out there help? Thanks!

Comments

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    That type of conversion burner has not been made for decades AFAIK. The only ones now available are the "inshot" type such as the Carlin EZ-Gas or Midco EC series.

    If that furnace is still running on gravity it's likely time to simply replace it. Post some pics and let's have a look. Also, where are you located?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • SuperTech
    SuperTech Member Posts: 2,137
    Yes, please post some pictures of the whole furnace and burner. I love seeing the old gravity furnaces and boilers. 
  • Abba3love
    Abba3love Member Posts: 3
    Will post those pictures later this morning...thanks. I have this old octopus furnace checked every year by a local tech who knows these monsters inside and out. It runs extremely "clean" for what it is...zero CO spill year after year...and it really heats the house quickly. We love the quiet, gravity heat...AND we've got the asbestos-wrapped hot air runs (safely "sealed")...so... we are in no hurry whatsoever to do a costly removal and replacement of all of that along with new duct work. I'm in Syracuse, NY. Is there any chance that the Carlin or Midco "inshot" models would serve as a replacement burner for me ?
  • motoguy128
    motoguy128 Member Posts: 393
    You wont need new ductwork if you replace it. Hundred on homes in my area, and hundreds of thousands of homes in the US were once heated by gravity furnaces and now have forced air high efficiency furnaces.

    Biggest challenge is moving the old one out of the way which likely requires some asbestos abatement.

    Existing ductwork was normally well made and robust, designed for 200F+ air temps and oversized.

    Just because there is no CO leaking out of it, doesn’t mean it not making CO.

    THe challenge retrofitting a modern burner is that it won’t be approved by the MFG and the installer now takes on full liability if there are any issues.
  • Abba3love
    Abba3love Member Posts: 3
    Appreciate the feedback, very helpful - attaching a few pictures- if it would be useful, I could open the covers on the assembly and furnace body itself to show more of the ignition and the flame spreader





    SuperTech
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,572
    You are going to invest a fair amount in a new power burner and its installation and there is some pretty significant rust around the base. Your money would be better put toward a replacement furnace. A modulating furnace with the right thermostat could give you nearly the same nearly silent heat as the gravity furnace.

    I'm curious what that about 4" duct from the base up to one of the supply ducts is for.