Need help choosing between Comforto (Granby) and ThermoPride oil furnace

GreenMntnMan

Our 36 year old ThermoPride oil furnace has a cracked heat exchanger apparently, So we need to replace it. It is a back up system, as we heat mostly with wood stoves and also have mini-splits. Want the back up in case we are traveling during very cold weather (we live in a place where we sometimes get a few weeks of subzero temps). Furnace barely ever comes on, some winters not at all.

Our duct work is not great, old, though I've sealed what I can. One guy said we might need to balance our return, etc. That an out of balance system may have led to the cracked heat exchanger. I had blocked off one return because it was right next to out bed, right on top on the furnace… super loud, and basement smells would come up through it. But there are two other returns that were adde to the one in our bedroom, so this seems odd.

He quoted us for a ThermoPride maybe OL8RA119T60 furnace with ECM motor and Beckett burner (didn't specify, but seemed to confirm when I checked). I know these are supposed to be reliable. He CANNOT do any duct work, so we'd have to hire a second contractor to do that. They are a company that is reliable, I believe, tend to focus only on residential.

Another fellow proposed a Conforto KLR-200 Oil Furnace with ECM motor 88% AFUE M#KLR-00-G200-H5. They can do the duct work, would add another return, or move the one next to our bed as part of the scope of work, if necessary. He took measurements and such, seemed the most detail, system oriented of the three proposals we got. His quote was about $1k above the ThermoPride, but includes the duct work. They are a good company that does a lot of commercial as well as residential work in our area. He said the Comforto was reliable, as reliable as ThermoPride basically.

I do see that ThermoPride has a lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger that transfers to new home owners (why are we not covered under that? or should we be?)

I like the efficiency of the Comforto, and noise is critical to us. However, I've read here in very old posts that there was some issue in the past with soot with the Comforto? Also different exchanger designs between them and some criticism of the Comforto SS units?

Would love to get folks' thoughts.

BrianCole

I sell quite a few Thermo Pride furnaces. They are hard to beat, and were recently acquired by Beckett, another industry leader in the oil market. I would personally inquire about the heat exchanger warranty, then have a startup analysis performed to make sure the new heat exchanger was not subject to excessive temperatures. Most of the oil highboys can be set up to be anywhere from 70,000 to 125,000 Btu input based on nozzle selection. If you are short on return air, the tech should just configure the furnace with a smaller nozzle, and adjust the fuel/air accordingly. Just my .02

GreenMntnMan

Thanks, will check with ThermoPride about the warranty on the old furnace. and compare on both new ones as well. Also ask the ThermoPride guy about a startup analysis. Either way, I think I'd like to close off the return next to our bed. I may call the duct guy he recommended to have him take a look, in case we go with him.

HydronicMike

You need some one to first evaluate your existing duct work along with a proper manual J and heat loss to determine what is the properly sized unit needed and will it work with the existing duct work

Improper Static pressure and improper temperature rise will kill the furnace. The fact that it took 36 years tells me your duct work is probably fine, or at least not that bad.

DONT close off any returns, unless you have the first duct system ever, that has too much return ducting. Your blower still works. Any competent tech can do some static pressure readings and figure out what, if anything is needed.

EBEBRATT-Ed

I don't know about Conforto. Thermopride is generally considered to be the best and most expensive oil furnace.

Your old one lasted 36 years that is a good run for an oil furnace. General rule of thumb is 20 years. You generally want as much return air as you can get it should not be restricted.

EBEBRATT-Ed

The Conforto is a condensing furnace. I would be extreamly cautious about buying one of those . Condensing oil has been used in Europe. They started using them here years ago with not so good results.

I would not put one in my house unless you find a solid history and track record of reliability. Other companies like Adams make or made condensing furnaces and I know of one job they were ripped out after 1 year.

Maybe things have changed but I havent heard of condensing oil that works

GreenMntnMan

Thanks for all the feedback. I've looked at the Comforto website, and they do make condensing oil furnaces, but this model isn't one, at least from what I can tell. It is 88% efficient. The Comforto proposal includes doing duct work (balancing returns, moving one return, if desired, etc), The ThermoPride company doesn't do duct work, so he suggested someone else for that. They are going to take a look (and also make a furnace proposal if we want). We'll consider options more carefully after that visit.

BDR529

Thermopride with Riello's I have seen rust/rot issues in the C/O ports within a year. Condensate in High boys or Low boys, did not matter.

No idea about the Comforto

Going back to the classics, Olsen/Airco

GreenMntnMan

Thanks all. Just thought I'd provide a little update. I called Thermopride. With my serial number they could age the furnace… actually ours was over 40 years old! Wow.

Had another guy come look at the situation. He was actually recommended by the guy from the long time company around here who gave me the better bid on a new Thermopride (but they don't do duct work, so he recommended the guy who just came). The last (young) guy taught HVAC tech classes at a local high school before starting his own company 8 years ago, can do duct work and bid on the furnace.

He, like the nice guy who gave us a price on the Comforto, didn't like the way the original return (what was here when we moved in 25 years ago) was configured. He also said they could move it out of our bedroom (for noise reduction). So that was good and the same.

He also said, because we primarily heat with wood stoves and mini-splits, and the oil furnace at this point is just a back up for when we are traveling and temps get well below zero so the heat pump/ mini-splits can't keep up, he would set the furnace at the lower setting and then change it if need be. He also said what y'all advised here… that he would have to do return and output measurements on the ducts after install and do any additional duct work or furnace adjustment then (after having reconfigured the main return)… I am not using proper language, I know. He said our duct work wasn't that bad, but certainly not up to the standards that they do nowadays… but passable (I sealed all seams as best I could some years ago).

I really liked this last young fellow, so I hope his bid is good, competitive. I like that he can do the duct work and the furnace install, as the company that gave us the bid on the Comforto can (he was great too). The first Thermopride bid was good, and he knew his stuff for sure, but they can't do the duct work. We also had one Thermopride bid that was absurd…. a company I am scratching off my list for work here, as I've had past experiences with them seeming to overcharge.

EdTheHeaterMan

DID YOU CHECK WITH THERMOPRIDE? THEY HAVE A LIFETIME HEAT EXCHANGER WARRANTY

Sorry for yelling, there is a lot of background noise here 🤣

At least when I was installing ThermoPride oil furnaces they had a lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger. Here is the current warranty document ThermoPride Warranty. The original warranty on the 40 year old heat exchanger is still good. If they do not have a heat exchanger that matches your 40 year old furnace, then perhaps you can ask them to apply a credit to your new ThermoPride furnace. Can't hurt to ask.

EBEBRATT-Ed

With an oil furnace lasting 40 years that tells me which brand (Thermopride) to install but I don't care for Riello's

Robert O'Brien

FYI, there's a $600 tax credit on Energy Star Oil Furnaces w/ B20 rated burners through 12/31/25

GreenMntnMan

Thanks all again. Yes, I did call Thermopride to ask about the lifetime heat exchanger warranty. That is also how I found out how old my furnace is. They still have that, and my old furnace does. He said likely wouldn't be worth replacing the old heat exchanger, what with changes in efficiency, parts, labor challenge to do it right, etc. He told me of folks calling to get parts for furnaces they still had that had serial numbers only 3 digits long (mine was close to that, ha ha). I didn't think to ask about a credit. So I will do that.. he was fun to talk to.

And thanks for the heads up on the Energy Star tax credit. I will for sure keep that foregrounded.