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It's a power venter, that will certainly add to the intial cost and maintenance but for a gas furnace the cost to run it should nor be significant. I think we figured it out at $120 for the heating season on a solid fuel unit which is running 24/7. For you it might be $20.
The cost of 90% AFUE models is still significantly higher than 80% AFUE models, and some may not be willing to spend more money for a 90% AFUE model.
I respectfully have to disagree. I recently had my gas furnace replaced and the difference between a 80 AFUE and a 96 AFUE was only $325.00. (it was about $250 difference between a 80 and 92). I was expecting a major price difference but according to my HVAC service person, comparing apples to apples, the cost in the higher AFUE furnace isn’t that significant. The huge price difference comes in because many contractors do an apple to orange exchange where the orange is 2 stages, variable speeds, modulating, extra profit, etc, etc. Instead of showing the price difference based on the same system design & features except for the higher AFUE, they take a loaded model and sell that, especially because many expect to pay more, so the contractor is just giving the customer what that customer thought they would have to pay.
It is my understanding that replacement can be like kind (grandfathered to time of construction), except in cases where modification exceeds 20% of the structure, or an added ordinance passed by said jurisdiction. That's what I was taught 20 years ago in college code classes. Now I'll read her article which may change everything.
After re reading your post, I think you may have mis understood my meaning. I'm not saying they can force you to replace. Just that when you file for permit to do so you will have to do it. I put a roof on my house in California in 2010, and was forced to meet current venting standards. No big deal, but like you, in this case I see big added venting costs.
Oh no, I didn't misunderstand you. We are same page same book. It's not the venting system that will cost that much extra. MOST furnace manufacturers build their 90+ stuff to use pvc pipe for vent. It's the furnace itself that costs. Just that 10% bit, in efficiency. The cost difference is ....quite considerable. A couple, not many, furnace makers require a special, propriatory vent pipe, on demand water heaters use that to. Rinnai vent pipe, for their ODWHs is SPENDY stuff. Rinnai is also my pick for #1 ODHW heaters to.
If one finds themself sanwiched twixt a broken furnace and this law, I pity them. It is flat, ludicrous.
We wanted to get rid of the vent pipe through the roof from the furnace at our church, so we recently replaced our TWO 80% units that were less than 15 years old with two 96% units. Our church is small and our furnaces are normal residential units. Total cost for the furnaces, INSTALLED, was $4000, total. We have been through one heating season now with them and I know that you need to compare over a number of years to get an accurate comparison, but we have actually spent about $400 less for the gas to heat the building compared to the year before. And this was with the thermostat set consistently several degrees higher than before.
If and when our 80% furnace at home needs replaced, I know which way I will go, even if there is no requirement to do so.
Kind of ridiculous. I've got a chimney, saving a maximum of 20% on the gas part my heating bill is never going to pay for adding a venting system. I guess if my furnace dies and the rules are in effect I can always play the game of replacing it part by part.
Kind of ridiculous. I've got a chimney, saving a maximum of 20% on the gas part my heating bill is never going to pay for adding a venting system. I guess if my furnace dies and the rules are in effect I can always play the game of replacing it part by part.
That can get expensive, and frustrating. Newer furnaces, with electronic controls, are a dream to diagnose problems on, with the most expensive part to replace being the curcuit board. They can run north of 300 bucks. New style, electronoic units, have LED diagnostics, which puts a tech on the trail of a problem fast. The specific code flashed MAY not be the actual issue, but, it's in that area of the ignition sequence. A guy just needs to narrow down on area, instead of metering things out, start to finish.
These high efficiency units are great, but, for a lot of folks, the cost difference IS the difference, between being able to afford a replacement, or not. 80% is the baseline, has been forever. Now they want to mandate 90+. I find that hard to swallow. Truthfully, I find the price of LPG hard to swallow. 75% of our LP is produced right here, skimmed off NatGas wells and the gasoline refining process.
Propane is a byproduct. Considered waste for a long time, and still treated that way quite often. Those flaming stacks you see at refineries? That propane being burned off. Just flashed away. Cool, huh? Yet, who gets to pay for all these efficiency standards , with much of that being environmentally related? Yep, We the People. We are getting taxed and regulated on our neccesary home heating and cooling systems, with what justification? I find it rather annoying, to put it mildly.
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