Furnace Ideas / Help

-
72Dinger said:
What is make & model of the furnace?

From pictures, I don't think a trap would be required as it appears located positive side of the blower - it would drain regardless. But without a trap it would be noisy.
Click to expand...
No you are thinking of AC. This is the drain from the condensing furnace and has to be trapped "normally" to keep combustion gas out of the drain, and out of the heated space

He was going to punch the drain out through the wall

Here is the manual

 
67Dart273 said:
Well I am stuck. After looking at your photos and the destructions, it appears that any trap function is built in. It MAY be the white plastic fitting there where the drain connects. An easy way of handling that would be to try a very small heater right inside the furnace. One way would be either a single low wattage 220Vbulb, but operated on 120V. A 100W 220 bulb on 120 would be 25 W and last a long time, and you would not need that much. Alternatively, if you could "hack" up a couple of sockets and run them in series, this would run two 120V lamps at half voltage. If you ran a pair of say 15W or 25W bulbs (not LEDS but incandescant) that would give you 1/4 of 50W or about 15W and should be plenty with the door on.

EDIT. I was going to suggest "if you dare" to disassemble that white plastic device and see if there is a "stand pipe in there that would form a trap.
Click to expand...
This is a great idea! I still have the plenum cover and could put it back on when not in use to retain the heat also. And I'll check to see if I can disassemble the white plastic piece.
 
Down towards page 70 an on, there are several mentions and diagrams of removing and repositioning the condensate trap which IS what the white fitting actually is, for horizonal, etc, so it should come off no problem if you do so.
 
67Dart273 said:
No you are thinking of AC. This is the drain from the condensing furnace and has to be trapped "normally" to keep combustion gas out of the drain, and out of the heated space

He was going to punch the drain out through the wall

Here is the manual

Click to expand...
Yep, you're right I am. The white assembly appears to have an integral trap, bottom should be barbed for fitting tubing. IOM is not clear on this but sort of hints around its function. See below reference from page 62 (note this is not the application in question, just showing an explicit reference to the white component as a trap.

Screenshot 2022-12-16 180000.png
 
As it's dark and cold out here now I'll go out there tomorrow. Thanks for all your help. Talk to you more tomorrow about it.
 
72Dinger said:
Yep, you're right I am. The white assembly appears to have an integral trap, bottom should be barbed for fitting tubing. IOM is not clear on this but sort of hints around its function. See below reference from page 62 (note this is not the application in question, just showing an explicit reference to the white component as a trap.

View attachment 1716023036
Click to expand...
Is that another drain in the duct work?
 
Did you figure it out? I liked the idea @67Dart273 had of installing a warming lamp aimed at the condensate trap, kinda like a chicken coop.
 
72Dinger said:
Did you figure it out? I liked the idea @67Dart273 had of installing a warming lamp aimed at the condensate trap, kinda like a chicken coop.
Click to expand...
Yes it's a great idea. I haven't got back to him yet but my biggest fear is that the water will accumulate in the lower (2nd) heat exchanger and freeze and break it. A warming lamp would work but I'm still wondering if there is a drain on the secondary heat exchange.
 
Del is full of good ideas. Put your light bulb heater on a thermostat, you'd have to find an industrial one that goes down to about 35*F. If the botton of the furnace is the return, and there's enough room, the heat should rise enough to keep and condensate from freezing. The traps hold the majority of the condensate, no need to worry about the exchanger. And the relative humidity is typically lower in freezing weather anyway, so a light bulb is likely adequate. It works for chickens in the mid-Atlantic.
 
Demonic said:
Del is full of good ideas. Put your light bulb heater on a thermostat, you'd have to find an industrial one that goes down to about 35*F. If the botton of the furnace is the return, and there's enough room, the heat should rise enough to keep and condensate from freezing.
Click to expand...
Would I have to wire in a transformer or relay of some sort?
 
When I updated my house furnace, there was no drain anywhere nearby. I installed this mini sump pump made for this type of use, it fills and drains on its own and the clear plastic tubing (drain) can be routed anywhere you would like it to be.

ac-condensate.jpg
 
You can get simple non adjustable stats for things like heat tape. If you have some old heat tape, find the stat "a bulge" in the wiring and wire it in.All you are trying to do, is keep the small enclosure of the controls area where the trap is, above freezing.
 
Dicer said:
When I updated my house furnace, there was no drain anywhere nearby. I installed this mini sump pump made for this type of use, it fills and drains on its own and the clear plastic tubing (drain) can be routed anywhere you would like it to be.

View attachment 1716023601
Click to expand...
He cant use that, we are concerned about freezeup when not used. Or, He'd have to figure some way to protect it. Gravity feed, from the furnace dran, out through the wall, and insulated as well
 
LO23M8B said:
Yes it's a great idea. I haven't got back to him yet but my biggest fear is that the water will accumulate in the lower (2nd) heat exchanger and freeze and break it. A warming lamp would work but I'm still wondering if there is a drain on the secondary heat exchange.
Click to expand...
That trap device is coming off the secondary, and the two other tubes are the drain back from the pitched vent pipes. In other words, that one piece of plastic, where the drain going out attaches, is pretty much the key to the whole thing. It IS the trap and is the part which will retain water and can break
 
67Dart273 said:
That trap device is coming off the secondary, and the two other tubes are the drain back from the pitched vent pipes. In other words, that one piece of plastic, where the drain going out attaches, is pretty much the key to the whole thing. It IS the trap and is the part which will retain water and can break
Click to expand...
Gotya. Thanks so much for the help. And thanks to everyone else. I'm going to throw a trouble light in it for the moment till I can get back out there. I only had it on for about 2-3 minutes, but my luck is for poop. So anyone know about values of guns? Colt 1911 stainless unfired the box says bi-centennial but nothing on the gun but numbers match.
 
The industrial, self-regulating heat tape kits have remote-bulb thermostats available.

Non-Indicating Temperature Controllers

Opens or closes a circuit on temperature rise. Single pole, double throw (SPDT) snap action switch. Rain-tight gasketed enclosure, Type PIT, is 0.062
www.chromalox.com www.chromalox.com



 
67Dart273 said:
No you are thinking of AC. This is the drain from the condensing furnace and has to be trapped "normally" to keep combustion gas out of the drain, and out of the heated space

He was going to punch the drain out through the wall

Here is the manual

Click to expand...
Hi again. I'd like to change the speed on the blower. Do you know how to do this? I looked in the manual and it says to change the tap but I'm not sure how to do this. Thanks.
 
Man I see nothing in that info that shows what you need. I DOUBT you need or want more blower. Do you have any / minimal ductwork? Normally in a "shop" situation, with no ductwork, you want the blower on slow for two reasons. One, the temp rise is usually not enough, outlet too cool) and two, the minimal ductwork causes the blower to overcurrent. In the old days low speed was the blower red wire.

See if you can find a maintenance manual/ wiring diagram. May be one on the door of the furnace. Temp rise should be stated on the furnace ID plate.
 
I'll check. Yes no duct work at this time that's why I want to set it at it's slowest setting.
 
LOL I mis-understood. For some reason I thought you wanted it sped up. It is LIKELY already on low for the furnace, that is if you don't have the green/ AC mode activated. Back in the day we had a couple we had to install minimal duct AKA louvered inlet air / filter mount and a plenum box with maybe three outlets just to provide a bid of restriction.

In some cases (it is not recommended) but you may be able to over-fire the burner to get the air output a bit warmer. You want to check this tho, with the indoor temp up to at least 65F or so
 
Giot pics but I can’t put them on here. I read in the instructions it’s set to 7.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top