1950's Furnas upgrade

[DAVIDSTECKER]

I have a home Furnas from the 1950's take is in very good shape and works well but I would like to upgrade it with a current style automatic pilot safety valve.
Is that something a typical HVAC contractor can do you would it require someone with a special License?
I've lived in the house for 25 years now and it's a typical case of they don't build them like they used to, but if $500.00 worth of parts from Grainger can make it even better then I'm all in.
I know that a new Furnas is more efficient but $8,000.00 worth of new doors and windows would do much more for me.
Best regards, David

 

[EnergyProfessional]

your local building inspection can tell you what licenses are required.
In some areas owners can do some work in owner-occupied 1-2 family dwellings.

in either case I'd recommend to hire someone who knows what to do.

 

[DAVIDSTECKER]

When I hired someone to upgrade my electrical service I found out that having a license and knowing what they are doing don't necessarily go hand in hand.
That's one of my main reasons for doing my own research before hand.
Best regards, David

 

[317069]

If the manufacturer still in business, you would call them, they might be happy to work on their old product.

 

[DAVIDSTECKER]

I believe it was made by St. Louis Furnace Co. and I have not been able to find anything on them.
It's big and ugly but it is solid as a rock.

 

[dbill74]

It is probably time to replace the furnace. It's not going to gain you a lot of efficiency but there are safety concerns with an older furnace. Being 60+ years old you are running the risk of having a component fail. A small crack in the heating coil could let combustion gases such as carbon monoxide into your supply air stream and the living areas. Generally speaking, most HVAC systems are design to last around 50 years. That yours has lasted 60+ speaks to the craftsmanship of the day.

My advice would be to replace the furnace. Getting a local contractor to do it is recommended. As for who you select, ask around and research the contractors in your area, see if Angie's List can provide recommendations.

If you're wanting to improve the thermal efficiency of your house, you might want to look into replacing more than just windows and doors; adding or replacing the insulation in your walls and especially attic will help a lot also. Short term fixes on this front would be to replace weather stripping around your doors, caulk around the windows and replace/add insulation in the attic. These little things will provide a lot of bang for your buck until you can afford to replace the doors and windows.

Good Luck.