Opinion on new furnace
#1
08-21-14, 05:24 PM
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Opinion on new furnace
I have a 14x70 mobile home so that would put it at about 1000 sq ft. Need to replace the electric furnace. Now it has Coleman furance in it. Here are some specs on it
BTU's 56,000
Element kw 16
Amps 66.7
Volts 240
HZ 60
Phase 1
Question is what I replace it with? Do I really need 56,000 btu's? What about Miller's brand? Miller is the 1 I am seeing the most of for mobile homes.
BTU's 56,000
Element kw 16
Amps 66.7
Volts 240
HZ 60
Phase 1
Question is what I replace it with? Do I really need 56,000 btu's? What about Miller's brand? Miller is the 1 I am seeing the most of for mobile homes.
#2
08-21-14, 05:48 PM
Group Moderator
I'm not familiar with the Miller brand but I have a question for you....
You're asking if you really need 56k btu's of heat.... how did that heater heat your place.
Was it fast, slow, never got to heat ? Knowing how the old one responded will guide your choice.
You're asking if you really need 56k btu's of heat.... how did that heater heat your place.
Was it fast, slow, never got to heat ? Knowing how the old one responded will guide your choice.
#3
08-21-14, 06:36 PM
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Put out decent heat. The farther away from the furnace the harder it heated. Furnace sits in enclosed space near the back of the home so the bedroom is right there it was always hot the living room and kitchen are towards the front and they were a little on the cool side. Our main concern is cost. Last winter Dec, Jan ,Feb and March our electric bills ran $500 to $700. Went through and check and repaired duct work. So we are wanting replace the furnace. We realize electric heat can be expensive but the bills we had last winter were a bit much. Trying to get some idea on the size furnace we would need to heat.
#4
08-21-14, 07:10 PM
Group Moderator
With electric heat there really isn't an efficiency factor. Every dollar you put into heat you get back as there is no chimney. I'm not sure replacing the furnace would yield any savings. A switch to fossil fuel would probably save you money.
Insulation is your first line of defense in saving money.
A smaller electric furnace would take longer to heat and a larger one would heat quicker.
The other guys will stop by and offer their opinion too.
Insulation is your first line of defense in saving money.
A smaller electric furnace would take longer to heat and a larger one would heat quicker.
The other guys will stop by and offer their opinion too.
#5
08-21-14, 09:39 PM
Member
Don't know much about mobile homes, but you might want to look into a heatpump if switching to gas isn't an option.
Electric heat is electric heat.
Electric heat is electric heat.
#6
08-22-14, 02:37 AM
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We have look into other heat sources and decided on electric furnace. We don't have gas in our area.Any kind wood heat would not work because of were we are located and heat pump is not something we could afford.
#7
08-22-14, 04:16 AM
Electric heat is the most expensive. Not my area of expertise but I've lived in several MHs and I doubt a new electric furnace would be more efficient, at least not enough to make the switch worthwhile. A heat pump would be better! Have you considered LP gas?
MHs aren't usually very air tight and the lack of attic means you'll loose a bit of heat thru the roof. Anything you can do to seal up the trailer and add insulation should be money well spent. What type of windows do you have? Covering them with plastic during the winter may help a lot.
Coleman and Miller seem to be the 2 most popular brands used originally in MHs but that doesn't mean you have to stay with those brands.
MHs aren't usually very air tight and the lack of attic means you'll loose a bit of heat thru the roof. Anything you can do to seal up the trailer and add insulation should be money well spent. What type of windows do you have? Covering them with plastic during the winter may help a lot.
Coleman and Miller seem to be the 2 most popular brands used originally in MHs but that doesn't mean you have to stay with those brands.
#8
08-22-14, 05:17 AM
Member
depending on your location in WV it can get cold. (Im going to Hatfield McCoy in a few weeks) Your not saving any real money going to a smaller heater maybe $30 so in the end if your not going to a heat pump id stay with what you had before.
#9
08-22-14, 11:09 AM
Member
Electric to electric will never save anything -> size doesn't matter. Electric is always 100% efficient.
To reduce heating costs, you either have to switch to a more efficient source of heat or reduce heat loss. (insulation, air sealing, shrink wrap on windows if single pane, programmable t-stat)
To reduce heating costs, you either have to switch to a more efficient source of heat or reduce heat loss. (insulation, air sealing, shrink wrap on windows if single pane, programmable t-stat)
#10
08-22-14, 04:15 PM
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Thanks everyone. This what we are considering
Nordyne's UltraFlex electric furnace provides dependable heating in a variety of modes, adaptable to your home's ductwork configuration. The furnace is also versatile enough to work with self-contained or split system air conditioners or heat pumps.
For added flexibility, split system coil cabinets can be easily installed right in your home for either upflow or downflow air distribution.
Unit is small and can easily fit into an alcove or closet. Its white appliance finish blends into its surrounding.
Increase year-round efficiency with a matching cooling system that is designed specifically to work with the UltraFlex furnace.
57,000 BTU
Four-speed capacity up to 4T A/C
Improved with quieter operation
New plastic electrical knockout covers for easy removal
Uses circuit breakers, not old-fashioned fuses
Bottom-wire entry for easier, more economical installation
E2EB models have A/C transformer and A/C or H/P relay
We can go bigger for little money 20kw/70,000 btu but don't if it will wire to existing system. This one 17kw/57.000
Nordyne's UltraFlex electric furnace provides dependable heating in a variety of modes, adaptable to your home's ductwork configuration. The furnace is also versatile enough to work with self-contained or split system air conditioners or heat pumps.
For added flexibility, split system coil cabinets can be easily installed right in your home for either upflow or downflow air distribution.
Unit is small and can easily fit into an alcove or closet. Its white appliance finish blends into its surrounding.
Increase year-round efficiency with a matching cooling system that is designed specifically to work with the UltraFlex furnace.
57,000 BTU
Four-speed capacity up to 4T A/C
Improved with quieter operation
New plastic electrical knockout covers for easy removal
Uses circuit breakers, not old-fashioned fuses
Bottom-wire entry for easier, more economical installation
E2EB models have A/C transformer and A/C or H/P relay
We can go bigger for little money 20kw/70,000 btu but don't if it will wire to existing system. This one 17kw/57.000
#11
08-22-14, 07:08 PM
Group Moderator
If you were to go bigger you'd probably need to rewire and replace the breaker.
You are asking us if that unit will work for you..... yes.
Will it save you in energy costs.... probably not.
You are asking us if that unit will work for you..... yes.
Will it save you in energy costs.... probably not.
#12
08-23-14, 10:38 AM
Member
Your ducts probably aren't large enough for a bigger unit. If you're doing this to reduce energy costs, you're wasting your money. Electric heat is electric heat.
#13
08-24-14, 12:46 AM
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Thanks everyone. We are replacing the furnace with the 17kw/57,000 btu. But we will also look at some energy saving stuff too.
#14
08-24-14, 04:43 AM
You never did say [or I missed it 
] has your old furnace failed? Uneven heat throughout the MH is more of a ducting issue than the furnace. Have you checked under the MH to make sure all of your ducting is still covered with insulation.
] has your old furnace failed? Uneven heat throughout the MH is more of a ducting issue than the furnace. Have you checked under the MH to make sure all of your ducting is still covered with insulation.
#15
08-24-14, 10:26 AM
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No the furnace stills works. We are having a issue extremely high bills. We did some checking with our neighbors that have mobile homes and electric heat and by comparison are bills in the winter are at least 50% more than there's. So first thing we did before last winter was to look at duct work and the underbelly. And we have insured that everything was repaired and everything was in place and no change. So we believe are next step is up date our furnace. We do have central air and is a stand alone unit. The electric in the summer to run that unit is very cheap to operate compared to the furnace. Summer times bills run between $120-$170 winter months $280-$800
#16
08-24-14, 01:13 PM
AC is more or less a heat pump in reverse. I know you said that was too much money but if you consider the electricity savings that is probably your best bet. Locally, our power company has a program to help finance HP and other electrical stuff so you might want to check around and see if you can figure out how to swing a HP.
I had a MH electric furnace once that cycled on/off too much which resulted in an insane electric bill.
I had a MH electric furnace once that cycled on/off too much which resulted in an insane electric bill.
#17
08-25-14, 02:12 AM
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