Old wall furnace

[Jarlaxle]

So, I have a question. Friend has a shop with a wall furnace. He thinks it might be kind of nice if he were to actually have a warm shop this winter.

But it's an OLD one...the tag on it shows it is a PW335RTL-1, 35,000BTU. It was made by Perfection Products Company, from Waynesboro, GA. Anyone familiar with this museum piece?

 

[Pop_Rivit]

What's to know? If you don't know what you're doing (and I'm guessing you don't) then have it inspected by an HVAC professional. If it can still be safely used, then use it. If it can't then fix it. If it can't be economically fixed, then scrap it.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

If it is electric, keep it. If it is gas, the new units can save some bucks!!!

 

[Rand]

what kind of shop?

Waste oil furnaces are very nice for anyone who does oil changes.

 

[Stelth]

Good questions here. Gas, electric, or oil? I am familiar with gas wall furnaces. If someone wants to use an old one in unknown condition, the heat exchanger needs to be removed and checked for cracks. Cracked heat exchangers are a carbon monoxide hazard. While the heat exchanger is out, the flue vent needs to be checked to make sure it's clear. Blocked flues are also a carbon monoxide hazard. These are simple, easy things to check. It wouldn't hurt to clean the burner as well. Without doing this stuff myself, I can't tell you whether or not to turn it on. If you need an expert, get one. Gas-fired, gravity-vented wall furnaces are pretty simple, but things like a blocked flue vent or a cracked heat exchanger can be life-threatening.

 

[440Magnum]

Ah, the old wall furnace. I remember lots of houses using the "Panel-Ray" brand, among others. Two warm rooms, while the rest of the house freezes.

As others have said, get it checked out for leaks or corrosion in the heat exchanger tubes, rusted out or blocked venting, etc. that would either create a fire hazard or let carbon monoxide escape into the shop. Also the burners should be blown out and the air/gas ratio set for a blue flame with minimal white tipping (otherwise carbon can build up in the flue and become a fire hazard). Other than that, they have no moving parts and generally only fail by rusting out. I would be a *little* concerned in a shop where any volatile chemicals are stored and use- Combustible vapor getting to the pilot light or burner would be Very Bad, just like a gas water heater in a garage.

 

[abycat]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Ah, the old wall furnace. I remember lots of houses using the "Panel-Ray" brand, among others. Two warm rooms, while the rest of the house freezes.

As others have said, get it checked out for leaks or corrosion in the heat exchanger tubes, rusted out or blocked venting, etc. that would either create a fire hazard or let carbon monoxide escape into the shop. Also the burners should be blown out and the air/gas ratio set for a blue flame with minimal white tipping (otherwise carbon can build up in the flue and become a fire hazard). Other than that, they have no moving parts and generally only fail by rusting out. I would be a *little* concerned in a shop where any volatile chemicals are stored and use- Combustible vapor getting to the pilot light or burner would be Very Bad, just like a gas water heater in a garage.


good advice! In addition to that a carbon monoxide detector and a spray bottle of master plumber leak detector and you should be good. a new thermocouple would be a good idea if it is one of those types.

 

[Wolf359]

I think that's a really old company. They also made room heaters or space heaters. Williams now makes wall heaters. Some of them are even sold at HomeDepot, but you have to order them online, they don't actually have them in the store.

 

[Jarlaxle]

It burns natural gas, the shop is mostly for carpentry.

 

[Kruse]

If it works without having to put any parts into it and you can check it for carbon monoxide leaks, I might consider using it, always with a working carbon monoxide detector in the same room.
However, speaking from experience, the furnace will fail during the coldest day of the year and replacement parts will be nonexistent. Replacing it will take days (if you are lucky to have a good furnace installer) and when you price your new one, they know they have you over the barrel.
It's not mine, but if it was, I'd probably replace it. Your new one will be much more efficient.

 

[Wolf359]

Actually if you look at the specs, they're basically still the same, they're 75-80% efficient. Direct vent systems are more efficient, but you don't really see those in a wall unit. What will probably fail is the control valve or thermostat and those are hard to get, the thermocouple also tends to fail, but a generic one from Home Depot will probably work. The life of those units are supposed to be around 15 years, but you do see some really old ones that are still working after 40+ years, they just keep maintaining them.