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This is a job we did recently for Mr. Don Shelton.

Before...              After!                                Electronic Air            A Broader View
                                                                         Cleaner

While checking out Mr. Shelton's gas logs, we discovered high levels of Carbon Monoxide in his home.  The source of the problem was not the logs, however; it was his old furnace.  The old furnace had multiple problems.  It was grossly oversized for the house; so much so, someone in the past had purposely plugged off one of the burners (big no-no!).  It was improperly vented into an unlined chimney, which was part of the reason for the carbon monoxide.  The return air grills were also undersized.  In addition, when the blower was running he couldn't hear the TV.  Due to the oversizing of the furnace, there were wide temperature swings in the home:  when it came on, it would overheat the house, then the temperature would have to drop 7-8 degrees before it would come on again and repeat the cycle.  Even with the overheating, there were still cold spots in the house.

Since Mr. Shelton wanted to eventually replace and upgrade his furnace anyway (though not quite this soon!), he decided to go ahead and do it now, rather than put money into repairs of the old furnace.  This way, he gained efficiency, safety, and comfort now without sinking money into the old clunker he had before.

Mr. Shelton decided to go with a top-of-the-line furnace, a Rheem/Ruud Achiever 90 Plus Contour Furnace, with a modulating gas valve and variable-speed blower.  The furnace has an efficiency rating of over 90%, and with the modulating gas control and variable speed blower, it runs most of the time at a low speed, saving both gas and electricity.  Best of all, when running at low speed, it's so quiet that, according to Mr. Shelton, "I don't even know when it's running!  But the house is so much warmer now, I know it has to be!"  He says that the temperature is also much more even throughout the home.

When we installed the new furnace, we corrected the problem with his return air by enlarging one of the original return air grills and installing new, properly-sized return air ductwork.  To provide cleaner air, we installed an electronic air cleaner.  We got rid of of the drain pipe that ran across the floor from his air conditioner coil drain to a floor drain by installing a condensation pump to handle the water from the air conditioning coil.  Because the furnace is a high-efficiency type that condenses moisture as a by-product of the combustion process, it also drains into the pump.  We also installed an E-Z Trap on the A/C coil, which has ports to clean the drain and a clear "U" tube which reveals any obstructions.

The supply ductwork on Mr. Shelton's system also leaves a lot to be desired, as you can see from the pictures.  When milder weather comes back around, we plan on replacing the supply-side ductwork, sizing it properly and relocating some of the floor registers.  Once this is done, Mr. Shelton will truly have an "Ultimate System"!

The E-Z Trap               Condensate Pump       Floor Return Grill            Contour Thermostat