When Was My Furnace Installed?
If you’re trying to research the age of your furnace, you’ve come to the right place! We have compiled a list of some common manufacturers’ models and years of manufacture from data from various reliable sources.
For those of you that may be reading this before buying a new furnace, note the difference between a “furnace” and a “boiler.” A boiler can heat water instead of air. Unlike an electric baseboard heater or radiator, it does so with moving parts, which heat by absorbing electricity or gas into metal piping. Boilers are more complicated than furnaces because they burn fossil fuels such as natural gas, propane, oil, or coal to generate heat for hot water. Furnaces blow warm air into the room.
The most common furnaces are the forced air furnace and the hot water boiler.
Forced Air Furnace: The main component is a steel heat exchanger tubing inside a larger metal housing. This kind of furnace has many variations that vary by BTU output and efficiency ratios but work on similar principles and share some parts. They are considered “forced” because they use an electric fan to move air. Blower motors pull outside air through a filter and into the heater, blowing warm air into your home. Hot Water Boiler: A boiler heats water that radiates heat into your house until it gets cold again. It takes longer for these systems to heat back up because you have to wait for the water to boil to create hot water. This type of furnace is much more complicated and expensive than a forced-air furnace and takes much longer to repair, if repairable.
It’s also worth noting that some “furnaces” or heating units are furnaces and boilers in one system (also known as “combi-boilers”). These units often can switch from one mode to another depending on your needs at the time (heating only vs. heat + hot water). You’ll want to research this carefully before making such an investment because repairs can be significantly more expensive than simple furnace replacement costs!
The following table includes models we’re found by looking at warranty cards, consumer reviews, and other reliable sources:
Manufacturer Model Start Date End Date Capacity (BTU) Warranty Chrysler/Mitsubishi M-BH 07/10 10/03 120,000 1 yr. Carrier 38CKC010 04/08 06/04 96,000 2 yrs. Lennox BU080 01/05 08/07 120,000 2 yrs. Intertherm BH3A36ER 12/95 09/98 36,000 10 yrs. Unico ACR30S 02/94 11/99 30,000 NONE Rheem BRG Series 03/86 12/? 80,000 5 yrs. Goodman GMVC80-1 12/? 08/? 80,000 5 yrs. Nordyne Cutler Hammer 52-58 10/68 07/74 58,000 7 yrs. Keep ‘Em Going!
It is important to note that sometimes the manufacture date can be challenging to find or inaccurate because it can often be confusing whether you are looking at model year (e.g., 9-08) or start date (e.g., 1-10). If you cannot locate the start date for your furnace, please post in the comments, and we will do our best to help you out.