Subject: Re: York residential equipment

From: [email-masked] (John Mills)
Date: 20 Oct 1995 00:29:23 GMT

>Armstrong furnace efficiencies are shown in the Gas Appliance 
Manufacturer's 
>Association (GAMA) directory in the U.S.  If you know the model #, I can 

>probably look it up for you - their AFUE ranges from 80-81%, York are 
about 
>the same and some Rheem (actually called RUUD) models are slightly 
higher and 
>many are also in the same efficiency range.  I didn't know Armstrong was 
owned 
>by Lennox, I don't believe they are distributed here by Lennox Canada, 
but are 
>available from distributors.

Armstrong is totally separate from Lennox. Marketed in the USA by 
independent distributors where Lennox is sold thru factory outlets. 
Furnaces are similar and Armstrong makes the same oil furnace for Lennox 
too. 

Paloma (a Japanese water heater maker) owns Rheem Manufacturing which 
makes products under the Rheem, Ruud & WeatherKing name. All are 
identical. 

Gas equipment won't get much more than 80% AFUE without condensation 
problems. Some are as low as 78%. The pilot Rheem 78% really is as cheap 
to run as the 80% if you look at electric use of ignitor & inducer during 
pre-purge. That tiny pilot uses so little gas it doesn't add up much. 
Besides, replacing a hot surface ignitor every few years gets expensive! 
I wouldn't worry much about exact AFUE in that range. In the 90+ range, 
most are in the 90-92% AFUE area. Amana has a line that each unit is 95%. 
Most brands quote "up to 96%" but the most efficient unit is some little 
40,000 BTU unit. Rheem's most efficient, at 94%, is the 120,000 model - 
where every ounce of efficiency is needed!