Like a trip back in time. We found this in the basement of a Minneapolis home. Fairly unusual, I encounter one of these a year, usually in the older neighborhoods near downtown St. Paul.
Some people call them octopus furnaces because of the way the heat ducts take up the whole basement. They are called gravity furnaces. This particular unit burns heating oil.
The gravity furnace is like a forced air furnace except with out the force. The air is heated, the hot air rises up through the duct work. These furnaces last forever but are often replaced because they are not energy efficient. The large asbestos wrapped duct work makes home owners a bit nervous. Handling and removing the asbestos is best left to a professional and cost a couple thousand dollars.
Lar,
I know you like to undress things. Have at it but please wear a haz mat suite.
Wow, that is pretty interesting. I’ve never seen anything like that before. Looks like the kind of basement you film a horror movie in. You are a great example of a blogger- you must carry that trusty digital camera with you everywhere!
Thanks Mary that is high praise! I do carry my camera every where and many of my photos are taken from my car. I took the picture of the furnace with my phone because my camera battery was almost dead. 🙂
When I saw this pic, I flashed back to my furnace I removed last summer. It was the same type and was an old gas gravity fed..They are very quiet and do heat the house but not that efficiently. I still have the SEARS Indestructo door for nostalgia.
Jay, I think they look kind of neat but I am sure i would not want one in my basement.
I am looking into getting a house which is still heated with a gravity furnace. The only thing preventing me from moving there now is that furnace!! What is the cost to heat a small victorian home with gravity heat? What is the maintenance of the furnace? Thanks for any help!
~robyn
ROBYN: I have a gravity furnace (well, not for long). I own a duplex and the gravity furnace only heats the upper unit (where i live). It is not cheap! I’m on the budget plan, but during the cold winter months the actual cost for gas is usually $130-200. Mind you, i live in an upper two bedroom flat and keep it cold. There is no maintenance on the furnace, because there is nothing to maintain! your thermostat turns it on (which is basically a huge bonfire) and then turns it off. no other technology. I’m having estimates now to have it removed and replaced. the salesman told me (note:salesman said this) that they replaced a gravity furnace in a house last winter, and the owner said her gas bills have been cut by 60%.
Buy the house…but price in the cost to replace it.
ROBYN: I have a gravity furnace (well, not for long). I own a duplex and the gravity furnace only heats the upper unit (where i live). It is not cheap! I’m on the budget plan, but during the cold winter months the actual cost for gas is usually $130-200. Mind you, i live in an upper two bedroom flat and keep it cold. There is no maintenance on the furnace, because there is nothing to maintain! your thermostat turns it on (which is basically a huge bonfire) and then turns it off. no other technology. I’m having estimates now to have it removed and replaced. the salesman told me (note:salesman said this) that they replaced a gravity furnace in a house last winter, and the owner said her gas bills have been cut by 60%.
Buy the house…but price in the cost to replace it.