Wall furnace questions

vsk101

Member
Aug 13, 2017
95
15
San Francisco, CA
Parrots
Green Bean -Male Eclectus adopted 8/27/17 (6 months old)
hello, I moved into a 100-year old Victorian flat where the heat isn't working. There was a double wall furnace that uses natural gas, and I'm trying to work with my landlord to find a replacement. If you could help with these questions, I would really appreciate it:

1. the double wall furnace has one side as the bedroom and the other side as the hallway. one sales rep told me it is really unsafe to have it in the bedroom with the door closed and that I should get a single wall furnace instead. others have said that makes no sense, but of course I am not interested in a gas or carbon monoxide leak that could kill my bird. this seems to be a debatable issue when I look online with home inspectors having different opinions. the downside to a single wall furnace is that it won't be quite as warm, but maybe not such a big deal in northern california (although the windows are really drafty and it gets cold at night).

2. I have had zero luck finding out whether there is any non-stick coating such as PTFE, PFOA, teflon, etc. I have contacted multiple companies and have rarely had such a hard time getting info on an appliance. this is one I am looking at: https://www.grainger.com/product/WILLIAMS-COMFORT-PRODUCTS-Gas-Wall-Surface-Mount-Heater-36FK13

3. The manufacturer of this williams heater warned me about a coating called Epichlorohydrin that is on their heaters and possibly others. Is this something that will burn off after a couple days if I have the bird out of the house and keep the heat on high?

4. Is there some other type of heat I should be looking at? My landlord seems really set on a wall furnace but if there are others in the same price range to heat the whole flat, she may be willing to consider.

Thank you!
 

SailBoat

Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2015
17,646
10,008
Western, Michigan
Parrots
DYH Amazon
WILLIAMS COMFORT PRODUCTS, is a large North America supplier of home and industrial heating /cooling systems. They are well known and stand behind the quality of their products. If they say a product is up to their standards, I would believe them.

Installation requires an approved installer and not a few friends and a case of beer. Get the installation wrong and everyone does not make an over-night stay.

You really need to confirm that venting to the great-outdoors is there and is installed correctly. Near all cities require a permit for install a furnace and it is worth checking prior to proceeding. In addition, most cities require that new vent pipes are installed!

Double wall furnaces are banded in the majority of regions across North America as maintaining separation zones increases their complexity and likelihood of failure.

Note: It is worth checking, but most City Laws require Rentals having heating units if the interior temperature falls below a specific temperature. You maybe surprised at just how low the number is!

With Item #3: That is correct. it protects the heat exchanger from rusting prior to use. It is a common product used by many manufacturers to assure the quality of unit prior to operation. Most installers will bring the unit to a higher than normal temperature while they are completing the installation and the coating is gone. Larger units will take longer, hence the multi-day warning.
 
Last edited:
OP
V

vsk101

Member
Aug 13, 2017
95
15
San Francisco, CA
Parrots
Green Bean -Male Eclectus adopted 8/27/17 (6 months old)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #3
Sailboat, thank you so so much -- this is so helpful! just a couple follow up comments and questions: 1. my landlord wants to have her handyman install it. I think he has installed it before. and I think I am going to have a very hard time convincing her otherwise. would you say this person sounds qualified if he has installed them before? 2. are you saying that anytime you install a new heater, you need to install a new vent pipe? is there somewhere I can go to get the CA state regulation on that to show my landlord? 3. so does that mean I don't have to worry about ptfe/pfoa or epichlorohydrin?

Thanks so much; i've been trying to get this resolved for a couple weeks!
 
OP
V

vsk101

Member
Aug 13, 2017
95
15
San Francisco, CA
Parrots
Green Bean -Male Eclectus adopted 8/27/17 (6 months old)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #4
Sorry I just saw your point about the epichlorohydrin. So if I have him out of the house for 3-4 days, should that be enough time to burn it off? And just to confirm there is no concern about non-stick coating? thank you
 
OP
V

vsk101

Member
Aug 13, 2017
95
15
San Francisco, CA
Parrots
Green Bean -Male Eclectus adopted 8/27/17 (6 months old)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
I will also need something called a register that is mounted onto the wall appears to be a vent that takes the heat from the room the furnace is in and blows into the bedroom. Is there any concern that the blades on the fan of the register could have a non-stick coating (since it will be blowing hot air)? Thank you
 

SailBoat

Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2015
17,646
10,008
Western, Michigan
Parrots
DYH Amazon
Please read with clarity...

WILLIAMS COMFORT PRODUCTS, is a large North America supplier of home and industrial heating /cooling systems. They are well known and stand behind the quality of their products. If they say a product is up to their standards, I would believe them.

Installation requires an approved installer and not a few friends and a case of beer. Get the installation wrong and everyone does not make an over-night stay. A handy man that had installed one in the past is not a approved installer, ask if her 'buddy has a license to install heating systems!

You really need to confirm that venting to the great-outdoors is there and is installed correctly. Near all cities require a permit for install a furnace and it is worth checking prior to proceeding. In addition, most cities require that new vent pipes are installed! Why, because most units last a very long time and are rusty and need to be replaced!

Double wall furnaces are banded in the majority of regions across North America as maintaining separation zones increases their complexity and likelihood of failure.

Note: It is worth checking, but most City Laws require Rentals having heating units if the interior temperature falls below a specific temperature. You maybe surprised at just how low the number is!

With Item #3: That is correct. it protects the heat exchanger from rusting prior to use. It is a common product used by many manufacturers to assure the quality of unit prior to operation. Most installers will bring the unit to a higher than normal temperature while they are completing the installation and the coating is gone. Larger units will take longer, hence the multi-day warning.

The unit you referenced has a built in system that first draws air into the unit (commonly at the front top) and after heating the air, blows it out near the front bottom.

NOTE: Your landlord is willing to save a few dollars and place your life in pearl by having a handyman install a heating unit. As stated clearly above, you need to verify at City Hall (commonly a department that issues permits for building and remodeling) and ask them.

FYI: If you value your life and that of your Parrots, you need to move-out and quickly. If this person has owned this place for any amount of time, likely all work is sub-standard and there has been no permits draw to assure the work was completed properly.
 
Last edited:
OP
V

vsk101

Member
Aug 13, 2017
95
15
San Francisco, CA
Parrots
Green Bean -Male Eclectus adopted 8/27/17 (6 months old)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
Thank you, Sailboat. I thought I responded to this message but I somehow can't find my response, so I will send again. I did leave a message for the city department that issues permits today. if required, I will not let them work without one. I will also ask about the handyman's credentials. My landlord just owns a few buildings, so that is why I am calling him a handyman. Hopefully, he has a proper license to install. I will get this all in writing and also confirm he will install new vent pipes as well. I really have no background with any of this and have really struggled to get information about it, so I am grateful for all your input.
 

Most Reactions

Latest posts

Top