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chrissyc · Oct 30, 2007, 05:03 PM

Our furnace is an Esso Ultramatic Hot Air furnace. It has been taken care of well over it's 30 years of service. 3 years ago we had the abspestos chamber replaced, sorry if it is spelled wrong, and now we find it needs to be replaced again.

The oil company we deal with has told us that the chamber is no longer made and a wet pack will be needed to seal the crack that has developed on the right side. My question is how long does this type of repair generally last? We do want to have a new furnace installed however we are unable to do it at this time.

Is it possible the repair could only last a few months taking us into the dead of winter with no heat source? I guess this is my main concern. The company doing the work this time is not the same individual who did the work 3 years ago and I am a little leary of this new fix because I am not familiar with it.

Any feedback or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

hvac1000 · Oct 30, 2007, 05:38 PM

I have used wet packs for years to repair combustion chambers in oil furnaces. They work well but there is no way anyone can tell you how long it is going to last. You heat exchanger is also getting old.

You really should consider a modern furnace. The money you save on fuel will definitely offset the expense of the new unit.

chrissyc · Oct 30, 2007, 06:43 PM

Hi Hvac.
Thanks for the comments. We do plan on getting a new furnace but unfortunately it has to wait until next year.

I do know the heat exchanger is getting old because we don't get as much heat as we did , (could be the blower motor too) when we first bought the house almost 8 years ago. I am sure the ducts need some taping (the old stuff is not as tight as it used to be) and they could probably use to be cleaned out too.

I was hoping the first repair we did would have lasted another year but unfortunately this wasn't the case. We know the furnace has had it day, a good long one at that, but we need it to last one more winter. After that I will play taps for it when it is removed! LOL!

Thanks again and if you have any other advise I would really appreciate it.