What a blast from the past. I started with Sears in 73. Those were still fairly new. Furnace was manufactured by Heil Quaker, later to known as Heil. If I remember correctly, Heil was owned by Whirlpool Corporation, and eventually came under the ICP umbrella. Yes, that was a heat only system. Note the 20 VA transformer. When air conditioning was added, we added a second transformer in the condenser unit. Hence, the origin of segregated RC and RH circuits on wall thermostats. The summer switch was factory. The Comfort Indicator was to tell the consumer when to change the filter. It was a pressure operated indicator, good idea, but I never saw one work properly. The burners were best removed by lifting "blade" out of slot in heat exchanger then lifting off orifice. Made to last back then and quiet. That old blower was like a church mouse with cotton slippers. Cool video. Thanks.
Yep, That's correct the 867 model indicates it's made by Keeprite which is a Heil-Quaker. H-Q/Sears sold that line to Whirlpool in the 80s. Then 90s ICP bought them out. Thanks for sharing for us old-timers Anti!
@@TheGgin The logo on the blower ( 8:51 ) tends to confirm H-Q. Web & another comment says Dornback made Homart, but you were there & you say it was H-Q.
@@TheGgin & Lazy Jack, you two must be older than me . I started with the gas company in St Louis, Missouri in 83 & remember these old Sears furnaces well. Lazy Jack I was wondering did they send you to the Sears Tower in Chicago for training?
@@TheGgin , in 1964 Sears the majority owner of Heil Quaker sold out to Whirlpool. In 1986 Whirlpool sold the line to Intercity Products Company, I believe a Canadian Corporation. Now Carrier owns them & the interior guts are all Carrrier, unfortunately.
TP Services more like back when people were willing ot shell out more money for quality appliances. e can build highly durable furnaces now, but who wants to pay $6000 for a new furnace instead of $3000. Boilers, hot water or steam with good water quality, regularly can still last 40 years with little maintenance. But the new castings are thin wall for lighter weight, smaller size lower cost equal or higher high efficiency in a smaller package. Heck, few customers even install hydronics or heck even all metal ductwork. Few modulating furnaces or AC units go in. Even though an extra $3-5k is relatively small in a $300k new home. Technology is there to have reasonably priced residential VAV systems that save energy and are far more comfortable and quiet but most new construction I go too have horribly imbalanced HVAC systems, especially 2 story homes in cold climates. It’s pathetic. $10k for fancy floor and countertop finishes that will get thrown out in 20-30 years, but no money spent on comfort.
The water well pump in my house just went out. It was original to the house, nearly 75 years old. The only one the local company had in stock to replace it with? Warranties for a single year. A single year. Next time I buy a house I wont make the mistake of waiting for it to fail to replace and be stuck with an emergency situation where I am forced to use whatever crap is in stock.
I really hate when people say this kind of stuff. Theirs more complex technology to make things run more efficiently as it possibly can. So of course with more parts involved, the more likely it's going to break. Newer system is far more superior and energy efficient than that 50+ year old furnace.
The reason for the fan only switch, was that in summer, the idea was you would open the filter access door, turn on the fan and bring up cool basement air. Thermostats were simple 2 wire switches, so no fan only option on the thermostat, hence being mounted on the unit. Most of the time however, an electrician would have to install a field supplied switch that would control the fan, so I'd imagine at the time this was a selling point feature on this unit
76 years young, liked this very much. Yes things were made to last then and pride in a job well done was part of everyday life. We have lost something and do not know how to find it.
Reminds me of the good old days back in 1972 when I started working as a contractor's helper 2 years out of high school replacing residential furnaces and central air conditioners in the midwest. I eventually became a union journeyman sheet metal worker and later changed from residential to commercial and industrial sheet metal which was steadier work than residential. My parents still are using the same Lennox LP gas furnace and R-22 central air I installed in their home back in the late 1970's. Thanks for putting up this video that shows how the older equipment was made back in the day.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video, Ted! I always wanted to see one of these old Homart furnaces broken down. Homart furnaces were built by the Dornback Furnace and Foundry company. Dornback's new furnaces today have a 20 year warranty on their heat exchanger. So many of these furnaces are still in use. There are quite a few videos of these old Homart furnaces on TH-cam running. During the 1980's I had an apartment in the French Quarter in New Orleans. It had a Homart gas furnace of this vintage that had one single ribbon burner. You could not keep your hand in front of the vent very long due to the temp of the heat output!
Oldest furnace I've ever replaced was an early 1900's octopus, wish I had video of the replacement. It looked like it was originally designed to burn coal then converted to oil in the 30's or 40's then converted to natural gas in 1959. It was still operating when we replaced it. 48" diameter basement MONSTER, the heat exchanger alone was bigger than the furnace that replaced it and weighed almost 300lbs, took us the better part of a day just to disassemble it because most parts were cast. We still have the restored nameplate and door hung on the wall of our shop.
Just wondering, did it monitor the partial vacuum in the chamber? I ask because a few years back I was tasked to design a counter top deep fryer (it looked like a miniature version of that furnace) for use in mall kiosks. When to change the filter posed a problem. My solution was to have the system microcontroller time the revolutions of the exhaust fan. The fan turned more slowly in proportion to the partial vacuum behind the blades caused by filter clogging, hence my question. (And I watched this video because my current furnace was built in 1966 and I've just had to change the blower motor (the original General electric 1/4 horse motor was very impressive, for the last 20 years it ran continuously. The first new replacement I put in last summer lasted only 5 months. It died at 4:00am on a night when it was -27C, very irritating).
After just changing out an 11 year old furnace with a shot heat exchanger, excessive rollout, and a dying inducer motor, all I can say is I miss equipment like this that was made to last.
You're right about those old gas furnaces being built to last. My dad's house was built in 1957 and still has the original furnace. Dad's been able to replace all the moving and electric parts on it over the years since we moved in back in 1989. It's had blower motor replaced and new gas valves installed. Heat Exchanger is still rock solid. I don't think that furnace is long for this world though. Dad's getting too old to wrestle window A/Cs in every summer (House originally had a rooftop swamp cooler) so his furnace will get replaced with a new one unless he opts to go with a multi-zone mini-split.
I agree that you should start collecting and displaying old units like this. I vaguely remember some years ago the oldest unit I ever worked on was a 1958 Gaffer/Sattler that was then working like a charm and the only reason it needed me was for a fan switch!
Very interesting, thanks for the video. I had this exact same furnace in my 1958-built home and it was in good condition when I "upgraded" a couple years ago. That's 60 years of trouble-free service! Wow!
Absolutely Amazing. I love seeing old Furnaces like this, this is an example of what quality workmanship used to be. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort out of your busy week to make this video.
Great Video, It's sad that all the stuff that was made to last is just a memory now. I'm 53 years old, I started learning HVAC at 47, and soon worked as an installer even making ductwork. I worked as a Framer for new homes in Chicago for 27 years. I use to see HVAC guys and said, "hell! I'll never do that" . But, long story short, the hard work and knowledge one gets is worth a million. I learned in the Field, actually doing the work, with a patient Boss, David Dunaway, he showed me the proper way and the "Cap and Flap" way. I watch your videos cause you too are a rare gem.
As a younger guy I barely remember sears, my dad used to go there for everything when I was like 6. Wow what a great find, to bad we don't have the kind of integrity anymore...
We had one similar in a home my parents built in 1960. This was very interesting. Back when gas was cheap , efficiency wasn't worth the trouble if it was even a thought.
Planned Obsolescence is a function of bean counters and finance guys. Left to our own devices, any engineer worth his salt would still design with the longest life cycle in mind. Unfortunately, no one would pay for it...... except for maybe another engineer!
@@chrisharpe4916 have you seen the juicero internals. Engineers had a field day with that creation but the idea of buying overpriced juice bags it's just squeezes killed it. Built like a tank though.
I sold my parents Southern California home in 2020, a few years after they passed. It was still using the the original Gaffers and Sattler furnace installed when the house was built in 1963. Still in service after 57 years! I remember changing out the blower motor with my dad as a teenager. The A-coil and Air conditioner were changed at least twice, but the furnace lived on. The summer fan switch was removed when the AC unit was first installed. Those things like this Sears unit were built like a tank.
Loved seeing this old beauty! If they still made equipment this well, most of is wouldn't have a job anymore lol. I'm 36, but I enjoy learning how systems have progressed through the years. I remember going to a house that had an old "singer " brand furnace that had chrome strips in the front and hefty knobs to unlock the front panel. I even have a buddy whom has a chysler furnace that he refuses to replace! Lol. Love that old equipment.
I have a Lennox furnace in my home that was built in the late seventies. Runs great. You are correct that none of them want to make things that last today. Just like phones and computers. Make something fancy with widgets and whistles so that in two years they want something new. Who needs a "smart" fridge or furnace? I just want a well made product that lasts.
48:50 minute long video was like a 5 minute to me, I was looking with out blinking just admiring the beautiful furnace. It show me The American made We lost to chipo Chinese made this days. I hope those jobs came back. I Love American product they are simply the best. 🇺🇸
That reminds me of a 60 yr old furnace I replaced last year. It was made by the Perfection Heating and Cooling Co. out of Cleveland Ohio. It too was belt driven. Bearing went bad in the motor despite being oiled. It spun freely until the motor was energized at which point it seized and I was always hitting the high limit. I could have had it repaired but at that age, I felt it was best to go new. So I had my chosen HVAC contractor install a new 80% unit AND I made the move to central air as well! You'll be happy to know Ted that I was NOT a helicopter! 🙂 I was working from home while the install was taking place. But the few times they called me to ask me a question or permission to do something I saw just how much involved a furnace replacement is! Glad I went with a reputable contractor rather than a friend's buddy...
I am 35, and I would LOVE to see you clean it up, put it back together, and let us all see it running!! I think that would be awesome, you never see the old school equipment in operation anymore. This furnace deserves to showcase what the past was all about, it's held up all this time. It looks like the blower motor was changed at least once.
Watched from beginning to end. Reminds me of the original one yanked out of my 1950's home. Though mine had one large cast iron burner and heat exchanger. The heating company had fun getting it out. Id say light them burners up, would be cool to see. Thank you Ted for sharing.
I came across a 40 year old York unit straight cool a couple months back and it was a Tiffany color unit with a vertical fan blades on the condenser. The capacitor was the size of a brick paver.
Had an old heat only Day & Night furnace in a house I grew up in that was similar to that. It had a summer switch on top of it to run fan in summer. It was heavy as well. We moved in around 1964 and took it out around 1975 when we installed a Payne HVAC system. House was built in mid 50's I think. My uncle took the old furnace to his lake house and converted if to butane back then.
My dad replaced his Moncrief furnace when it was 63 years old (1950 to 2013). It still worked but the bottom of the cabinet had some rust through. Moncrief has been around for 200 years. Go check out the 1950 catalog online. That was a good looking stylish furnace. The only thing I remember him replacing is the belt. It even had a humidifier on it. My sister bought that family home and the original duct work is still there and it is solid as a rock after 72 years.
Had a Makita drill back in the 80's. Battery was like a magazine for semi-automatic pistol. Had a key style chuck with storage in the top for key. Overload reset button on the side. State of the art at the time.
Hi I liked the video. They made them easier to work on back then. I would like to see what the burners look like but I would only clean a couple and see the difference between them. Thanks for the videos.
Such pride in craftsmanship back then, watched until the end and I hope you light them on a bench as I would love to see it! Thanks for all you do for us you tubers!
Honestly, I would find a way to put back in service in my shop. Spark ignition , a couple roll outs, and a updated hi-limit, more so just to see the longevity of the exchanger
That was a very cool video.... I really enjoy the fact that you took the time to break down the old school heater.... And from the video you could tell that you enjoy looking over the older equipment....thanks again
Late to the party but I enjoyed watching. I thought I remembered my first boss buying one or two of the old Makita 7.2v cordless drill motors in the early eighties. I looked them up and sure enough, they were first introduced in 1978, my first year in the Sheet Metal HVAC trade. Back in the day when we used mainly Pittsburgh seams and G-lock for duct construction.
I have a 1964 Montgomery Ward catalog. The gas furnaces in it were about 100,000 B.T.U. the gas ones cost $250, and an oil fired one was $350. The gas ones said they had a galvanized burn chamber, so Sears had a Gold Mine in the one You are taking apart. I couldn't find anything about a ceramic coating on the ones from Montgomery Ward.
It was amazing to watch your video and to see how well the old furnaces were made. In my parents house we still have the original Sears Homart Gas Furnace that was installed in either 1961 or 1962, so it's 59 or 60 years old and It is still functioning here in Saskatchewan, Canada, where the winters can be brutal. There have been a few minor repairs over the years to do with the fan but nothing major. I know my Dad looked after it well over the years. I must go thru my Dad's records, I expect the original operating manual, etc. will be there. Thankyou.
My father started his business with Sears as the sales side. We did this between about 1968-1985. I saw a lot of the Homart eqpt during that time. A lot simpler then. And things ran longer.
My inlaws home has a Williamson Heating (natural gas fired) and Air Conditioning unit with a 1973 manufacturer date. Most of the parts are original. At the last service call to replace a thermocouple the HVAC contractor told my inlaws the unit was in great shape and don't let anyone talk you into getting something new. Their house was constructed in 1957 and this unit replaced a heating only unit. The 1973 unit was serviced and inspected on a regular basis. Williamson furnaces were known at that time to be well made. They were made in Cincinnati, OH or nearby.
Wow amazing to see one of those torn down. I'm a subscriber and a 26 year old tech, I watched every minute and enjoyed it. Thanks for the awesome content Ted!
I think that comfort sentry was for introducing humidity into the furnace via a capillary water supply tube. My great aunt had a Sears furnace that had a small diameter water supply to it to spray water into the furnace to create humidity. That's probably why they had the clad heat exchangers, to prevent corrosion from the mist of water being introduced into the furnace.
I've got a 60 year old Mueller Climatrol furnace in my basement right now. It's coming out this summer. I'll miss it. It has run perfectly for me for over 35 years. I remember these Sears units, and the Homart name, too.
It's sad that Western Forge just announced that they're closing the doors. They used to make a lot of the classic hand tools for Sears. Like the old red, clear and blue screwdrivers with the round knob on the back. Times They are A-Changin. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Lowe's sells Craftsman tools now, in my opinion if Lowe's or Home Depot would have bought the name and had a quality US built tool madethey would have people standing inline to buy them.
I have serviced many similar units.A customer has a 1968 Bard furnace that still is working and does not want to replace it. Comfort Monitor was a filter monitoring device. I used to carry bearings and shafts in my service van. I almost 66
It's amazing how this equipment was built to last. They were simple in design and made with quality materials. This unit could probably run another 20 years with very little maintenance. Today you would be lucky to get 15 -20 years out of a furnace.
Thank you for uploading! Those old furnaces may not be as energy efficient as today's furnaces are (nor are they as safe), but quality is priceless. Comparing those old Sears Homart furnaces with modern furnaces is like comparing a vintage Frigidaire refrigerator or vintage Maytag washing machine with their modern-day counterparts. Those were the days when companies were actually interested in looking after their customers, whereas today, the only thing companies are interested in is turning over a profit. That's why today's products self-destruct after only 10 years (for most refrigerators and washing machines) to 20 years (for most furnaces and air conditioners), and I'm not sure how accurate those numbers are, I'm just basing that on my experience with today's products compared to the old ones.
It was interesting for me also and watched to the end. At 71 recall coal furnaces replaced with oil burners, then gas furnaces similar to this one. Honestly today’s equipment is safer and more reliable when maintained properly. Thanks for letting us check this out with you.
Safer, yes. More reliable, probably not. Stuff like this was ridiculously simple, with little to no electronics. Today, every furnace has a controller board in it. The company that put my furnace in 2 years ago said that he's seen a simple brown out or power failure be enough to fry the controller board and that some of these boards can cost upwards of $1K for multi-stage, ECM motor furnaces. This would never bring down an old unit like the one shown.
I have that exact furnace in my attic running as I type. its a smaller 3 burner unit. Its in a horizontal layout. I have a few CO monitors around the house and they all read zero when it is running. About 2 years ago, I pulled the blower wheel and cleaned it to get more airflow and to get rid of a shimmy when running. It is a tank and my house is small, so it just keeps going year after year. I put in heat pump mini splits for cooling but this handles the primary heat. If it ever gives it up, them I'll use the mini splits for heat.
I have one of these in my house, which was built in 1959. Slightly different, my flue is in the back, and the external covers are a little different. Still going strong, and I never want to remove it! I'm sure as some people walked through the house when it was on the market, saw that, and saw dollar signs. I saw it and said "Awesome- This was made to _last_!" Works great and is quiet! That motor almost surely has been changed, as has mine. There is some sort of airflow monitor on the side which has been long since disconnected, probably the same idea as that Comfort Indicator, watched the pressure differential across the filter. I've never shut mine down for fear of breaking something or not being able to start it up again, though I know I should in order to clean those burners.
Back then those were manufactured by Whirlpool for Sears, just like their washers and dryers. That fan switch was Factory and the homeowner could turn it on in the summer time for circulation ( most homes did not have central air conditioning back then). In my 35 years as a service technician for the gas company in St. Louis, Missouri I could definitely say this Sears furnace and the Williamson furnace were the two best furnaces ever made. Now days the furnace manufacturers have a built-in obsolescence ( about 20 years give or take). If I'm not mistaken I believe that cold air return door had a removable sheet metal panel on the grill for summer time use to take the cold air from the basement.
Well, I enjoyed the tear down. Not even an HVAC guy. Reminds me of the furnace in our first house that was built in 1959. We moved in in 1986 and still working. We called it thumper because of the noise it made. Pulled out the fan cage and cleaned off the accumulated dust lumps, and back to silent operation. The stuff lasted a long time, with easy fixes if something was amiss. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have worked on it.
Lost interest in old furnaces years ago, live in western ny and see this style daily, and service many of them all winter. It is nice to see one though through someone else's view
Just replaced our sears upflow central unit. Was installed in 81-82 and worked for the past years without skipping a beat. It was still working when I replaced it the year with a new to me lennox HE unit but it was short cycling and sometime the thermostat would call for heat and then click back off and you could hear the gas valve turn on and the flames run and the the gas valve just shut off after the thermostat said no heat. I was getting worried about the exchanger and all those hot cycles with no air blowing.
I grew up with a gas forced air furnace the house was built in the 1940's and the furnace had a cast iron heat exchanger most enjoyable video there Ted
Rebuild this make a shop heater out of it Thats awesome I'm 55 wish I was in as good of shape as that bad boy Nice video hope to see the rebuild and fire up video Thanks for the videos Keep them coming
A friend of mine owns a house that was built in 1955 and it still has the original furnace. If the thermostat is calling for heat and no pilot flame is detected the gas to the burners shuts off but the pilot orifice continues to emit natural gas into the attic until someone either shuts off the gas or relights the pilot. This is by design and was allowed until 1959 when new regulations required the gas to be shut off to the burners and the pilot when no pilot flame is detected. This vintage furnace (I can't recall the brand) isn't considered safe by todays standards but it's been in operation for over 63 years and is still going strong in 2022!
Reminds me from back in the day in 39 when I graduated from the UA 190 apprenticeship. We had a good class that year. It was me, Bill Carrier, Cleatus Trane, Dave Lennox. All had pretty good careers.
Ted, I sure did appreciate you making a video of this historical piece of equipment! It makes my day any time I get to see something this old and still alive! Thank you
Wish they still had that kind of American made quality in products today. You had to buy things once and it lasted your lifetime, how it's supposed to be, same with other appliances.
The house I grew up in had a similar unit. The switch was called a summer fan on ours. You would turn it on for 10 minutes to take the heat from the house and send it through the slab to cool off a bit. You could only run it a few minutes at a time because the slab would warm up. And it would just blow warm air around. That thing is a tank!
Very nice furnace!!!!! My grandparents had a 1973 Bryant gas furnace 6 burner beast. Worked great until 1994 when the heat exchanger got a crack in it and it failed it's yearly service.
We had everything Sears. The old stuff is cool. I have 1979 Lennox central air... still ice cold and silent running. Homart rings a bell but it has been so long. Cool video.
Kinda makes you wonder if you could get the heat exchangers from a new unit ceramic coated like you can get automotive exhaust/headers ceramic coated and get more life out of them. However, I wonder if that wouldn't impact the transfer of heat. Really neat to see a product built to last.
old stuff is cool some of the old stuff I have worked on one of the first home ac with r 12 and a water tower out side, old boiler from wood coal to gas conversion
up here in Canada Clare made the furnaces for Sears, there is still lots of these out there. I installed and serviced lots of these over the last 40 years.
I think that comfort sentry is more or less a dirty filter monitor. Probably why the electronic one was added at a later date. The red port would of been for the high static side while the other port would of been on the low side. While I can't find any information on it, I presume while running, something would appear in the opening to indicate a dirty filter.
Prime example of "they don't make them like that anymore". 55 seasons and still looks better than a lot of the new stuff after just 5 years. They take pride in what they built back then!
Great video Ted, was at a customer’s home the other day and they had a Singer furnace almost as old. Been doing this over 30 years now and you don’t find these old ones much. Love the video.
My grandmother has a whole house window fan, washer and dryer and air conditioner from sears “homeart”. The switch on the furnace, “ fan only” was the same switch on the window fan.
I worked for a HVAC company in the 80s and 90s, We regularly serviced Waterbury, York and Lennox oil furnaces installed in the 40s and 50s, even a Iron Fireman Vortex or two, I still think they were the best furnaces ever built, Everybody screams about how inefficient they were but you can buy a whole lot of oil for the price of computer boards and replacment units every 10 or so years, One 1949 York i used to service had every original component on it motors controls ignition transformer and pump, was still running in the late 90s
Thanks for that video brother.. That was true American craftsmanship right there!! It’s kinda ironic that I just spent my day replacing a leaking evap coil on a system I just installed 5 months ago..what a shame, the junk they produce nowadays..
The comfort control on the door had black vacuum tube about 3 feet long but I don’t know we’re it went.. I live up nort and we had one installed in 63 in Illinois. That brought back memories when my dad cleaned out the burners.
There's no denying that modern units are safer and more efficient, but it's always impressive to see units that were not only built to last but to be repaired-not just replaced after 10-15 years.
I've been waiting to watch this since you mentioned it in the comments over on Steve Lav's channel. This is an amazing unit... They sure don't make them like they used to!
We had an old Lennox that was built like that, installed in 1966 came out in 1992 or 1993 in favour of the new high efficiency type but it wound up at one of my former teachers houses heating their garage/shop... Same deal it had that heavy ceramic coated exchanger and looked new after we cleaned it up... They sure do not build em like they used to.
The fan only switch is factory. Just inspected one of these, it was in unbelievably good condition. These WERE built to last. I ran new thermostat wires and blew it out. It’s inefficient, buts gets the job done.
What a blast from the past. I started with Sears in 73. Those were still fairly new. Furnace was manufactured by Heil Quaker, later to known as Heil. If I remember correctly, Heil was owned by Whirlpool Corporation, and eventually came under the ICP umbrella. Yes, that was a heat only system. Note the 20 VA transformer. When air conditioning was added, we added a second transformer in the condenser unit. Hence, the origin of segregated RC and RH circuits on wall thermostats. The summer switch was factory. The Comfort Indicator was to tell the consumer when to change the filter. It was a pressure operated indicator, good idea, but I never saw one work properly. The burners were best removed by lifting "blade" out of slot in heat exchanger then lifting off orifice. Made to last back then and quiet. That old blower was like a church mouse with cotton slippers. Cool video. Thanks.
Yep, That's correct the 867 model indicates it's made by Keeprite which is a Heil-Quaker. H-Q/Sears sold that line to Whirlpool in the 80s. Then 90s ICP bought them out. Thanks for sharing for us old-timers Anti!
@@TheGgin The logo on the blower ( 8:51 ) tends to confirm H-Q. Web & another comment says Dornback made Homart, but you were there & you say it was H-Q.
@@TheGgin & Lazy Jack, you two must be older than me . I started with the gas company in St Louis, Missouri in 83 & remember these old Sears furnaces well. Lazy Jack I was wondering did they send you to the Sears Tower in Chicago for training?
@@TheGgin , in 1964 Sears the majority owner of Heil Quaker sold out to Whirlpool. In 1986 Whirlpool sold the line to Intercity Products Company, I believe a Canadian Corporation. Now Carrier owns them & the interior guts are all Carrrier, unfortunately.
@@boby115 Never made it to the tower. Those trips were waaaaay above my pay grade.
Back when people took pride in they're work and products were built to last. Thanks for showing it.
Their work
TP Services more like back when people were willing ot shell out more money for quality appliances. e can build highly durable furnaces now, but who wants to pay $6000 for a new furnace instead of $3000. Boilers, hot water or steam with good water quality, regularly can still last 40 years with little maintenance. But the new castings are thin wall for lighter weight, smaller size lower cost equal or higher high efficiency in a smaller package.
Heck, few customers even install hydronics or heck even all metal ductwork. Few modulating furnaces or AC units go in. Even though an extra $3-5k is relatively small in a $300k new home.
Technology is there to have reasonably priced residential VAV systems that save energy and are far more comfortable and quiet but most new construction I go too have horribly imbalanced HVAC systems, especially 2 story homes in cold climates. It’s pathetic. $10k for fancy floor and countertop finishes that will get thrown out in 20-30 years, but no money spent on comfort.
The water well pump in my house just went out. It was original to the house, nearly 75 years old. The only one the local company had in stock to replace it with? Warranties for a single year. A single year. Next time I buy a house I wont make the mistake of waiting for it to fail to replace and be stuck with an emergency situation where I am forced to use whatever crap is in stock.
Shame people don't take pride in their grammar today!
I really hate when people say this kind of stuff. Theirs more complex technology to make things run more efficiently as it possibly can. So of course with more parts involved, the more likely it's going to break. Newer system is far more superior and energy efficient than that 50+ year old furnace.
The reason for the fan only switch, was that in summer, the idea was you would open the filter access door, turn on the fan and bring up cool basement air. Thermostats were simple 2 wire switches, so no fan only option on the thermostat, hence being mounted on the unit. Most of the time however, an electrician would have to install a field supplied switch that would control the fan, so I'd imagine at the time this was a selling point feature on this unit
76 years young, liked this very much. Yes things were made to last then and pride in a job well done was part of everyday life. We have lost something and do not know how to find it.
agree still miss my 1973 Satellite
Reminds me of the good old days back in 1972 when I started working as a
contractor's helper 2 years out of high school replacing residential furnaces and central air conditioners in the midwest. I eventually became a union journeyman sheet metal worker and later changed from residential to commercial and industrial sheet metal which was steadier work than residential. My parents still are using the same Lennox LP gas furnace and R-22 central air I installed in their home back in the late 1970's. Thanks for putting up this video that shows how the older equipment was made back in the day.
21yr old tech with 3yrs experience and i still find old stuff like this amazing.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video, Ted! I always wanted to see one of these old Homart furnaces broken down. Homart furnaces were built by the Dornback Furnace and Foundry company. Dornback's new furnaces today have a 20 year warranty on their heat exchanger. So many of these furnaces are still in use. There are quite a few videos of these old Homart furnaces on TH-cam running. During the 1980's I had an apartment in the French Quarter in New Orleans. It had a Homart gas furnace of this vintage that had one single ribbon burner. You could not keep your hand in front of the vent very long due to the temp of the heat output!
Oldest furnace I've ever replaced was an early 1900's octopus, wish I had video of the replacement. It looked like it was originally designed to burn coal then converted to oil in the 30's or 40's then converted to natural gas in 1959. It was still operating when we replaced it. 48" diameter basement MONSTER, the heat exchanger alone was bigger than the furnace that replaced it and weighed almost 300lbs, took us the better part of a day just to disassemble it because most parts were cast. We still have the restored nameplate and door hung on the wall of our shop.
The comfort sentry was a filter monitor it would turn red if memory tells me when time to change filters. Worked on a few back in the day.
Just wondering, did it monitor the partial vacuum in the chamber?
I ask because a few years back I was tasked to design a counter top deep fryer (it looked like a miniature version of that furnace) for use in mall kiosks.
When to change the filter posed a problem.
My solution was to have the system microcontroller time the revolutions of the exhaust fan.
The fan turned more slowly in proportion to the partial vacuum behind the blades caused by filter clogging, hence my question.
(And I watched this video because my current furnace was built in 1966 and I've just had to change the blower motor (the original General electric 1/4 horse motor was very impressive, for the last 20 years it ran continuously. The first new replacement I put in last summer lasted only 5 months. It died at 4:00am on a night when it was -27C, very irritating).
After just changing out an 11 year old furnace with a shot heat exchanger, excessive rollout, and a dying inducer motor, all I can say is I miss equipment like this that was made to last.
You're right about those old gas furnaces being built to last. My dad's house was built in 1957 and still has the original furnace. Dad's been able to replace all the moving and electric parts on it over the years since we moved in back in 1989. It's had blower motor replaced and new gas valves installed. Heat Exchanger is still rock solid. I don't think that furnace is long for this world though. Dad's getting too old to wrestle window A/Cs in every summer (House originally had a rooftop swamp cooler) so his furnace will get replaced with a new one unless he opts to go with a multi-zone mini-split.
I agree that you should start collecting and displaying old units like this. I vaguely remember some years ago the oldest unit I ever worked on was a 1958 Gaffer/Sattler that was then working like a charm and the only reason it needed me was for a fan switch!
Very interesting, thanks for the video. I had this exact same furnace in my 1958-built home and it was in good condition when I "upgraded" a couple years ago. That's 60 years of trouble-free service! Wow!
They don’t make them like they use to .
Absolutely Amazing. I love seeing old Furnaces like this, this is an example of what quality workmanship used to be. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort out of your busy week to make this video.
I'm 33 and I'm just fascinated about how good this old furnace is. Thanks Mr Ted always a pleasure to see your work.
42 years with Sears worked on several of these !
Great Video, It's sad that all the stuff that was made to last is just a memory now. I'm 53 years old, I started learning HVAC at 47, and soon worked as an installer even making ductwork. I worked as a Framer for new homes in Chicago for 27 years. I use to see HVAC guys and said, "hell! I'll never do that" . But, long story short, the hard work and knowledge one gets is worth a million. I learned in the Field, actually doing the work, with a patient Boss, David Dunaway, he showed me the proper way and the "Cap and Flap" way. I watch your videos cause you too are a rare gem.
As a younger guy I barely remember sears, my dad used to go there for everything when I was like 6. Wow what a great find, to bad we don't have the kind of integrity anymore...
We had one similar in a home my parents built in 1960. This was very interesting. Back when gas was cheap , efficiency wasn't worth the trouble if it was even a thought.
SEARS 600 means that it's good for at least 600 months! lol
that's about right! That's 50 years and it outlived it's model name!
Before engineered obsolescence was a mandatory elective in engineering and design school !!!!
Planned Obsolescence is a function of bean counters and finance guys. Left to our own devices, any engineer worth his salt would still design with the longest life cycle in mind. Unfortunately, no one would pay for it...... except for maybe another engineer!
@@chrisharpe4916 have you seen the juicero internals.
Engineers had a field day with that creation but the idea of buying overpriced juice bags it's just squeezes killed it. Built like a tank though.
I sold my parents Southern California home in 2020, a few years after they passed. It was still using the the original Gaffers and Sattler furnace installed when the house was built in 1963. Still in service after 57 years! I remember changing out the blower motor with my dad as a teenager. The A-coil and Air conditioner were changed at least twice, but the furnace lived on. The summer fan switch was removed when the AC unit was first installed. Those things like this Sears unit were built like a tank.
My Sears Homart 600 is keeping me warm right now. Also keeping an American Standard Sunbeam coal furnce as back up.
Loved seeing this old beauty! If they still made equipment this well, most of is wouldn't have a job anymore lol. I'm 36, but I enjoy learning how systems have progressed through the years. I remember going to a house that had an old "singer " brand furnace that had chrome strips in the front and hefty knobs to unlock the front panel. I even have a buddy whom has a chysler furnace that he refuses to replace! Lol. Love that old equipment.
Low tech, but what quality! The good old days. And I (80 years old) watched and enjoyed the whole video as I do with all your videos. 👍🏻☺️👌🏻
I have a Lennox furnace in my home that was built in the late seventies. Runs great. You are correct that none of them want to make things that last today. Just like phones and computers. Make something fancy with widgets and whistles so that in two years they want something new. Who needs a "smart" fridge or furnace? I just want a well made product that lasts.
48:50 minute long video was like a 5 minute to me, I was looking with out blinking just admiring the beautiful furnace. It show me The American made We lost to chipo Chinese made this days. I hope those jobs came back. I Love American product they are simply the best. 🇺🇸
Art work.
That reminds me of a 60 yr old furnace I replaced last year. It was made by the Perfection Heating and Cooling Co. out of Cleveland Ohio. It too was belt driven. Bearing went bad in the motor despite being oiled. It spun freely until the motor was energized at which point it seized and I was always hitting the high limit. I could have had it repaired but at that age, I felt it was best to go new. So I had my chosen HVAC contractor install a new 80% unit AND I made the move to central air as well!
You'll be happy to know Ted that I was NOT a helicopter! 🙂 I was working from home while the install was taking place. But the few times they called me to ask me a question or permission to do something I saw just how much involved a furnace replacement is! Glad I went with a reputable contractor rather than a friend's buddy...
I am 35, and I would LOVE to see you clean it up, put it back together, and let us all see it running!! I think that would be awesome, you never see the old school equipment in operation anymore. This furnace deserves to showcase what the past was all about, it's held up all this time. It looks like the blower motor was changed at least once.
Watched from beginning to end. Reminds me of the original one yanked out of my 1950's home. Though mine had one large cast iron burner and heat exchanger. The heating company had fun getting it out. Id say light them burners up, would be cool to see. Thank you Ted for sharing.
I came across a 40 year old York unit straight cool a couple months back and it was a Tiffany color unit with a vertical fan blades on the condenser. The capacitor was the size of a brick paver.
Had an old heat only Day & Night furnace in a house I grew up in that was similar to that. It had a summer switch on top of it to run fan in summer. It was heavy as well. We moved in around 1964 and took it out around 1975 when we installed a Payne HVAC system. House was built in mid 50's I think. My uncle took the old furnace to his lake house and converted if to butane back then.
My dad replaced his Moncrief furnace when it was 63 years old (1950 to 2013). It still worked but the bottom of the cabinet had some rust through. Moncrief has been around for 200 years. Go check out the 1950 catalog online. That was a good looking stylish furnace. The only thing I remember him replacing is the belt. It even had a humidifier on it. My sister bought that family home and the original duct work is still there and it is solid as a rock after 72 years.
Had a Makita drill back in the 80's. Battery was like a magazine for semi-automatic pistol. Had a key style chuck with storage in the top for key. Overload reset button on the side. State of the art at the time.
This thing needs to live on
Loved it! Awesome to see such a time capsule. No doubt it would have lasted another 20 years at least.
Hi I liked the video. They made them easier to work on back then. I would like to see what the burners look like but I would only clean a couple and see the difference between them. Thanks for the videos.
Such pride in craftsmanship back then, watched until the end and I hope you light them on a bench as I would love to see it! Thanks for all you do for us you tubers!
My grandpa has a Frigidaire refrigerator or ice box rather, built in 1972 that was built on a GENERAL MOTORS assembly line. Still runs.
Honestly, I would find a way to put back in service in my shop. Spark ignition , a couple roll outs, and a updated hi-limit, more so just to see the longevity of the exchanger
That was a very cool video.... I really enjoy the fact that you took the time to break down the old school heater.... And from the video you could tell that you enjoy looking over the older equipment....thanks again
Late to the party but I enjoyed watching. I thought I remembered my first boss buying one or two of the old Makita 7.2v cordless drill motors in the early eighties. I looked them up and sure enough, they were first introduced in 1978, my first year in the Sheet Metal HVAC trade. Back in the day when we used mainly Pittsburgh seams and G-lock for duct construction.
I have a 1964 Montgomery Ward catalog. The gas furnaces in it were about 100,000 B.T.U. the gas ones cost $250, and an oil fired one was $350. The gas ones said they had a galvanized burn chamber, so Sears had a Gold Mine in the one You are taking apart. I couldn't find anything about a ceramic coating on the ones from Montgomery Ward.
I'd put that in my garage in a minute. Thanks for the tear down
and it would last 60 more years and still be good
It was amazing to watch your video and to see how well the old furnaces were made. In my parents house we still have the original Sears Homart Gas Furnace that was installed in either 1961 or 1962, so it's 59 or 60 years old and It is still functioning here in Saskatchewan, Canada, where the winters can be brutal. There have been a few minor repairs over the years to do with the fan but nothing major. I know my Dad looked after it well over the years. I must go thru my Dad's records, I expect the original operating manual, etc. will be there. Thankyou.
Coating is probably on the inside too. Amazing seeing a non-tubular heat exchanger last that long without fatigue cracks or corrosion.
My father started his business with Sears as the sales side. We did this between about 1968-1985. I saw a lot of the Homart eqpt during that time.
A lot simpler then. And things ran longer.
My inlaws home has a Williamson Heating (natural gas fired) and Air Conditioning unit with a 1973 manufacturer date. Most of the parts are original. At the last service call to replace a thermocouple the HVAC contractor told my inlaws the unit was in great shape and don't let anyone talk you into getting something new. Their house was constructed in 1957 and this unit replaced a heating only unit. The 1973 unit was serviced and inspected on a regular basis. Williamson furnaces were known at that time to be well made. They were made in Cincinnati, OH or nearby.
Wow amazing to see one of those torn down. I'm a subscriber and a 26 year old tech, I watched every minute and enjoyed it. Thanks for the awesome content Ted!
I think that comfort sentry was for introducing humidity into the furnace via a capillary water supply tube. My great aunt had a Sears furnace that had a small diameter water supply to it to spray water into the furnace to create humidity. That's probably why they had the clad heat exchangers, to prevent corrosion from the mist of water being introduced into the furnace.
I've got a 60 year old Mueller Climatrol furnace in my basement right now. It's coming out this summer. I'll miss it. It has run perfectly for me for over 35 years. I remember these Sears units, and the Homart name, too.
I too am fascinated by the really old units. Oldest I ran across 1965 and still in good working order
It's sad that Western Forge just announced that they're closing the doors. They used to make a lot of the classic hand tools for Sears. Like the old red, clear and blue screwdrivers with the round knob on the back. Times They are A-Changin. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I stopped using those screwdrivers probably in the 80's or 90's they started making the handles smaller and did not feel good in my hand
Lowe's sells Craftsman tools now, in my opinion if Lowe's or Home Depot would have bought the name and had a quality US built tool madethey would have people standing inline to buy them.
I have serviced many similar units.A customer has a 1968 Bard furnace that still is working and does not want to replace it.
Comfort Monitor was a filter monitoring device. I used to carry bearings and shafts in my service van. I almost 66
It's amazing how this equipment was built to last. They were simple in design and made with quality materials. This unit could probably run another 20 years with very little maintenance. Today you would be lucky to get 15 -20 years out of a furnace.
Thank you for uploading! Those old furnaces may not be as energy efficient as today's furnaces are (nor are they as safe), but quality is priceless. Comparing those old Sears Homart furnaces with modern furnaces is like comparing a vintage Frigidaire refrigerator or vintage Maytag washing machine with their modern-day counterparts. Those were the days when companies were actually interested in looking after their customers, whereas today, the only thing companies are interested in is turning over a profit. That's why today's products self-destruct after only 10 years (for most refrigerators and washing machines) to 20 years (for most furnaces and air conditioners), and I'm not sure how accurate those numbers are, I'm just basing that on my experience with today's products compared to the old ones.
It was interesting for me also and watched to the end. At 71 recall coal furnaces replaced with oil burners, then gas furnaces similar to this one. Honestly today’s equipment is safer and more reliable when maintained properly. Thanks for letting us check this out with you.
Safer, yes. More reliable, probably not. Stuff like this was ridiculously simple, with little to no electronics. Today, every furnace has a controller board in it. The company that put my furnace in 2 years ago said that he's seen a simple brown out or power failure be enough to fry the controller board and that some of these boards can cost upwards of $1K for multi-stage, ECM motor furnaces. This would never bring down an old unit like the one shown.
I have that exact furnace in my attic running as I type. its a smaller 3 burner unit. Its in a horizontal layout. I have a few CO monitors around the house and they all read zero when it is running. About 2 years ago, I pulled the blower wheel and cleaned it to get more airflow and to get rid of a shimmy when running. It is a tank and my house is small, so it just keeps going year after year. I put in heat pump mini splits for cooling but this handles the primary heat. If it ever gives it up, them I'll use the mini splits for heat.
Using the mini splits for heat would be significantly cheaper on running costs
If only stuff was built like this now days.
there wouldn't be a whole lot of service techs out there
We wouldnt be able to pay for them..! 😉😉😉
I have one of these in my house, which was built in 1959. Slightly different, my flue is in the back, and the external covers are a little different. Still going strong, and I never want to remove it! I'm sure as some people walked through the house when it was on the market, saw that, and saw dollar signs. I saw it and said "Awesome- This was made to _last_!" Works great and is quiet! That motor almost surely has been changed, as has mine. There is some sort of airflow monitor on the side which has been long since disconnected, probably the same idea as that Comfort Indicator, watched the pressure differential across the filter. I've never shut mine down for fear of breaking something or not being able to start it up again, though I know I should in order to clean those burners.
Back then those were manufactured by Whirlpool for Sears, just like their washers and dryers. That fan switch was Factory and the homeowner could turn it on in the summer time for circulation ( most homes did not have central air conditioning back then). In my 35 years as a service technician for the gas company in St. Louis, Missouri I could definitely say this Sears furnace and the Williamson furnace were the two best furnaces ever made. Now days the furnace manufacturers have a built-in obsolescence ( about 20 years give or take). If I'm not mistaken I believe that cold air return door had a removable sheet metal panel on the grill for summer time use to take the cold air from the basement.
Well, I enjoyed the tear down. Not even an HVAC guy. Reminds me of the furnace in our first house that was built in 1959. We moved in in 1986 and still working. We called it thumper because of the noise it made. Pulled out the fan cage and cleaned off the accumulated dust lumps, and back to silent operation. The stuff lasted a long time, with easy fixes if something was amiss. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have worked on it.
My parents house had an old Rheem furnace similar to this Same vintage thereabouts also with the fan switch in the same location still running today
Lost interest in old furnaces years ago, live in western ny and see this style daily, and service many of them all winter. It is nice to see one though through someone else's view
Just replaced our sears upflow central unit. Was installed in 81-82 and worked for the past years without skipping a beat. It was still working when I replaced it the year with a new to me lennox HE unit but it was short cycling and sometime the thermostat would call for heat and then click back off and you could hear the gas valve turn on and the flames run and the the gas valve just shut off after the thermostat said no heat. I was getting worried about the exchanger and all those hot cycles with no air blowing.
I grew up with a gas forced air furnace the house was built in the 1940's and the furnace had a cast iron heat exchanger most enjoyable video there Ted
Rebuild this make a shop heater out of it
Thats awesome
I'm 55 wish I was in as good of shape as that bad boy
Nice video hope to see the rebuild and fire up video
Thanks for the videos
Keep them coming
That was when Companies took Pride in their products, and gave you the best Product ever possible. We'll never see days like that anymore.
A friend of mine owns a house that was built in 1955 and it still has the original furnace. If the thermostat is calling for heat and no pilot flame is detected the gas to the burners shuts off but the pilot orifice continues to emit natural gas into the attic until someone either shuts off the gas or relights the pilot. This is by design and was allowed until 1959 when new regulations required the gas to be shut off to the burners and the pilot when no pilot flame is detected. This vintage furnace (I can't recall the brand) isn't considered safe by todays standards but it's been in operation for over 63 years and is still going strong in 2022!
And everything had made in USA on it.
Reminds me from back in the day in 39 when I graduated from the UA 190 apprenticeship. We had a good class that year. It was me, Bill Carrier, Cleatus Trane, Dave Lennox. All had pretty good careers.
Oh good grief. That's a pretty good joke. :) 😂😂😂
I started as a Sears Service Tech. in 1966. Serviced many of this furnace. Usually a pre-season clean and check
Ted, I sure did appreciate you making a video of this historical piece of equipment! It makes my day any time I get to see something this old and still alive! Thank you
Wish they still had that kind of American made quality in products today. You had to buy things once and it lasted your lifetime, how it's supposed to be, same with other appliances.
The house I grew up in had a similar unit. The switch was called a summer fan on ours. You would turn it on for 10 minutes to take the heat from the house and send it through the slab to cool off a bit. You could only run it a few minutes at a time because the slab would warm up. And it would just blow warm air around. That thing is a tank!
Very nice furnace!!!!! My grandparents had a 1973 Bryant gas furnace 6 burner beast. Worked great until 1994 when the heat exchanger got a crack in it and it failed it's yearly service.
We had everything Sears. The old stuff is cool. I have 1979 Lennox central air... still ice cold and silent running. Homart rings a bell but it has been so long. Cool video.
Kinda makes you wonder if you could get the heat exchangers from a new unit ceramic coated like you can get automotive exhaust/headers ceramic coated and get more life out of them. However, I wonder if that wouldn't impact the transfer of heat.
Really neat to see a product built to last.
Awesome vid man!
I sure would like to see someone fully restore this..it could definitely look new and work great again.
Crazy to see that Dornback the company who made this unit is still in business today!
old stuff is cool some of the old stuff I have worked on one of the first home ac with r 12 and a water tower out side, old boiler from wood coal to gas conversion
up here in Canada Clare made the furnaces for Sears, there is still lots of these out there. I installed and serviced lots of these over the last 40 years.
VERY interesting, thanks for sharing. You are one of the better service techs making informative videos and setting good examples.
I think that comfort sentry is more or less a dirty filter monitor. Probably why the electronic one was added at a later date. The red port would of been for the high static side while the other port would of been on the low side. While I can't find any information on it, I presume while running, something would appear in the opening to indicate a dirty filter.
Prime example of "they don't make them like that anymore". 55 seasons and still looks better than a lot of the new stuff after just 5 years.
They take pride in what they built back then!
If I bought a house that had one of these units from the 50's or 60's I would keep it in service as long as it was in good shape like this unit is.
Great video Ted, was at a customer’s home the other day and they had a Singer furnace almost as old. Been doing this over 30 years now and you don’t find these old ones much. Love the video.
I love these vids of old equipment still kicking.
wow that's amazing, that old furnace lasted at least 11 Goodman lifetimes!
My parents had one in their house. It was there when they bought the house in 1971 and it was still going strong when they sold in 2005!
Hats off to 1960's engineering design- really what took man to the moon! Thanks for sharing!
My grandmother has a whole house window fan, washer and dryer and air conditioner from sears “homeart”. The switch on the furnace, “ fan only” was the same switch on the window fan.
I worked for a HVAC company in the 80s and 90s, We regularly serviced Waterbury, York and Lennox oil furnaces installed in the 40s and 50s, even a Iron Fireman Vortex or two, I still think they were the best furnaces ever built, Everybody screams about how inefficient they were but you can buy a whole lot of oil for the price of computer boards and replacment units every 10 or so years, One 1949 York i used to service had every original component on it motors controls ignition transformer and pump, was still running in the late 90s
Thanks for that video brother..
That was true American craftsmanship right there!!
It’s kinda ironic that I just spent my day replacing a leaking evap coil on a system I just installed 5 months ago..what a shame, the junk they produce nowadays..
The comfort control on the door had black vacuum tube about 3 feet long but I don’t know we’re it went.. I live up nort and we had one installed in 63 in Illinois. That brought back memories when my dad cleaned out the burners.
There's no denying that modern units are safer and more efficient, but it's always impressive to see units that were not only built to last but to be repaired-not just replaced after 10-15 years.
I've been waiting to watch this since you mentioned it in the comments over on Steve Lav's channel. This is an amazing unit... They sure don't make them like they used to!
We had an old Lennox that was built like that, installed in 1966 came out in 1992 or 1993 in favour of the new high efficiency type but it wound up at one of my former teachers houses heating their garage/shop...
Same deal it had that heavy ceramic coated exchanger and looked new after we cleaned it up...
They sure do not build em like they used to.
Replaced many of these low boys in the eighties in northern New Jersey!!! Definitely built to last!!
The fan only switch is factory. Just inspected one of these, it was in unbelievably good condition. These WERE built to last. I ran new thermostat wires and blew it out. It’s inefficient, buts gets the job done.