How to Determine the Age & Life Expectancy of Heating Boilers & Furnaces

Data Decoding Documents for Determining Boiler, Furnace, or Heat Pump Age
- Free Online HVAC Equipment Data Tag Decoder
- Carson Dunlop Associates' Technical Reference Guide decodes equipment data tags
- How to decode the information on heating equipment data tags and data plates
- Heating Equipment as Indicators of Building Age
Lennox HVAC products Age - separate document - PDF file
AGE of AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS - separate article
AGE of WATER HEATERS - separate article
Questions & Answers about how to determine heating system age - boilers & furnaces
References

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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Age of heating equipment & Systems: how to determine the age of your heating system and components. Here we provide several excellent sources for de-coding the data tag information on heating equipment. This article provides documents that explain and translate all of the data found on information tags and stickers used on heating & heat pump equipment, including equipment age, heating capacity, electrical requirements, and operating characteristics.

Heating System Equipment Age - 3 Guides for Reading HVAC & Water Heater Equipment Data Tags & Serial Numbers

HVAC data tag decoding: For help in decoding air conditioner, boiler, furnace, heat pump, water heater data tags and determining the age, model, or specifications of that equipment, see AGE of AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS, and AGE of HEATERS, BOILERS, FURNACES, and AGE of WATER HEATERS. There we provide documents with extensive equipment data tag decoding information. This website answers most questions about all types of heating systems and gives important inspection, safety, and repair advice.

If you don't know what kind of heat your building uses, we explain how to figure out the answer at HEATING SYSTEM TYPES. If your heating system is not working properly, see NO HEAT - BOILER or NO HEAT - FURNACE.

Free Online HVAC Equipment Data Tag Decoder

We provide links to individual manufacturer's data tag decoding guides (Lennox, below), and to two excellent equipment data tag decoding books, by Scott LeMarr (online at this website) and the Carson Dunlop & Associates Ltd. Technical reference - the most extensive such document we've found.

For many heating or cooling equipment manufacturers, especially after 2000, decoding the equipment tag to obtain the age of the device is pretty easy. Here is the data for Peerless Heating Boilers: If the boiler was manufactured from 1984 to 1999, the serial number ends in a four digit date code. “123456-1284” would be manufactured in December, 1984. If the boiler was manufactured from 2000 to present, the serial number ends in a six digit date code. “123456-200505” would be manufactured in May, 2005.

But equipment age, capacity, specifications are not always so easy to recognize on the data tag. Here we explain how to dig out that information.

1. Lennox HVAC products Age: see our Lennox Heater & Air Conditioner Model & Serial Number Decoding Guide at this website. Also see

2. Furnace Age Chart provided by home inspector Scott LeMarr has generously shared his Furnace Age Chart document that decodes both furnace age and water heater age for many brands of water heater, including hot water systems produced by the following manufacturers. The LeMarr document is accessible free, online at Furnace Age Chart in .pdf form. (Use the "BACK" button on your browser to return to InspectAPedia.com.

LeMarr's document provides decoding data for the following manufacturers: Ambassador water heaters, American water heaters [3], ACE water heaters, A.O.Smith water heaters, Apollo, Aqua Temp, Aqua Therm, Best water heaters, Bosch water heaters, Bradford White, Cafos, Champion, Crosley, Energy Saver, Envirotemp water heaters, GE water heaters, Glascote water heaters, Golden Knight water heaters, GSW, Hotpoint water heaters, JC Penny, Jetglas, JW or John Wood, Kenmore water heaters (Sears Brand), Lochinvar, Lowes, Mainstream, Maytag water heaters, Montgomery Wards, Knight, PermGlas, Reliance water heaters, Revere, Rheem water heaters, Rheem/Rudd/Richmond water heaters, Rinnai, Security, Shamrock water heaters, Standard water heaters, State/Reliance/Sears brand water heaters, Thermo-King, Vanguard water heaters, US Craftsmaster, US Water Heaters, and Whirlpool water heaters.

3. Carson Dunlop Associates' Technical Reference Guide decodes equipment data tags

Carson Dunlop Associates' Technical Reference Guide (below) provides the most extensive HVAC equipment data tag decoder & other information to determine the age of boilers, furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, and heat pumps by decoding the product serial number.

For the most complete and very detailed HVAC equipment data tag and age decoding information anywhere (about 128 manufacturers & brands)

Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, have provided us with (and we recommend) Carson Dunlop Weldon & Associates' Technical Reference Guide to manufacturer's model and serial number information for heating and cooling equipment
Special Offer: Carson Dunlop Associates offers InspectAPedia readers in the U.S.A. a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Technical Reference Guide purchased as a single order. Just enter INSPECTATRG in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.

The Carson Dunlop Technical Reference Guide provides both equipment data tag decoding data and also manufacturer contact information as well as historical dates for many brands of heating and cooling equipment. Included in the manufacturers listed are also makers of ancillary equipment such as controls, circulator pumps, etc., not just boilers, furnaces, and heat pumps themselves.

Here at InspectAPedia.com we discuss different types of heating systems (octopus furnaces, forced air heating systems, steam boilers, forced hot water boilers, high efficiency systems) and fuel types (coal, oil, gas) as an aid in determining the age of a home or other building. Heat pumps are discussed at AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS

Manufacturers & brands of HVAC Equipment and Parts identified and decoded in the CDA Technical Reference Guide include about 128 different brands of equipment sold in North America

Aaon, Inc., Ack-O-Matic ,Aero Burners, Aero Environmental, Airco, Airtemp and Tempmatic, Aitons' Equipment - APCO, Allanson Transformers, Amalgamated Electric, Amana, American Standard, American Standard Water Heater Group, Amtrol, Anthes, APCO, ARCO Air, Arkla Industries, Armstrong Air Conditioning Co., S.A. Armstrong, Baltimore Aircoil of Canada, Bard, Bell & Gossett, Borg-Warner, Bradford White, Bristol Compressors, Bryant manufacturing Co. of Indianapolis, Buffalo Package Equipment, Bulloch, Burke Water System Industries, Burnham Corporation, Canadian Tire Corporation, Carlyle Compressor Company, Carrier, Chromalox Canada, Chrysler, Clare Brothers, Clare Mega Save, Clare HECLA, Clawsey-Sohrt Manufacturing Co., Climate Control Products, Climate Master, Climatrol, Coleman, Comfort Aire, Copeland, Copelaweld Compressors, Crane, Davie Environmental Equipment, Day-Nite, DMO Industries, Ducane Heating Division, Dunham Bush, Duomatic, Economite, Elect-Aire, Electric Apparatus COmpany, Elliot, Emerson Electric Company, Enmar Enmar Systems, Envirotron, Esso, Evcon Industries, F.P. Industries, Fairbanks Morse, Fedders, Fess, Findlays Limited, Flamemaster, Fleetline, Florida Heat Pump Manufacturing, FMC Corporation, FP Industries, Franklin Electric Company, Frick, Friedrich, Frigidaire, Frigiking, Fuel Master Burners, G.M.L. Manufacturing, GSW Inc., Galais Manufacturer, Galaxy Boilers, General Controls (ITT), General Electric, Gilbarco, Gilbert and Barker, Goettl, Good Cheer, Goodman, Grimsby Stove and Furnace Ltd., Heat Controller Inc., Heil, Hill York, Hitachi, Homart, Honeywell, Howard Furnace and Boilers, Howell Electric Motors Company, Hydrotherm Inc., I.C. Burners, ITT, Inglis, Inter City Gas (I.C.G.), International, International Comfort Products, Intertherm, Iron Fireman, Janitrol Heating and Air Cooling Conditioning, John Wood Co., Johnson Air Ease, Keeprite, kenmore, Koldwave, Kool-Fire, LG, The Arthur S. Leitch Co., Lennox Industries, Lincoln, Louis Allis Company, Luxaire, Magic Chef Air Conditioning Co., Mgnatec, Marathon Electric, Marcus Transformer, Marley Cooling Tower, Marvair, McLary, McQuay International, Mestek, Metzger, Metropolitan Oil and Gas Industries, Mid Continent Metal Products Co., Miller, Mitsubishi, Modine, Mueller, N'Furno, Nordyne, Norseman Boilers, Oakwood Iron Works (OIW), Olsen, Payne, Pendell Boiler Ltd., Philco, Powermatic, Precision Boilers, Preston, Pyreco, Raypak or Raypak, RBI Water Heaters, Refcan, Reznor ITT, Rheem, Roberts Gordon, RUUD, Sanyo, SJC Corporation, Scarboro Pump Manufacturing Co., Sears, Sears Roebuck, Severn Boiler, Simpsons-Sears, Shell, Singer, Slant Fin Ltd., A.O. Smith, H.B. Smith Co., Smith Boilers, Snyder General Corp., Spacepak, Spencer Boilers, State Industries, Sterling HVAC Products, Sun Dial Manufacturing Inc., Sunscan Compressors, TACO (Canada), TACO, Tappan, TECO, Techumseh Compressors, Teledyne Laars, Tempmatic, Temprite, Tempstar, Thermo Pride, Trane, Typhoon, Unitary Products, viessman, Viking, Warden King, Water Furnace, Watts Regulator Co., Weben jarco, Weil-McLain, Westinghouse, Whirlpool, White-Rodgers, Wood, Worthington Air Coils Ltd., York - Borg Warner.

Heating Equipment as Indicators of Building Age

Indoor heating methods by historic periods or years: (adding date ranges is continuing for the list below - Contact Us to contribute).

Illustration of a Warn Air Heating System Using a Gravity Furnace

Our photo (left) shows a gravity warm-air "octopus" furnace; in its earliest version these furnaces, installed in the late 1800's in the U.S. were coal fired; many were later converted to oil.

Gravity furnaces rely on natural convection (warm air rises) to deliver heat to the occupied space. There is no blower fan in the system. In their simplest design, the gravity furnace system included no ductwork whatsoever. Rather a large grate was provided in the building floor just above the furnace itself. In a multi-story house, heat rose to upper floors by passing up the stairwell or through open registers in first floor ceilings.

The gravity furnace we show at left was a more advanced design in which an "octopus" of duct work "arms" delivered heat directly to individual areas of the building.

The furnace in our photo is taking much of its "return air" from the basement - a very expensive way to heat a home. Earlier models eschewed ductwork and instead fed heat into the first floor of the building through a large central grate in the floor immediately above the furnace.

Central fireplaces, no chimneys
Indoor fireplaces, chimney in building or on exterior building wall
Free-standing wood-burning stoves, the Franklin Stove
Coal burning free-standing stoves;
Kerosene stoves
Coal fired octopus furnaces and steam boilers (photograph above) 1850 - 1930. Some of these heaters have continued into contemporary use after having converted to oil-burners.

Oil burners: different types of oil burners, coal conversions, low speed, high speed, high efficiency. Audel's 1946 Oil Burner Guide originally sold for $1.00 U.S. and includes photos and sketches of its generation of oil heating burners, boilers, furnaces, radiators, steam and hydronic systems, as well as control devices. Frank Graham's no-heat diagnostic steps are still useful today. Quotations from this wonderful text appear on other articles at InspectAPedia.
Oil-fired furnaces, hydronic (hot water) boilers, steam boilers
Gas-fired furnaces, boilers, steam boilers - see AGE of HEATERS, BOILERS, FURNACES - AGE of heating equipment, boilers, furnaces by decoding data tags
Electric furnaces and heating boilers
Geothermal hot water heating systems (Iceland)
Heat pumps - see-AGE of AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS how to read data tags to decode the age

...

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about determining the age of heating boilers, furnaces, equipment.

Question: Age of Magic Pack HVAC

how old my magic pack hvac have no idea, i have model# and serial # the is old - Charlie 10/9/11

Reply:

in the references section below we include links to some serial number decoding guide books that may be able to help you pinpoint the age of your Magic Pack HVAC system - the year is coded in the serial number.

Question: Need a rating plate for a CWF Duo-Matic Forced Air Coal & Wood Furnace

I have a CWF duo matic forced air coal and wood furnace. I have a serial number but I need a rating plate number for insurance purposes and the numbers are no longer legable. How can I get this? - Jen 10/29/11

Reply:

Jen,

Yours is probably an Olsen Coal/Wood - Oil forced warm air system. The CWF is more likely a model number.

But I think if your equipment is old, you may be out of luck finding anyone at the present company who knows a thing about it. Just look at the brand name history given below.

You might get some help from wood heat suppliers who I found still sell spare parts for Olsen coal/wood furnaces, such as at woodmanspartsplus.com though the parts I saw looked a bit generic. You will find help with estimating BTU output of wood fired heaters and furnaces at a variety of wood heat organizations.

It's no surprise that tracking down the current company selling or servicing older HVAC equipment is difficult. Look at this example: Olsen's product line originated in the 1940's. Olsen's combination heater line was purchased by DMO Inustries (previously known as Duomatic-Olsen, then as Olsen Technology). DMO Industries manufactured two brands of furnaces, Olsen and Airco. Those were sold in 2001 to ECR International (formed in 1999) who now owns Olsen, Airco as well as the Oneida Royal furnace brands, Utica and Dunkirk boilers as well as Enviromaster International central air conditioners.

You wont' find information about any combination fuel heaters in their current product line, thouigh for Olsen products more information may be available from Olsen/Airco at Olsen/Airco Heating & Cooling Products - USA P.O. Box 4729 2201 Dwyer Ave., Utica, NY 13504, Website: www.olsenhvac.com/ Their customer service number is 866-847-6656.

Question: Determine the age of an HB Smith gas fired boiler

how can I tell the age of my gas boiler?
It is a HB Smith Series PV150 model @200W5 - Joe 11/1/11

Reply: History of the H.B. Smith Boiler Company

Joe you gave us a model number but no serial number. Because models are manufactured over a number of years the equipment age is encoded in its serial number not its model number. Take a look on your data tag:

HB Smith boiler data tag decoding: (pattern not verified)

In the serial number the second and third digit from the left are usually the year. E.g. from Carson Dunlop's Technical Reference,

A82-2248 would translate to year of manufacture 1982

HB Smith water heater data tag decoding:

In the serial number, begining with a letter (indicating the wate heater model), the next two digits from the left indicate the year of manufacture just as the boiler serial number above.

In Canada H.B. Smith Co., Ltd. is in Ville de Boisbraid, QU, previously located in Point Clair QU. The parent company is the U.S. firm below.

In the U.S., you can locate the H. B. Smith Company, Inc.., 47 Westfield Industrial Park Road, Westfield, MA 01085, Tel: (413) 568-3148 offers this company history at their website http://www.hbsmith.com/

The H. B. Smith Company, a true pioneer in the heating industry as we know it today, was founded in the mid-1850's by two brothers, Henry B. and Edwin Smith. Originally manufacturing fences and other ornate iron work, the Smith brothers' manufacturing expertise turned to cast-iron heating products in 1859 when they formed an association with inventor, Samuel Gold and commenced manufacturing his patented "Gold" boiler/radiator products.

As the central heating industry grew, so did The H. B. Smith Company; and by 1879 the company was also manufacturing the "Mills" boiler patented by inventor John Mills. A century and a half later, The H. B. Smith Company continues to manufacture a broad line of quality cast-iron boilers for both residential and commercial, industrial applications, including several models of "Mills" design.
From its humble beginning, our Company has weathered many economic highs and lows. Down from the high of 450 employees in 1988, we currently have a workforce numbering 50+. Our plant workers have been represented by Local 95 of the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers International Union for over 100 years. Management and Union employees work amicably together to ensure that high standards are always maintained.

Question:

I have a Spencer boiler Number 6070 4 Series R550. How can I find out its date of manufacture? -Jay Levy 12/30/11

Reply:

Jay, Joe, and Charlie, in addition to using the articles and books referenced above for free or cheap ways to determine the age of a heating or cooling device, you will want to note both the product name+product number or model number AND, critically, the product serial number. The name and product number help make sure you're using the right decoding procedure. The year and month or year and week of manufacture are usually coded in the heater's or air conditioner's serial number. Often in the first four digits, as our example below illustrates.

Question: how to determine the age of a Polaris Boiler Heater by American Water Heater Co.

I have a Polaris boiler heater manufatured by Amrican Water Heater Company.
The serial number is 0405116998(digits are all in one serie,no space)
The product number is 0320030
also on the manufacturer label there is a label sating the product model PR 100-34-2NV
with all this info I still can't determine what year is the boiler as it doesn't match the critria stated in the article. - Pierre 1/8/2012

Reply:

Pierre,

Most likely your Polaris water heater was made in the week of 18 May 2003. I figured as follows:

Polaris Water Heaters, most likely follow other American Heating Equipment convention as follows:

The year and week number of manufacture are encoded in the first four digits of the heater's serial number. So your heater serial number (IF that is what you meant by "product number" - if not, look again on the data tag for the individual water heater's serial number) of 0320030 would translate to

year: 2003
week: 20

I then poked around online to find a utility that converts between week number and date, converting week #20 of 2003 to the date I gave above.

Send me a sharp photo of the Polaris water heater data tags if you want me to take another look. Use the CONTACT link found at top left side or bottom of our web pages.

Question: determine the age of a Burnham gas hot water furnace

How do I find out the age of an 80,000 BTU Burnham gas hot water
furnace with Model No. P-204A-WNU - Kern 10/10/12

Reply:

Kern we'd need the serail number not the model number to determine equipment age. In general, just to get our terminology right, usually we call hot water heating equipment a boiler and we reserve the name furnace for warm air heating systems. I know there was an exception but that's generally the case.

A typical Burhham boiler data tag will show numbers like

Model RS-112 Ser- 35044173

or Serial No. 35 048911

or Serial# 01005880

It's that serial number you want.

I am researching the first serial number decode. For the second example, after the 35 (probably model number) the next two digits 04 are month and the nect two digits 89 the year of manufacture of the unit. In the third example we're stuck again - when you've found the serial number, I'd give the company a call, give model and serial number, and just ask them. Let us know what you learn as it will assist other readers.

You can contact Burnham Corporation in Lancaster PA at their customer service number 717-481-8400 or at 888-432-8887.

Question: American Standard Heater Age? Sunbeam?

sunbeam/american standard model sl 85, any info as far as date and age? - Magic Mike 11/4/12

Reply:

Mike,

I was not sure if you meant Sunbeam water heaters or American Standard water heaters.

Information on Sunbeam water heaters is at http://www.sunbeam.com - or it would be if their website page links worked. The water heaters I found under that name were little portable devices not home water heaters.

This may help: Standard Water Heaters are is not a simple brand name I could find, except tracing to A.O. Smith. If it's an A.O. Smith product the serial number contains the date encoded as follows:

xxxYY-xM- x xxx

where YY is year and M is month beginning with A= January etc.

Question: Where can I get a circuit board for my Homart electric Furnace?

Need a circuit board for a Homart electric furnace part # R43800R6 where can i find one - Wade 10/11/12

Reply: Sears

Wade, you can obtain Homart heater parts from Sears Parts Dirct.

Question: How do I determine the efficiency of my 1995 Fleetline Oil Fired Boiler?

How do I determine the efficiency of my 1995 Fleetline oil fired boiler? - Duncan 11/21/12

Reply:

Duncan,

The heating service tech (not you) should do the following:

Clean the system completely, including boiler, flue vent connector, and if needed, chimney Assure proper combustion air source Adjust the system to factory spec: oil pressure, draft, burner nozzle, electrodes, etc.

THEN

the tech will measure the stack temperature at the breech, the CO2 level.

The combination of CO2 level and temperature allow anyone to read a chart of combustion efficiency of the unit in that condition.

Just looking up a spec somewhere tells you little about how your system is actually performing unless you take the steps above.

To read details about this procedure Search InspectApedia for

Oil Burner Tests & Adjustments: Measure & Set Oil Burner Smoke & CO2 Levels

Question: Looking for age of an American Standfard Furnace

Looking for the age of an American Standard furnace
Model: GUF 80D 3H
Serial: 71B03311

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. - Dave 1/18/13

Reply:

Dave,

American Standard stopped making oil and gas furnaces in March 1968.

American Standard Boiler Serial Number Decoder:

In older serial numbers using a letter followed by two digits such as C73, the year is the two numeric digits.

In newer serial numbers such as 71B03311 I'm not sure but I'd guess the year is the first two digits (71)

You can contact American Standard to ask: telephone 800-241-4102.

Question: where do I get a part for a squirrrell cage furnace blower fan

I need to replace the u-shaped device that holds the rod for the squirrel cages that is held down by 2 bolts, which go through 2 rubber gromets and are nutted on the other end. How can I order this or these parts? - Russel Jackson 1/27/2013

Reply:

Russel, just stop by your HVAC supplier, those are common parts. Or tell us the model, brand seria
Number and well help look. Most likely the parts are also avai
Able from th heater manufacturer too.

Question: What is the age of a Bard Natural Gas Furnace?

looking for the of a bard nat. gas furnace Model: 6080D48C. Serial: 970909077 - Dan 2/9/13

Reply:

Dan, Septmber 1997

Question: how to determine the age of a Moncrief furnace made by Henry Furnace Company

I am trying to determine the age of a Moncrief furnace made by the Henry Furnace Company Model L-95 Series 4. There is no serial #. It is maroon with chrome trim - Matt Falk Aire Serv - 3/29/2013

Reply: History of Henry Furnaces & the Moncrief furnace name

Matt,

The Henry Furnace Company who made Monrief furnaces was a Medina Ohio company. IF data tags were legible you'd find a 3-digit series number (perhaps like 622) equivalent to a model, or an actual Model Number (L150) and a serial number sometimes in the format A-620-22-4-B.

With no data we can't know the age of yours, though sometimes there will be a clue of the "at least" age by noting data on the equipment service tag or on a date written on the original instructions stuffed up in the framing overhead.

Without any information you can stil bet the Moncrief is more than 20 years old, more likely from the 1950's. The "safe" advice is to declare a 50-year old heating furnace obsolete, and past due for replacement. A more thorough assessment by someone wanting to put off buying a new furnace would be a thorough cleaning, inspection for damage or heat exchanger leaks, tune-up, and efficiency measurement if the system was found safe and operable.

Be sure that any efficiency assessment is done after cleaning and tuning and a safety inspection.

Some history of the Moncrief furnace and Henry Furnace Company are in litigation between a wholesale and retailer of heating equipment:

The facts established by the pleadings and the evidence may be briefly noted. Plaintiff, The Henry Furnace Company, since 1943, (per some union documents, possibly 1941 or earlier) has engaged in the Cleveland area in the manufacture of furnaces bearing the trade name and label of "Moncrief Furnaces."

My understanding is that Henry Furnaces was purchased by Luxaire Inc. in turn joining York International, currently owned by Johnson Controls.

Some of the Moncrief furnaces are operated by gas, others by oil, and there are various models in different price ranges. Plaintiff has been the only manufacturer of Moncrief furnaces in this area since 1943, when it acquired by purchase the plant, patents and all other rights of The Henry Furnace & Foundry Company, which latter company together with its various predecessors, Henry & Scheible Company,

The T. E. Henry Furnace Company and Henry Miller Foundry Company, had manufactured at least since 1905 a furnace similarly known in the trade as a Moncrief furnace. The Henry Furnace & Foundry Company, and its immediate predecessor, The T. E. Henry Furnace Company, prior to the acquisition of its plant and assets by plaintiff, had sold its product, the Moncrief furnace, throughout the United States, with the exception of the states of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Under a consent decree entered into on September 30, 1914, The T. E. Henry Furnace Company and one S. P. Moncrief, in a law suit in a Georgia court, had provided that S. P. Moncrief and his associates should be entitled to the exclusive use of the trade name, "Moncrief," in the four states mentioned; that in the states of Alabama and Mississippi the said Moncrief and The T. E. Henry Furnace Company should be entitled to use the trade name, "Moncrief," in common; and that The T. E. Henry Furnace Company, its successors and assigns should be entitled to the exclusive use of the trade name, "Moncrief," on furnaces sold in all other states of the United States and in foreign countries. (Plaintiff's exhibit 26.) It should be added that there is testimony in the record that in Dallas, Texas, a company under the name of Moncrief Furnace & Manufacturing Company at the present time is engaged in selling a furnace known as the M.F.C. Deluxe but its field appears definitely limited to that state.

...

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Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. Mr. Cramer serves on the ASHI Home Inspection Standards. Contact Mark Cramer at: 727-595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com
John Cranor is an ASHI member and a home inspector (The House Whisperer) is located in Glen Allen, VA 23060. He is also a contributor to InspectApedia.com in several technical areas such as plumbing and appliances (dryer vents). Contact Mr. Cranor at 804-747-7747 or by Email: johncranor@verizon.net
Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 info@carsondunlop.com. The firm provides professional home inspection services & home inspection education & publications. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors. Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The Home Reference Book & illustrations from The Illustrated Home. Carson Dunlop Associates' provides:
- Commercial Building Inspection Courses - protocol ASTM Standard E 2018-08 for Property Condition Assessments
- Home Inspection Education Courses including home study & live classes at eleven colleges & universities.
- Home Inspection Education Home Study Courses - ASHI@Home Training 10-course program.
  Special Offer: Carson Dunlop Associates offers InspectAPedia readers in the U.S.A. a 5% discount on these courses: Enter INSPECTAHITP in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
- The Home Reference Book, a reference & inspection report product for building owners & inspectors.
  Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
- The Home Reference eBook, an electronic version for PCs, the iPad, iPhone, & Android smart phones.
  Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter inspectaehrb in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
- The Illustrated Home illustrates construction details and building components, a reference for owners & inspectors.
  Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Illustrated Home purchased as a single order Enter INSPECTAILL in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
- The Horizon Software System manages business operations,scheduling, & inspection report writing using Carson Dunlop's knowledge base & color images. The Horizon system runs on always-available cloud-based software for office computers, laptops, tablets, iPad, Android, & other smartphones.
Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, have provided us with (and we recommend) Carson Dunlop Weldon & Associates' Technical Reference Guide to manufacturer's model and serial number information for heating and cooling equipment
Special Offer: Carson Dunlop Associates offers InspectAPedia readers in the U.S.A. a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Technical Reference Guide purchased as a single order. Just enter INSPECTATRG in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
[3] "Residential Electric Water Heater Installation Instructions and Use & Care Guide", American Water Heater Co., October 2001, American Water Heater Co., Johnson City, TN, [manufacturer of residential & commercial water heaters, also manufacturer of Polaris/Commercial water heaters], Tel: 800-999-9515, web search 1/12/2012, original source: americanwaterheater.com/support/manuals/res-elect.pdf [copy on file]
Lennox Heater & Air Conditioner Model & Serial Number Decoding Guide (local copy) - original source, Lennox at http://www.lennox.com/pdfs/Lennox%20Model%20and%20Serial%20Nomenclature.pdf
Peerless Boilers - the company doesn't want you to call or send direct email - you'll need to use their website to fill in a form or contact your local HVAC dealer. Here is the Peerless Current Boiler Products Literature Download page where installation and operation manuals are provided.
http://www.peerlessboilers.com/Resources/Literature/TechnicalInformation/IOMManuals/tabid/86/Default
Scott C. LeMarr has provided his file of keys to decode Furnace and Water Heater Age from the data provided on the manufacturer's equipment labels. Mr. LeMarr is a professional home inspector, Certified Professional Inspector/President, MASTER Indoor Environmental Specialist (MIES). Vice President of Wisconsin NACHI. He and his company, Honest Home Inspections, LLC. can be reached at 262-424-5587 or by email to scott@honesthomeinspections.com
Fuel Oil & Oil Heating Magazine, 3621 Hill Rd., Parsippany, NJ 07054, 973-331-9545
Goodman Furnace High Temperature Plastic Vent HTPV safety recall US CPSC notice
Home Heating System Should Be Checked [for proper venting and for CO Carbon Monoxide Hazards - DJF]
Domestic and Commercial Oil Burners, Charles H. Burkhardt, McGraw Hill Book Company, New York 3rd Ed 1969.
National Fuel Gas Code (Z223.1) $16.00 and National Fuel Gas Code Handbook (Z223.2) $47.00 American Gas Association (A.G.A.), 1515 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209 also available from National Fire Protection Association, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269. Fundamentals of Gas Appliance Venting and Ventilation, 1985, American Gas Association Laboratories, Engineering Services Department. American Gas Association, 1515 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209. Catalog #XHO585. Reprinted 1989.
The Steam Book, 1984, Training and Education Department, Fluid Handling Division, ITT [probably out of print, possibly available from several home inspection supply companies] Fuel Oil and Oil Heat Magazine, October 1990, offers an update,
Principles of Steam Heating, $13.25 includes postage. Fuel oil & Oil Heat Magazine, 389 Passaic Ave., Fairfield, NJ 07004.
The Lost Art of Steam Heating, Dan Holohan, 516-579-3046 FAX
Principles of Steam Heating, Dan Holohan, technical editor of Fuel Oil and Oil Heat magazine, 389 Passaic Ave., Fairfield, NJ 07004 ($12.+1.25 postage/handling).
"Residential Steam Heating Systems", Instructional Technologies Institute, Inc., 145 "D" Grassy Plain St., Bethel, CT 06801 800/227-1663 [home inspection training material] 1987
"Residential Hydronic (circulating hot water) Heating Systems", Instructional Technologies Institute, Inc., 145 "D" Grassy Plain St., Bethel, CT 06801 800/227-1663 [home inspection training material] 1987
"Warm Air Heating Systems". Instructional Technologies Institute, Inc., 145 "D" Grassy Plain St., Bethel, CT 06801 800/227-1663 [home inspection training material] 1987
Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Volume I, Heating Fundamentals,
Boilers, Boiler Conversions, James E. Brumbaugh, ISBN 0-672-23389-4 (v. 1) Volume II, Oil, Gas, and Coal Burners, Controls, Ducts, Piping, Valves, James E. Brumbaugh, ISBN 0-672-23390-7 (v. 2) Volume III, Radiant Heating, Water Heaters, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Heat Pumps, Air Cleaners, James E. Brumbaugh, ISBN 0-672-23383-5 (v. 3) or ISBN 0-672-23380-0 (set) Special Sales Director, Macmillan Publishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022. Macmillan Publishing Co., NY
Installation Guide for Residential Hydronic Heating Systems
Installation Guide #200, The Hydronics Institute, 35 Russo Place, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
The ABC's of Retention Head Oil Burners, National Association of Oil Heat Service Managers, TM 115, National Old Timers' Association of the Energy Industry, PO Box 168, Mineola, NY 11501. (Excellent tips on spotting problems on oil-fired heating equipment. Booklet.)

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The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.

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	Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair	Ask a Question or Search InspectAPedia

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Heating System Equipment Age - 3 Guides for Reading HVAC & Water Heater Equipment Data Tags & Serial Numbers

Free Online HVAC Equipment Data Tag Decoder

3. Carson Dunlop Associates' Technical Reference Guide decodes equipment data tags

Manufacturers & brands of HVAC Equipment and Parts identified and decoded in the CDA Technical Reference Guide include about 128 different brands of equipment sold in North America

Heating Equipment as Indicators of Building Age

Illustration of a Warn Air Heating System Using a Gravity Furnace

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about determining the age of heating boilers, furnaces, equipment.

Question: Age of Magic Pack HVAC

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Question: Need a rating plate for a CWF Duo-Matic Forced Air Coal & Wood Furnace

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Question: Determine the age of an HB Smith gas fired boiler

Reply: History of the H.B. Smith Boiler Company

HB Smith boiler data tag decoding: (pattern not verified)

HB Smith water heater data tag decoding:

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Question: how to determine the age of a Polaris Boiler Heater by American Water Heater Co.

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Question: determine the age of a Burnham gas hot water furnace

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Question: American Standard Heater Age? Sunbeam?

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Question: Where can I get a circuit board for my Homart electric Furnace?

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Question: How do I determine the efficiency of my 1995 Fleetline Oil Fired Boiler?

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Question: Looking for age of an American Standfard Furnace

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Question: where do I get a part for a squirrrell cage furnace blower fan

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Question: What is the age of a Bard Natural Gas Furnace?

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Question: how to determine the age of a Moncrief furnace made by Henry Furnace Company

Reply: History of Henry Furnaces & the Moncrief furnace name

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Technical Reviewers & References

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair