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1. Pennco Boilers Serial Numbers
2. Pennco Boiler Age By Serial Number
3. Pennco Boiler Serial Number Lookup
4. Pennco Boiler Serial Numbers
5. Pennco Boiler Serial Number Lookup

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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.

A boiler is a bit more complex than a forced air furnace in that it has more parts, valves, and controls. However, gas-fired boilers are fairly reliable and when problems do occur, they are usually related to the expansion tank or water circulation pump(s). The major components of the boiler for a hot water (hydronic) system are. The date of production/manufacture or age of Utica® HVAC equipment can be determined from the serial number located on the data plate. Parent Company: Utica Sister or similar Brands Include: AIRCO®, ARGO®, Dunkirk®, ECR®, EMI®, Enviromaster®, I-verter®, Olsen®, Oneida Royal®, Pennco®, RetroAire®, Ultimate®, and Utica®. I'm sorry but that's not a Pennco model number. Could be the serial number but I need the model number. It should be on the rating tag that indicates the boiler BTU.

We also provide a MASTER INDEX to this topic, or you can try the page top or bottom SEARCH BOX as a quick way to find information you need.

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

If you don't know whether your heat is provided by a furnace (hot air) or boiler (hot water), or whether your fuel is oil, gas, or electric, and whether your heat is hot water, steam, or warm air, see HEATING SYSTEM TYPES.

Then return to this page for help finding the equipment's age or date of manufacture.

Five HVAC Heating & Air Conditioning Equipment Age & Data Tag Decoders

Our photo shows data tags on a Weil McLain gas fired heating boiler that was manufactured on 10/10/1996. [Click to enlarge any image]

We found the boiler age by de-coding the boiler's CP/serial number code on the white sticker just above the data tag. Below we explain how we did that.

For help in decoding air conditioner, boiler, furnace, heat pump, water heater data tags and determining the age, model, or specifications of that equipment, we provide five different research methods listed below.

1. AGE of HEATERS, BOILERS, FURNACES - you are on this page information about approaches to determine heating equipment age.
   
2. AIR CONDITIONER BOILER FURNACE AGE, MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC - age, history, manuals & manufacturer contact information sorted by individual brand name.
   This separate article series gives manufacturer contact information, free manuals and repair guides, and more data tag decoding for just about all heating, air conditioning, and heat pump brands.
   You HVAC Equipment Age Decoders sorted by Manufacturer-Brand in These Guides
   

   MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC Brands A-E - & Master Index to All Brand Names, HVAC Age, manuals, wiring diagrams, installation and repair guides

   MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC Brands F-I - Brand Names beginning with F - I HVAC Age, manuals, wiring diagrams, installation and repair guides

   MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC Brands J-O - Brand Names beginning with J - O HVAC Age, manuals, wiring diagrams, installation and repair guides

   MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC Brands P-S - Brand Names beginning with P - S HVAC Age, manuals, wiring diagrams, installation and repair guides

   MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC Brands T-Z - Brand Names beginning with T - Z HVAC Age, manuals, wiring diagrams, installation and repair guides

   
   
3. AGE of AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS DATA TAG DECODER - data tag decoder using the serial number in the data tag to get cooling or heat pump equipment age
4. AGE of WATER HEATERS provides guides and water heater manuals sorted by brand, with extensive equipment data tag decoding information for water heaters.
5. Manufacturer websites: A few manufacturers offer free online boiler or furnace data tag decoders that give the equipment's age.
   We include links to any such websites we can find both here and in our
   ONLINE HVAC EQUIPMENT DATA TAG DECODER
   or
   AGE of AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS or MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC pages that we listed just above.
   CONTACT us if you find a helpful manufacturer's site or data tag decoder that's not given in our four sources above.

Free Online HVAC Equipment Data Tag Decoders

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 sometimes pretty easy.

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.

[Click to enlarge any image]

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

2.FURNACE AGE DECODING CHART [PDF] provided by home inspector Scott LeMarr has generously shared his document that decodes both furnace age for many brands of water heater, including hot water systems produced by the following manufacturers.

[PDF linked to return here. You can also use the 'BACK' button on your browser to return to this page at 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. Peerless Heating Boiler Age Decoder
   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.

4. Weil McLain Heating Boiler Age Decoder, at https://www.weil-mclain.com/cp-lookup will decode the heating boiler's CP/Serial Number. At the company's website you will find these instructions:
   Enter the 7-digit CP/Serial Number of the boiler to obtain the manufacturing date and any associated information on the product.
   If the CP# is only 6 digits, enter a leading zero, e.g. 0137718. This look-up will not give manufacturing information for any other Weil-McLain product but boilers. Currently, no information is available for EG and EGH boilers.
   For those models you'll need to call the manufacturer, found at WEIL McLAIN Manuals
   When using off-site links like the one we give above, use your browser's 'back' button to return to this website.

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)

/coreldraw-12-windows-10.html. 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.

The age of a heating boiler, furnace, or heat pump can be determined by identifying its year of manufacture that is encoded in the unit's serial number (not the model number). The guides above give heater serial number decoding for each manufacturer and type of heating appliance.

For example, when decoding the age of an H.B. Smith heating boiler one of our readers provided the following from his boiler's data tag:

H.B. Smith, Westfield MA
Series G200
Boiler Model # G200-W-5CON
Serial # J80-2747

For an HB Smith boiler the age is typically the two digits following the letter at the beginning of the serial number. In this case the '80' following the 'J' tells us that the boiler was manufactured in 1980.

Later H.B. Smith boiler serial numbers use the format XXyyyy-nnnn where yyyy will be the four-digit year of manufacture.

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.

How to Use Heating Equipment as Indicators of Building Age or Building Age as to Figure Equipment 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 and is provided free at InspectApedia.com beginnning
  at OIL HEAT TEXTBOOK

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.

Beginning at HEATING SYSTEMS - home we discuss different types of heating systems such as

• AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - heat pumps and air conditioners
• BOILERS, HEATING - hot water or 'hydronic' heating systems
• CONDENSING BOILERS/FURNACES- high efficiency hot water heating boilers
• ELECTRIC HEAT - electric baseboards, furances, convectors
• FURNACES, HEATING - forced or gravity warm air heating systems
• STEAM HEATING BOILERS- steam heating systems

We also discuss various heating appliance fuel types (coal, oil, gas) as an aid in determining the age of a home or other building.

Antique Gas-Fired Floor & Wall Heater

Reader Question: Royal Heater in-floor gas fired heater history

I just bought a home in California. It has a dual sided, vent less, gas floor heater.

[Click to enlarge any image]

The only name I see is ' Royal Heater'. there are 2 valves; one for burner, one for pilot.

You need a key to turn them. On top of the unit is a view finder cap. Inside it looks like a 3 burner pilot

. I have attached photos of it. I'm trying to find any information on it. thank you.

[This particular heater] works beautifully and has been inspected. I want to find a operator's manual so I can maintain it.
- G.L., 16 Jan 2015

Reply: history of Royal Metal Works gas fired floor heaters in California

G.L.

The Royal brand in-floor gas heaters were originally designed in California in the late 1920's - we have a patent (Publication No. US1666367 A) by Louis Clausing (Burlingame CA) assigned to the Royal Metal Works (his own company held in partnership with Max Schwartz describing an earlier version of the product dated 1928: 'Heating device.' U.S. Patent 1,666,367, issued April 17, 1928.

Your photos below illustrate the interals of this floor-wall gas heater.

That that company was Royal Metal Works, 238 Van Ness Ave, in San Francisco, CA. That patent was cited by other product patents between 1943 and 1982.

Below at left your photo shows the gas controls including main valve (left) and pilot valvce (right-hand stem). At below right you've shown the pilot flame (I think).

The company filed just three patents, two for heaters and one for metal bending:

• Publication No. US1666367 A - heater 1928 (filed 1923) [PDF]
• Publication No. US1700559 A - heater 1929 (filed 1923)

and

• Publication No. US1808019 A - an interesting method for bending corrugated metal - 1931 (filed 1929) and perhaps involved in the manufacture of the heaters in the earlier patents.

Click to enlarge any image]

There is presently a [different] California Royal Metal Company (in fact several of them)
who might be able to give you more historical data, is a sheet metal fabricator whose business was established in 1981 but who may have known of the older Royal Metal Works who made your heater:

Royal Metal, Ted Rieck Enterprises Inc, 1228 South Wright St., Santa Ana, CA 92705 USA Phone: (714) 542-4763 Web: Royalmetal.com

Unless you object, I'll add your photos to data we have at InspectApedia and will leave you anonymous (our default) unless you let me know that you want to be identified. That may attract comment from other readers who have similar products.

I'll attach the documents of interest to this article.

Watch out: I would not assume that the heater you have is safe to use without both a thorough visual inspection and testing for gas leaks as burning LP or natural gas in a defective appliance can produce fatal carbon monoxide gas.

I would suspect that your device may also lack safety features of modern gas heaters. If you are going to ignore my timid warnings then at least be sure you have working CO and smoke detectors properly located and installed.

Other antique wall heating convectors are shown at WALL CONVECTORS HVAC

Heating Equipment Data Tag Location & Identification

This discussion explains where to find the data tag on air heating equipment.

To see specific details for your heater (boiler, furnace, heat pump, etc) you will need to know the brand and hopefully the model, then see
AIR CONDITIONER BOILER FURNACE AGE, MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC

Heating equipment data tags are usually found on the exterior of the heater, usually on its top, front, or sides.

On occasion you may find the data tag information inside of the heating device, accessed by opening a removable front cover.

Often by removing the front cover of a forced warm air furnace, the equipment data tag is found inside the furnace jacket on the left, right, or directly on the exposed face of the furnace itself.

In our first photo shows gas fired heating boiler located in a garage.

The yellow arrow points to the common location of the equipment data tag on the upper left side of a Weil McLain heating boiler. [Click to enlarge any image]

Our second photo above shows the common location for the equipment data tag (circled in yellow) on a Peerless cast iron boiler.

On this page we illustrate typical equipment data tags on heating boilers and furances.

Our first photo below shows the data tag for a Smith Cast Iron Boiler.

You will find the model number identified on this heater as SERIES 19A SERIES-S/W-5, and SERIAL NUMBER FA2002-533.

Our second photo below shows the data tag on the exterior of an HB Smith heating boiler, Model BB14-*-4, (the * indicates that this is a steam boiler), though in my over-shot photo the serial number is not quite visible.

Furnace Data Tags Often Are Behind An Access Cover

Some gas furnaces sport a data information tag on the furnace interior left or right side, visible only after removing the front cover.

Below is the data tag for a rusty old Holland gas furnace, visible on the front of the furnace above the gas burner tubes, accessible only when the furnace front cover door has been removed.

Other Information Tags Are Not Equipment Data Tags

Watch out: not all of the information labels, tags, stickers seen on and in heating appliances are data tags. Don't get confused and don't think that because you cannot find the model and serial number on a label that the equipment has no data tag.

Look further on the outside and inside of the device. A true 'data tag' includes brand, model name, and serial number, often along with other information.

Other labels on heating equipment may give warnings or usage instructions, like the label I show below. This sticker gives model and oil burner nozzle guide information for System 2000 boilers by Energy Kinetcs - a boiler I installed in a New York home nearly 20 years ago) but this is not the unit's data tag.

Taking a further look around this same System 2000 Energy Kinetics boiler we spot the actual boiler 'data tag' giving its model and serial number on a smaller sticker that I show below.

Also see DATA TAGS on AIR CONDITIONERS

Age of the Boiler or Furnace as an Indicator of Building Age

Example of How to sort out shared names such as Flamemaster & Climate Master

If the heating equipment in your building is original - which may be determined by visual inspection, by knowing the building age, or knowing the heating system age, then each of these can inform us about the probable age of the other.

For example, an original Flamemaster (or Climatemaster) gas fired heating furnace is probably 40 or more years old even if you cannot find the date code in the furnace serial number.

Watch out: Names and who is using them can change over time: for example the name 'Flamemaster' appears on other products such as sealants, coatings and packaging produced by Flamemaster in Pacoima California, US - not a heting equipment manufacturer.

The product line Flamemaster gas furnaces shared product designs with ClimateMater. ClimateMaster continues in business (in 2015) as a manufactuer of geothermal heat pump systems.

• Bow Valley Resource Services, Ltd., Flame Master Gas Furnaces, (previously a 1960's company named Hi-Tower) a Canadian firm in Calgary, Alberta, also previously filed for activcity in the U.S. in California, no longer active.
  This company may have also produced model 394 & 396 Natural-Draft Flame-Master gas furnaces and gas furnaces sold under the brands of Bryant, Day & Night, and Payne Furnace brands. Estimated cessation 1986.
  See FLAME-MASTER FURNACES
• Climate Master Geothermal Heating & Cooling, 7300 S.W. 44th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73179 405-745-6000, USA, Website: http://www.climatemaster.com/
• Flamemaster Coatings, Flamemaster 13576 Desmond Street Pacoima, CA 91331-2315 Office Hours: Mon – Fri: 8:30a to 5:00p PST Tel: 818-890-1401 – Fax: 818-890-6001 USA, website: http://flamemaster.com/http://www.climatemaster.com/
• Pyrotec, TUV Nord Systems GmbH & Co. KG, in Germany produces a Flamemater propane flame projector - looks terrifying.
• Other Flame Master products include Keating's low temperature griddle.

..

Continue reading at MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC - sources of more information including heating & air conditioning equipment age, history, manuals & manufacturer contact information, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see AGE of HEATER BOILER FURNACE FAQs - questions and answers posted origionally on this page.

HOME CONSTRUCTION CATALOGS 1950 - catalogs including heating equipment from the 1950s

Or see these

Articles on Building Component Age

• FURNACE AGE DECODING CHART - PDF
• LENNOX HVAC products Age PDF
• WATER HEATER AGE & MANUALS - tables & books decoding all brands.
• WATER HEATER AGE DETERMINATION CHART - PDF

Suggested citation for this web page

AGE of HEATERS, BOILERS, FURNACES at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to HEATING SYSTEMS

Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

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Questions & answers or comments about how to determine the age of an air conditioner, heat pump, boiler, furnace, or water heater. .

Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.

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Technical Reviewers & References

• 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 [Website: /www.house-whisperer.com ] 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 804-873-8534 or by Email: johncranor@verizon.net
• [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 [ Website: www.HonestHomeInspections.com ], 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.)

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

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

• Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. The firm provides professional HOME INSPECTION SERVICES and also extensive HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION and home inspection-related 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 extensive home inspection education and report writing material.
  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.
  TECHNICAL REFERENCE GUIDE to manufacturer's model and serial number information for heating and cooling equipment, useful for determining the age of heating boilers, furnaces, water heaters is provided by Carson Dunlop Weldon & Associates
  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 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.
  Or choose the The HOME REFERENCE eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or 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.
  
• Building inspection education & report writing systems from Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd
  COMMERCIAL BUILDING INSPECTION COURSES - protocol ASTM Standard E 2018-08 for Property Condition Assessments
  HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION COURESES (Canada)
  HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION COURSES (USA) 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 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

General

IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY, ECR INTERNATIONAL, INC. SUPPORTS WARNINGS ISSUED BY THE AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND REFRIGERATION INSTITUTE (AHRI) THAT RECOMMEND THE REPLACEMENT OF ALL FLOOD DAMAGED HVAC EQUIPMENT REGARDLESS OF ITS AGE.

Replacing only the operating controls of flood damaged HVAC equipment may not be sufficient if other parts of the equipment like piping, venting, burners, insulation, etc., have been effected by the flood waters.

IT IS ALWAYS SAFER TO REPLACE RATHER THAN REPAIR

The best way to determine the size of the heating unit needed for your home is to have a heat load calculation done by a qualified heating technician. This calculation looks at the size of the structure, insulation, doors and windows along with your climate area for outdoor design temperature. A heat loss is then calculated to determine what is required for the furnace and the heating elements to heat the structure. It is an exercise worth the time and effort to know that you have the sufficient sized equipment and radiation to do the required job next winter, without oversizing the unit and losing efficiency.

No. As a manufacturer of equipment we sell our product only thru wholesale distribution who in turn will supply the dealer trade in your area with our products along with all the other items your dealer will need for your system. We support the professional tradesmen to know that your new piece of heating equipment is installed and operating correctly for maximum efficiency and safety concerns. With today's installation codes, in many area's a piece of equipment can only be installed by a licensed plumber or heating technician, which is good for the industry and safety of all concerned.

The only way to determine what your actual requirement is to have a heat load done on your home by a qualified heating technician. This calculation looks at the size of the structure, insulation, doors and windows along with your climate area for outdoor design temperature. A heat loss is then calculated to determine what is required for the boiler and the heating elements to heat the structure. It is an exercise worth the time and effort to know that you have the sufficient sized equipment and radiation to do the required job next winter, with out over sizing the unit and loosing efficiency.

Costs for different types of fuels vary tremendously throughout the US, and therefore so does the cost comparison. The formulas below can be used to compare equivalent energy costs (price per 1 million BTU's) among different fuels.

Electricity: (insert price per kilowatt)* x 293 = Cost per 1,000,000 BTU's

#2 Fuel oil: (insert price per gallon)* x 7.21 ÷ rated efficiency** = Cost per 1,000,000 BTU's

Natural Gas: (insert price per therm)* x 10.0 ÷ rated efficiency** = Cost per 1,000,000 BTU's

Propane: (insert price per gallon)* x 11.0 ÷ rated efficiency** = Cost per 1,000,000 BTU's

* Price per unit of energy can be determined by contacting your local provider.

** Rated efficiency can be found on the heating product literature (AFUE efficiency).

It is always recommended that the installer of the boiler be contacted first. If the installer is unable to be contacted or is unable to provide service, a qualified local heating technician should be contacted. In the hands of an inexperienced person, heating equipment can be dangerous, never attempt a repair yourself.

It is strongly recommended that at all homes be equipped with have at least one carbon monoxide detector. It is as important to have your fuel burning equipment serviced annually to prevent the possibility of Carbon Monoxide.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that accounts for more deaths annually in the U.S. than any other poison. All fuel-burning processes can produce CO. This is not a something isolated to any particular fuel.

To protect yourself, always have your boiler, furnace and any other heating or cooking appliance installed properly and periodically serviced by a qualified heating technician.

We recommended that you have at least one CO detector in your home, and preferably, one on each floor.

In most cases, a heating contractor will install a chimney liner if the chimney has an oversized or deteriorated terra cotta (clay) liner. He will always install a liner if there’s an unlined masonry chimney. Both the National Fuel Gas Code (NFPA 54) and the National Installation of Oil-Burning Equipment Code (NFPA 31) compel the heating contractor to install the chimney liner in these circumstances.

As boilers have increased in efficiency, the temperature of the flues gases has gotten lower. This is good because you waste less heat up the chimney. If the flue gases cool too much, however, they will condense, and that can create problems. Condensation contains impurities from the fuel, which makes the condensed flue gases acidic and able to corrode most metal components. Brick, non-glazed clay and mortar will absorb condensation and deteriorate. If it’s cold enough, condensate will also freeze between boiler cycles, and that will cause materials such as mortar to pit. You may have noticed a course or two of brick at the top of an old chimney that’s apparently missing its mortar. That’s condensate damage. Over time, prolonged exposure to condensation may cause the chimney to become weak and unstable.

A chimney liner is useful for correcting an over-sized chimney. The liner reduces the surface area of the chimney, lowering the amount of flue gas heat lost to the chimney. It may not make sense at first, but the reduced chimney diameter will often result in better draft for the boiler.

The simple answer is no.

Boiler manufacturers design most boilers to accommodate the characteristics of the intended fuel. A boiler meant to burn natural gas (a vapor) uses burners that simply can’t burn No. 2 fuel oil (an atomized liquid). There are power gas burners available from third-party manufacturers that can replace oil burners, but we don’t sanction any of these as suitable replacements for our heating systems and we don’t recommend their use.

It’s mainly dust, and often carbon soot from fireplaces, water heaters, furnaces, standing pilot lights, candles, cigarette smoke, cooking byproducts, and even automobile exhaust. The natural convection that occurs through a radiator during the heating cycle moves all of these gases through your baseboard heaters, and they often show up as stains on the walls above.

Warranty Registration

We recommend you register your warranty so we have your information on file should we ever need to contact in regard to a technical issue.

Oil Fired

The boilers designed today are more efficient then your old oil fired boiler that you replaced. This major efficiency is not only due to the internal design of the equipment so you get the maximum heat transfer but also the oil burner design that is the reason for the higher pitched noise of today's equipment. This noise is due to the fact that the oil burner is running at 3450 RPM (revolutions per minute) compared to the old unit that was only at half that speed of 1725 RPM. This new higher efficient design oil burner is going twice as fast and breaking down the oil into smaller droplets along with mixing it better with the combustion air for a higher efficiency. Your old burner may have been around 50-62% efficient, when your dealer adjust your new burner for maximum efficiency it should run around 83-85% combustion efficiency which is going to save you real dollars in fuel cost.

Steam Boilers

A new steam boiler could be short cycling due to a number of reasons. The first may be something as simple as having installed a room thermostat that has an adjustable heat anticipator setting with in it. This setting needs to be at 1.2 for the longest cycle setting as possible allowed by the thermostat. The best thermostat for this is the standard Honeywell T87F round design unit that has this internal setting on the unit. The new digital thermostats of today are timed and many do not offer the option to give you a set point to satisfy the system requirements. The other item that can cause short cycling and surging is making sure the internal sections of the boiler are clean. This is done the best way by having your installer skim the top of your boiler water off via a skim tapping that he installed on the system during installation. A new boiler and pipes when manufactured have oil on them - this oil will float to the top of the water and cause the water line to rise and lower with in the boiler, this is happening due to steam looking to escape thru it during the process. With this oil removed the system will make steam and the boiler should not short cycle or surge.

The last item is that the piping around the boiler on both the supply and return systems (Near Boiler Piping) making sure that this is correct in both size and design for the Btu/hr of the boiler. Incorrect pipe size with allow the steam not to escape out of the boiler and cause the system to also short cycle.

We call a fluctuation in the water line of a steam boiler surging. A small amount of fluctuation is common, but if it gets to be more than that, it can lead to water hammer and inefficient operation of the heating system. Severe surging would be a waterline that moves more than one-inch, or when you can see water running down from the top of the sight glass.

Oil on the surface of the water can cause violent surging when the water boils. Skimming usually cures this, and we’ve detailed how to skim in the installation manual of our steam boilers. It’s the only true way to rid the water of oil. Adding chemicals and draining the boiler may help slightly, but this will not work to remove all the oil from the boiler. Oil on the water’s surface will simply stick to the sides of the boiler when you drain the boiler, and then reappear as a problem when you refill the boiler.

To avoid surging, pipe, clean, and maintain your steam boiler as detailed in the boiler’s installation manual. Proper piping, cleaning and maintenance will insure the best overall performance and efficient operation of your steam boiler.

Hot Water Boilers

Pennco Boilers Serial Numbers

By having your heating technician install an air elimination system external of the boiler to remove air form the water system; this is installed on the main supply pipe as the water leaves the boiler.

Where is this air coming from you may ask. First let's review; what is water?

Water is H2O 2 parts hydrogen and one part oxygen, as the oxygen is being driven out of the water it needs to be removed via this air elimination system. If you have air in the pipes upstairs bleeders or automatic air vents can be installed by your technician at the pipe that drops down from the heating element back to the basement. This is where the air will collect since the pump is working to pump it back down stairs and the laws of physics make it always want to bubble back up to the highest point in the system making it a hard to remove with out the proper access.

In many cases, the boiler is at the lowest point in the system, which means that there is little likelihood that the boiler will run dry. If radiators are below the top of the boiler, you’ll need a low-water cutoff. An example of this would be baseboard radiators near the basement floor, or in-floor radiant heating in the basement. Some states (New York and New Jersey, for example), and some local jurisdictions mandate their use, regardless of radiator location.

Pennco Boiler Age By Serial Number

It depends on the type of hot-water heating system you’re working with. For instance, you’d normally set a hot-water baseboard heating system for a high temperature of 180° F. A radiant-floor heating system, on the other hand, can vary widely, with a supply temperature from 90°F to 130°F, depending on what type of construction and material is covering it (carpeting, hardwood flooring, and ceramic tile). The radiant designer takes all of this into consideration.

Sediment accumulating in the bottom of the boiler sections, which is typically the lowest point in the hydronic heating system, can create a hot spot. The sediment acts as insulation and that leads to the hot spot. The sediment comes from poor feed water. Filter it, if necessary, and correct its pH level so that it’s in the range of 7 to 8.5.

Pennco Boiler Serial Number Lookup

The popping sound you may hear comes from water, trapped near the insulating sediment that turns suddenly into steam and escapes into the cooler, surrounding water, where it cools rapidly. The surrounding water rushes in to fill the void left by the condensing steam bubble and that’s what gives you the popping sound. A heating service technician can usually flush the heating system to get rid of the sediment. If necessary, he or she will use a boiler cleaner.

Pennco Boiler Serial Numbers

Yes. If the heat exchanger is made of cast iron, use an antifreeze designed for hydronic heating systems, such as propylene glycol (which is non-toxic), or ethylene glycol. Always follow the antifreeze manufacturer's recommendations when mixing a solution of up to 55%. Never use automotive antifreeze or any petroleum-based antifreeze in a hydronic heating system.

Pennco Boiler Serial Number Lookup

For aluminum heat exchangers, use only IntercoolNFP-50 coolant. (Please contact customer service at 1-866-847-6656) Some brands have corrosion inhibitors that break down more rapidly, or become ineffective at higher operating temperatures when they’re in an aluminum heat exchanger. Follow the antifreeze manufacturer's instructions to determine the proper ratio of antifreeze to water for the expected low temperature conditions, and for maintaining the quality of the antifreeze solution from year to year. Again, never use automotive anti-freeze or any petroleum-based antifreeze in a hydronic heating system. This type of antifreeze can damage hydronic heating system components.