Dismantling a Gas Furnace

**godric2099** · 03-30-2013, 12:26 AM

I have a gas furnace in the house i just bought. I converted everything to electric. The gas company came over and dug up my yard to cut off the gas since i only use electric. I want to tear down the gas furnace to get some money out of it.. I simply do not have the tools to do so.. I tried unscrewing the screws but they are almost impossible. does anyone know how I can break it down and separate the metals? I brought all the ducts to the scrap yard today and i actually got made fun of because of the kind of metal i had and the amount

**Destructo_d** · 03-30-2013, 01:57 AM

Don't let it discourage you... If you like doing it, carry on and if you have the room then save up your scrap until you have a pickup load... On a furnace you will find the steel casing and burners. The gas valve is aluminum and should be taken apart. There is an electric motor that runs the fan, personally I take the motor in as is. If it's an older furnace, there will be a small copper line going to the pilot light. some wire that goes to the motor. If it's a newer furnace, there will be a circuit board.

have fun.

**Copper Head** · 03-30-2013, 03:11 AM

Gas furnace's could be a few types but since you mention ducts it must be hot air system. The reality is depends on size = weight, so lets assume you have a 250 pound unit, as is worth $ 25 bucks if you take it apart completely will Be another $ 7 go $ 8 - Taken apart there is short steel - copper - Mix steel- AL . Now some systems are small 125 pounds so the gain is less . The motor you want the shell so look for 4 long screw bolts that hold the 2 Aluminum flat plates (at opposite ends) to housing of motor Use a tool (socket set) or grind off, then pull shell out , next is a relay switch for gas pipe - copper is wound in a transformer like fashion on switch box - use hammer to get at it . For me that's all that s worth pulling the heat exchange is short steel (in some yards) but remember the furnace might have some non metal so once you expose it you might be told to remove insulation
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One last thing the CU on those motors is not so easy to remove, I would advise you to get a 4 1/2 grinder they have become a very low cost item from $29 and up, cut the shell vertical on motor housing peel away now deal with the copper wound on steel - meat ball !

P.S.
The term meat ball is for a copper wound on steel

**Mick** · 03-30-2013, 06:43 AM

The amount of work you want to put into something for the payout is your business. Read my signature.

**Phantoms001** · 03-30-2013, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by godric2099

I have a gas furnace in the house i just bought. I converted everything to electric. The gas company came over and dug up my yard to cut off the gas since i only use electric. I want to tear down the gas furnace to get some money out of it.. I simply do not have the tools to do so.. I tried unscrewing the screws but they are almost impossible. does anyone know how I can break it down and separate the metals? I brought all the ducts to the scrap yard today and i actually got made fun of because of the kind of metal i had and the amount

When I started learning about working on cars my dad taught me the name of the game is having the right tool. When you scrap, it's really no different, not having the right tool can make things really difficult. This is the reason I like places like Harbor Freight. You can buy "cheap" tools (but this is price and quality). It's a good way to get a tool you need that you don't use often without breaking the bank.

**Phantoms001** · 03-30-2013, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by godric2099

I have a gas furnace in the house i just bought. I converted everything to electric.

On a side note, the only reason I would "laugh" at you is that you made a bad decision to convert to electric. The only way it is economical to convert to electric is if you live in the south where it is does not get very cold and you need very little heat. In FL you will often see heat pumps instead of AC units because of their mild winters. Electric is the most expensive way to heat a home. Up north where it gets cold (yes this includes Ohio) you will get HUGE electric bills trying to heat your home.

**MattInTheHat** · 03-30-2013, 11:06 AM

the gas furnace may be worth more than scrap value if it still works

**parrothead** · 03-30-2013, 12:01 PM

You say you just bought the gas furnace. I would ty to find a buyer for it.

**JohnM** · 03-30-2013, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by parrothead

You say you just bought the gas furnace. I would ty to find a buyer for it.

I think he was saying he just bought the house, and wants to get rid of the furnace that was in it.

**ron22** · 03-30-2013, 01:31 PM

I am not sure why anyone would switch from gas to electric.
Remove all the screws then get out the big hammer has never failed for me

**Copper Head** · 03-30-2013, 07:47 PM

Electric is more to heat - but i wonder why bother to remove gas furnace if it was working . Have your electric if you want but keep the gas as a back up. I like hot air systems cause you can keep them off completely then if the home gets to cold put on for a couple hours then turn off till its to cold. But to rely on a hot air system to keep home very toasty then they run more then oil /gas water circulatory baseboard . Also gas is good cause it pumps gas in a power out so in a pinch your oven will keep you warm.

**Phantoms001** · 03-30-2013, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by Copper Head

Electric is more to heat - but i wonder why bother to remove gas furnace if it was working . Have your electric if you want but keep the gas as a back up. I like hot air systems cause you can keep them off completely then if the home gets to cold put on for a couple hours then turn off till its to cold. But to rely on a hot air system to keep home very toasty then they run more then circulatory base Bord . Also gas is good cause it pumps gas in a power out so in a pinch your oven will keep you warm.

That is what I would usually recommend if someone wanted to go electric. Electric is cheaper than gas UNTIL it gets below 35 degrees. A heat pump heats by absorbing the heat from outside and bringing it inside. When it gets near freezing there is no heat to bring inside so a heat pump will then switch to the aux heat which is like a big toaster that the fan blows air over to provide heat. At this point, expect HUGE electric bills. You can easily have a setup that uses a heat pump until it gets to 35 then switch to the gas furnace. This is a super efficent system and will cut down on bills because it uses the best of both.

**Copper Head** · 03-31-2013, 01:47 AM

I have a oil burner hot air system it will use from 1/4 to 1/2 gal per hour of use i also use the Eden space heaters as needed this winter was not the coldest but Zero and below we get now we are in the 40's and feels warm out to me. I keep a cold home around 60's to as low as 50's but 50 does feel brisk. A cold home kills off the germs no one seems to get sick in winter

**parrothead** · 03-31-2013, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by JohnM

I think he was saying he just bought the house, and wants to get rid of the furnace that was in it.

Ahhhh, I see that now. Thanks.

**BarrenRealms007** · 03-31-2013, 04:40 PM

Did you have a good electrician do the work? Most of the time when this is done the electrical service and/or the panel is not large enough to handle the extra load that the heat strips will put on the service and can cause a fire hazard.