Do I need a new furnace, or I am being sold the wrong thing?

 My gas company found a problem with my current gas furnace (17 years
old) -- essentially, it has a small backdraft, and they gave me 5 days
to fix the problem.  They claimed When I called an HVAC person, they
said the problem might be with my chimney, which is unlined.

So I figured maybe I should see how much it might cost to have a new
high efficiency furnace installed, and avoid the whole chimney problem
(since redoing it would cost around 1000 at minimum, the last time a
chimney contractor looked at the basement, they refused to do the job,
as the last homeowner had covered EVERYTHING up, so the entire
basement would have to be torn down before they could even get to the
ducts, etc).  In essence, it's very difficult to fix anything
mechanical, given the current setup in the (now completely finished
basement).

What ended up happening was that I got convinced by the furnace guy
from Sears that a high efficiency furnace was a bad idea, since the
house is really old (built before 1940), and installing a furnace like
that in a house that wasn't built for it is not a good idea. He sold
me on a 80% Kenmore, and told me things like
- they would make sure the backdraft problem was fixed, since they're
licensed, and they can't install a furnace incorrectly for fear of
losing their license
- the 2 bedrooms on the second floor would (finally) get heat because
it would have a newer fan that would blow air stronger.

My worry is this -- backdrafts are usually caused by combustion
problems (i.e. chimney). So would installing a new furnace really fix
the problem?

Also, there is only 850 square feet in the place. Would electric
baseboard heat be a cheaper alternative? Everyone says electric costs
more, but the furnace would cost $4000 to install, and it is only 850
square feet...

Opinions or advice?

  I should also add that my heating bill is around $250 a month in the
winter months. I live in the NorthEast, but people have told me that
my heating bill shouldn't be so much for only 850 sq feet...

 

My house is double the size, but I pay $1500 for heat and hot water for the
entire year.  Look into insulation, windows, etc.  There is probably a lot
to be saved.

 wrote:


  That variance is normal.  Some people like the themostat set on 80
and some 68.   Some turn it down when they leave and some don't.

 

Get rid of Sears.  Find a good local heating contractor.  Where in the NE
are you?  Maybe someone hee can give a recommendation.

Back draft can be cause by chimney problems, but it can be a blockage,
squirrel nest. too short exiting from the roof, etc.

Sounds like you really need a qualified heating contractor to give a look.
Yes, a larger blower may help the upstairs, but it may also be duct sizing,
lack of return air, poor layout, etc.  Since none of us can see the entire
setup, we can't give accurate advice.




If you convert to electric, you may also need a new service and panel.  You
can easily end up spending over $4000 for that and then pay a much higher
rate for heat.  That $250 a month for oil can easily be $450 for electric in
my area.  Gas is competitive with oil right now.