Mark P Posted July 3, 2007 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 Empire Gravity Vented wall furnace: natural gas, Model# GW-25-6, ANS date 1993... and Image Insert: 24.64 KB Image Insert: 47.46 KB FAW-60-1SPP, ANS date 1985 I never ran into one of these units before today and am not aware of any unusual risk, issues, concerns. I searched the internet and the CPSC and have found no issues. I just wated to see if anyone has experience with these units and any usefull info. Thanks mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 Hi Mark, Interesting that its brand name is Empire. It looks like almost a perfect copy of a Williams wall furnace. OT - OF!!! M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 Im in the learning curve here so help me out please. Why do the call it "gravity vented"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 Gravity = hot air rises. The same company makes the Empire, Williams, and a couple other obscure brands. They're actually fine heaters. The old ones are problematic. Models previous to this had a heat exchanger that was open on the bottom. As the forced air passes by the open heat exchanger, it will suck combustion gas out of the exchanger and into the house air. Bad, bad, very bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dirks Jr Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 Interesting. Normally when you think of things gravity related, you think of them dropping or falling. So that thing is vented to the outside isnt it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 Yeah, it's vented to the outside just like any other FHA gas furnace. As for the "gravity" thing; that's probably a term someone started using incorrectly which simply stuck. If anything, they should be called buoyancy vents. Gravity vented furnaces also include those with inducers, so don't assume that just because it's got an inducer fan on it that it's not a gravity-vented furnace. OT - OF!!! M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 Maybe it came out of the "gravity heat" terminology(?)..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted July 4, 2007 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 Originally posted by AHIS . . . I never ran into one of these units before today and am not aware of any unusual risk, issues, concerns. I searched the internet and the CPSC and have found no issues. I just wated to see if anyone has experience with these units and any usefull info. Thanks mark The one in your picture looks like a more modern design that the one's that I typcially see. The older ones had a dimpled heat exchanger that tended to develop holes in the dimples. See the attached pics. Image Insert: 39.17 KB Image Insert: 44.49 KB Image Insert: 75.13 KB The thing I like about wall furnaces is that it's generally very easy to get a good view of the heat exchanger. Here's a heat exchanger with another design, but that's just as easy to see. I don't remember the brand. Image Insert: 64.97 KB Image Insert: 77.04 KB Image Insert: 71.77 KB - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryM Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Warm air rises, cold air falls, which is a good thing especially for those that enjoy balloon rides. http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Does-Cold ... &id=302338 Nice photos Jim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biff Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 I just bought a small old house that has an Empire FAW-60 SPP, ANS date 1980. Do you know if this would be one of the "old ones" that you have described as "problematic"? Also, the house has been vacant for about a year. Any advice or warnings about trying to start it up again? I am not technically knowledgeable in this area. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Originally posted by kurt Gravity = hot air rises. The same company makes the Empire, Williams, and a couple other obscure brands. They're actually fine heaters. The old ones are problematic. Models previous to this had a heat exchanger that was open on the bottom. As the forced air passes by the open heat exchanger, it will suck combustion gas out of the exchanger and into the house air. Bad, bad, very bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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