Should I stay or should I go. . .

5 years ago

We're looking to rent a home in Northern VA, which we like a lot. But, early on, the landlord mentioned that there is a problem with the furnace portion of the HVAC. Apparently, a new unit was installed over a year ago, and it is "oversized." In the winter, it "runs too hot" which causes the circuit breaker to throw infrequently. Something concerning the "high limit switch" is involved. According to HVAC professionals, it cannot be repaired or modified - it must be replaced, but the owner can't afford that, and can't find the guy who installed the oversized unit in the 1st place. One guy told me there would be no danger living there, only occasional inconvenience.

So, would we be in any danger living there? Should we find somewhere else to rent? What other questions should I be asking?

Featured Answer

mike_home

5 years ago

The question you should ask is why can't the landlord use your security deposit to pay for the furnace to be repaired?

The circuit breaker tripping and the high limit switch fault are two different problems in my opinion. An electrician needs to determine if the breaker is faulty, or the circuit which feeds the furnace is over loaded. The high limit switch issue is due to the furnace running too hot. A simple adjustment of the blower speed may fixt this, or it could be due to a restrictive filter or undersized duct work.

If the safety switches are operating properly, then it is not dangerous. But it will mean occasionally no heat. Tell the landlord if he doesn't fix the problem he his furnace will not last as long as he had hoped. I think you should find another place based on how this landlord operates.

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Comments (6)

Rees Chapman
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks!

The landlord has allegedly been told the entire unit must be replaced, cannot be repaired. Even here in NoVA, a security deposit won't pay for that!
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mike_home
5 years ago
I am skeptical the entire unit has to be replaced and he can't find the guy who installed it. Good luck in finding a better house and landlord.
Rees Chapman thanked mike_home
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Austin Air Companie
5 years ago
most landlords run a debt funding operation in which they make anywhere from $200 to $500 a door.

So because of the bean counting nature most get involved in, they're not going to replace a furnace. Most companies aren't in business to repair because there's not enough money in that and in some cases more liability because the landlord probably hired unlicensed contractor to do the work in the first place.

Due to that reason alone, is more likely why he's been told it needs to be replaced. No one is going to stick their neck out for little money. Risk vs reward. Look at where the blame falls now? on the previous contractor.

So if comfort is important to you... go is probably the answer you're looking for.
Rees Chapman thanked Austin Air Companie
Rees Chapman
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks, everybody, for your information and suggestions. One last line of questioning. . .

Should I expect the fuel use and heating costs to be much higher with an "oversized" furnace?

We would spend 95% of our time in the downstairs, but the furnace heats three floors: 1st and 2nd and basement. I've already asked if I could close the vents in the basement and upstairs, but was told that would make the problem much worse.

What if we leave the furnace turned completely off and use 1500W space heaters like this

(with remote thermostats) in the four rooms we occupy downstairs? Yeah, electric heat is generally more costly (and I typically prefer propane/gas heat to electric), but wouldn't the cost be about the same, maybe cheaper?
sktn77a
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
If the furnace is grossly oversized (and it sounds like it is), then there's no fixing/adjusting this. To fix the problem, it must be replaced with a (much) smaller unit. Two issues come to mind with an oversized furnace: Short cycling (reduces comfort) and noise (the ducts are too small). This is what you are faced with - you can flip a breaker back on but it's tripping for a reason. And the landlord will have to pay for a new furnace much earlier than he would with a correctly sized unit.

If the rental is everything you want, you can probably live with it. Otherwise, keep looking.
Rees Chapman thanked sktn77a