Flooded Furnace
A homeowner in Lynnfield whose basement is prone to flooding got hit with a double whammy which needed immediate attention. The basement flooded and the sump pump failed. The water penetrated the furnace to the extent that the electronics were damaged rendering the furnace inoperable. In the video Ken Roberts walks us through the furnace replacement as well as the solution for the flooding/sump pump problem so that this will never happen again.
Furnace Replacement
In this project the Furnace Replacement was pretty straightforward. Due to cost considerations the homeowner wanted to replace the existing furnace with a similar one rather than upgrading to a furnace with a higher efficiency rating. The new replacement furnace is an 80% efficient direct vent model from American Standard. Both the furnace and the existing water heater are vented through the chimney, which according to code, has a lined flue.
What’s a high efficiency heating system
The good news for the homeowner was that the furnace replacement was covered under his homeowners insurance policy. He was without heat for a few days due to insurance company foot dragging but again he was lucky because the event coincided with an early March warm spell. Once insurance company authorization was received Absolute Precision went to work and got the new furnace installed in about 4 hours.
Sump Pump Solution
The sump pump setup was not adequate for this house. Absolute Precision devised a fail safe system that will, in the future, prevent flooding problems. The solution is not one, but two sump pumps. The first pump is positioned at the bottom of the pit with the second pump positioned at a higher level. That way if the first pump fails or is overwhelmed the second pump will kick on as soon as the water level gets to that height.
With the two pump system it’s advisable to rotate the pumps every five years or so as doing so will increase their life span. And as we did with this system it’s also advisable to install a battery backup on sump pumps to insure they will operate in the event of a power outage.
Happy Ending
At Absolute Precision we realize nobody is looking forward to mechanical failures in their home. We’re just glad that this one had a happy ending for this Lynnfield family and that they now have peace of mind knowing the two pump solution will prevent this sort of thing from ever happening again.
Fortunately this furnace replacement was covered by insurance. But most of the time that’s not the case. There are, however, rebate and incentive programs available to Massachusetts households which can reduce much of the financial pain when replacing heating and cooling equipment. Contact Absolute Precision to learn more.
Our primary service area includes:
Andover, North Andover, Boxford, Topsfield, Middleton, Danvers, Beverly, Peabody, Lynnfield, North Reading, Reading, Wilmington, Tewksbury, Wakefield, Melrose, Stoneham, Woburn, Winchester
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