Off Grid Systems - Gas Furnace Mfgs

Mangas
Mangas Solar Expert Posts: 547 ✭✭✭✭
in Advanced Solar Electric Technical Forum #1
Would appreciate knowing what gas furnace manufacturers people are running on their off grid systems.

Particuarly, anyone running vaiable speed furnaces?
Ranch Off Grid System & Custom Home: 2 x pair stacked Schneider XW 5548+ Plus inverters (4), 2 x Schneider MPPT 80-600 Charge Controllers, 2 Xanbus AGS Generator Start and Air Extraction System Controllers, 64 Trojan L16 REB 6v 375 AH Flooded Cel Batteries w/Water Miser Caps, 44 x 185 Sharp Solar Panels, Cummins Onan RS20 KW Propane Water Cooled Genset, ICF Custom House Construction, all appliances, Central A/C, 2 x High Efficiency Variable Speed three ton Central A/C 220v compressors, 2 x Propane furnaces, 2 x Variable Speed Air Handlers, 2 x HD WiFi HVAC Zoned System Controllers
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #2
    Re: Off Grid Systems - Gas Furnace Mfgs

    i'm using a direct vent 40 gallon propane hot water heater as a boiler.

    the only power it uses is when the circulator pump is running.

    if i was to do it again i'd use a small diesel gen with a heat exchanger as my boiler.


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  • marks
    marks Registered Users Posts: 17 ✭
    #3
    Re: Off Grid Systems - Gas Furnace Mfgs

    Five years ago during construction I installed a variable speed, 96% efficient York propane furnace. When running it usually runs at full speed, and only during the start-up and shut down phases does it run at partial speed. Thus it might not have been worth the extra $ for the variable speed feature. However with this level of efficiency, the flue pipe is PVC! Pretty cool.
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  • Mangas
    Mangas Solar Expert Posts: 547 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Off Grid Systems - Gas Furnace Mfgs

    We're using two Trane V80 High Efficiency Variable Speed 2.5 ton dual fuel propane gas furnaces. After installing a motor run capacitor on each furnace motor. Everything is finally running as it should be. So far so good.

    To conserve power, we decided to disconnect the heat pumps and use the two stage Trane compressor units for for A/C only. It's more efficient from a power standpoint.

    This winter, in the morning after a cold night running the furnace air handlers we're still at about 49V to 50V on both battery banks and during the day above 50V running everything off the panels which is much better than I expected.

    We'll see how we do with the A/C as we'll be running the two stage compressors too but will have much longer days.

    Interesting such a simple little capacitor fixed such erratic furnace behavior. Hats off to our electrician and the inverter manufacturer for coming up with the solution. So far so good.
    Ranch Off Grid System & Custom Home: 2 x pair stacked Schneider XW 5548+ Plus inverters (4), 2 x Schneider MPPT 80-600 Charge Controllers, 2 Xanbus AGS Generator Start and Air Extraction System Controllers, 64 Trojan L16 REB 6v 375 AH Flooded Cel Batteries w/Water Miser Caps, 44 x 185 Sharp Solar Panels, Cummins Onan RS20 KW Propane Water Cooled Genset, ICF Custom House Construction, all appliances, Central A/C, 2 x High Efficiency Variable Speed three ton Central A/C 220v compressors, 2 x Propane furnaces, 2 x Variable Speed Air Handlers, 2 x HD WiFi HVAC Zoned System Controllers
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