Print

[94supercam]

Hi all.

I'm new and just got a Mahoning furnace 2 months ago and love it!!!  I heat a old 2 story home and my domestic hot water and a pool this summer.  I'm still kind of browsing around at competitors furnaces and was wondering, How do they figure out the BTU's these babys can produce?
My furnace is rated at 225,000 btu's. Firebox is 48 inches deep, and holds 290 gal of water. I see other furnaces that the firebox is WAY smaller and holds less water but is rated at a higher btu?

So How is the BTU's figured???

Thanks
Ryan H.

[yoderheating]

 I would think that some furnaces have the capacity to product a high number of BTU's but to do so they would require filling the furnace very often. Water capacity really has nothing to do with BTU's so long as there is enough water to transfer the heat (50-100gal).  Where water capacity comes into play is in storage. A furnace with a fan draft requires less water capacity then a furnace with a natural draft because a forced air draft will have a quicker recovery time.
 I always tell people don't go completely on the manufactures rating, look at size of firebox, design of firebox, and type of draft. After comparing these things common sense will tell you which furnace will produce the most BTU's for the longest period between loading.