Is it Wise Buy Furnace and Other Parts in Case Pandemic Cuts Supply Chains?

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Reminds me of DH. I asked him why we hold onto rental prop that just breaks even and us a minor headache and he started rambling about it being a paid off house and if TSHTF we could plant potatoes in the yard. I now call the final worst case plan: taters in the yard. Your furnace question feels like taters in the yard.

 

[Bamaman]

I was over at my lake house today dealing with a heat pump that's not pumping. Calling a HVAC contractor.

Most heat pump problems are simple little items--like a capacitor--to get the compressor to start. And most good HVAC trucks carry the most used parts to get'em up and running.

I see no reason to stock any household parts long term. As far as hot water heaters go, the best thing anyone can do to make them last longer is cutting off the electricity/gas and drain the tank yearly. Then refill the tank and hook up the heat source. Sludge gets in the bottom of the tanks.

 

[Sunset]

Reminds me of DH. I asked him why we hold onto rental prop that just breaks even and us a minor headache and he started rambling about it being a paid off house and if TSHTF we could plant potatoes in the yard. I now call the final worst case plan: taters in the yard. Your furnace question feels like taters in the yard.

So funny....

 

[CRLLS]

Re: having a spare furnace on hand to supply parts vs just replacing the older (8 year old) furnace with the liquidator furnace, there is such a thing as infant mortality on things.

Things usually follow the bathtub curve where the chance of failure starts high, then as the infant mortality is weeded out, things run fairly trouble free until they reach the end of life when the failure rate increases once more. Replacing the furnace would take an otherwise trouble-free furnace and reset the failure rate back into the infant mortality part of the curve.

A story I have is, years ago I bought a new snow blower with electric start. The blower was so easy to start, I never used the electric start feature. Some years later, maybe 7 or 8 years, the blower was hard to start so I plugged the cord in and pressed the button only to find nothing happened. Upon later tearing the starter apart, it was rusted solid from non-use.

I am a person who does not replace things expected to work for a long time well before their time.


BTW, wouldn't a vacation home serve as the ultimate spare of everything home-related?

 

[teetee]

An 8 yr old furnace and you are stocking parts for it? I am ashamed that my furnace is from 1986 and all I do is changing the filters and adding some oil so the fan won't make loud noises.
It reminds me stocking car parts including brake rotors and drums, starter, wheel covers, air intake, spark plugs, fuel filter, timing belt, oil pan/gasket and a case of oil filters plus liquid stuff for my 96 honda accord years ago. I did not use any of the parts before the car needed a new gas tank to pass the inspection. I sold the car then because the repair costs more than the car itself.
I think stocking parts is an expensive insurance. Especially considering most of stuff are better made these days.

 

[ncbill]

An 8 yr old furnace and you are stocking parts for it? I am ashamed that my furnace is from 1986 and all I do is changing the filters and adding some oil so the fan won't make loud noises.
It reminds me stocking car parts including brake rotors and drums, starter, wheel covers, air intake, spark plugs, fuel filter, timing belt, oil pan/gasket and a case of oil filters plus liquid stuff for my 96 honda accord years ago. I did not use any of the parts before the car needed a new gas tank to pass the inspection. I sold the car then because the repair costs more than the car itself.
I think stocking parts is an expensive insurance. Especially considering most of stuff are better made these days.

You've probably got a standing pilot...AFAIK, no longer permitted.

Keeping a spare igniter for a more modern installed furnace is inexpensive insurance even if you plan to call someone to install it.