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Question:

leaking heat exchanger?

I have a commercial Reznor 300,000 BTU duct furnace installed. My laundromat is around 3000 sq. ft. I think it is too much for this kind of space especially when there are 30 dryers operating. Now, the heat exchanger is leaking. The duct is also being used by 7.5 ton AC unit. What is the best alternative to get heat? Should I replace the old duct furnace with new one or should I install a new hanging heater unit. Any suggestion will be highly appreciated.

Answer:

300k hanging heater in a laundry mat? @ 3000 sq feet. Something is wrong with this picture. With a 7.5 Ton. If that 7.5 Ton had gas heat you should see 90,000 BTU which would be more than adequate to heat the desired space. 300,000 BTU has to be a typo as this would be MASSIVE overkill ! But if your correct @ 300,000 BTU then yes, that is way too much for the space. The other thing is make sure you change the filter on the roof top unit every 30 days. I would also run the blower all the time as that will circulate all the free heat the dryers are throwing off. Is the AC unit just AC only then? You could just install a residential style gas furnace with 90,000 BTU and that would take care of your heating issue for the space. You could of the laundry mat is a open ceiling plan, just run spiral metal duct down the center length of store. Then every some many feet have your supply come off there. I cant see the store, but thats probably the way I would tackle it. A residential furnace cost between 600-900. Look online for one if you dont know someone in the business. As you need a CFC to buy at a local HVAC supply house, Where as online any joe can buy it as someone will sell it to them. Id say with the residential setup if you DIY it youd be under 2000K, and just have 1 central return for the furnace. Just food for thought
Is this a 100% make-up air unit, or do you have a seperate MAU for the space? If this is the only unit, then it will be bringing in a lot of outside air. The dryers are venting a lot of air and the same volume of make up air must be introduced into the building to keep from having a negative pressure. A negative pressure will cause the dryers to not work properly, and will cause carbon monoxide to be produced and drawn into the building (if you have gas dryers). Get a professional to evaluate the application so you don't end up with a lawsuit. Heat exchangers can be replaced for a lot less than the cost of a new unit. 300K btu's does not sound excessive for 30 dryers' worth of make-up air, but it depends on what region you live in. If you are in Florida, then it might be excessive, if you are in Vermont, it might be undersized.
I suggest you have a reputable heating contractor evaluate your situation. Its really hard to give you an answer for something like this sight unseen. A leaking heat exchanger can be very dangerous, so either the heat exchanger needs to be replaced or you need a whole new unit.

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