"Steve" wrote in message
...
You don't say if your furnance is liquid or gas fueled.

If the former, a furance of this vintage would be classified as a
'Pot-burner' and is considered to be very low efficiency.

In '69 I purchased a old house with a cast iron oil furnace. Used it for
one
winter and found it to complicated to light for my wife, when I was away
from home for the beginning of the heating season.. She has to have the
serviceman come and that cost about $20..

I assume you're talking to me.

it's oil-burning.
we've had this house for 2 winters already, this is the third. it burns a
lot of fuel, but the house has poor insulation (50 years ago they had no
insulation in the walls) and our consumption is similar to other people's.

I don't understand what you mean by "hard to light"
it lights itself. we have a thermostat that controls the burner. we don't
light anything.

what do you consider as part of the furnace? the tank is cast iron and 50
years old, but the burner is not that old.