Contrast Furnace Brands

Property Manager

Need help from the pros.



Can someone compare and contrast the different brands on furnace for a residence?



(Trane, Carrier, Rheem, Goodman, Weil McClain, York, A O Smith)



Are they pretty much all the same or do they differ?



Also, is getting a 95% efficiency furnace worth the significant price increase even with the $1500 rebate?

Jean-David Beyer

Clarify?

Are you speaking of a hot-air furnace? Or a hot-water boiler? Or a steam boiler?



I am not a professional, and the only one I am familiar with is a Weil McLain Ultra 3 hot water boiler. I picked my heating contractor first, and then selected among the brands they usually worked with. In this case, Weil McLain.



Mine claims to get 93.3% efficiency and up to 98% depending on return water temperature. Since most of my house is heated with radiant heat in a slab, I expect to get up to 96% or possibly 97%, but I do will not be doing any snow melting, so I doubt I can get it up to 98%. This boiler is modulating and condensing with outdoor reset that should increase its efficiency somewhat. I did not calculate if the increased efficiency would pay for itself of not, since I was concerned about higher efficiency for environmental as well as cost reasons.

Property Manager

Reply

I'm looking into a hot-air furnace.



Need to know the difference between the brands.



Also, trying to figure out the worth of efficiency.



I'm doing very quick math but a difference between 80% and 95% efficiency should be about (95-80)/80 or about 18.75% difference in heating bills?



For an annual heating bill of about $1000, I would save about $187.50 if I went for a 95% efficiency.



But the 95% efficiency units seem to be about $2500 more.  So, the 95% efficiency doesn't seem to be worth it....

Jean-David Beyer

Does it not depend on future heating fuel costs?

Using your prices, it would pay for itself in 13 1/3 years. But what if fuel prices double in the next three years? Then it would pay for itself in less than 7 years. Gasoline did that recently, only to tumble because of the bad economy. Similarly for #2 heating oil. Last time I bought any (June 2008) it was $4.59 a gallon. It could cost that again.

clammy

hvac furnaces

Stick to the 2 big ones trane and carrier the others are geared more to cheapo builder grade units and in my personal opion generally are used by those who main concerns are making money ,i personally use mostly trane and some times carrier the reason being OEM parts you go to either one and get the original factory replacement part said and done no BS.And in general the product itself (the  equiptment ,cabinet ) is of better quality then the other brands that why they cost more .And the biggest reason being for the most part is that the peopele who sell them to you have more then half a brain and the companies some where have a real tech service that an help you out if there are promblems not some one from another country asking how to dircet your call,but this is just me if your just shopping price then just go with the cheapest guy who will tell ya all thoses unit are all the same and your really just paying for the name but i know that does not apply to vissemann  sorry for the rant clammy

TonyS

I use Arcoaire

They have Excellent equipment and I have very little trouble, good parts inventory. They also have a no-hassle guarantee that doesn't just replace the exchanger but rather the whole unit. As far as Trane goes, I have to disagree with Clammy. The stuff they are selling at home depot and some of the installs Ive seen don't lead me to believe they are anything special, they just spend a lot on advertising. The payback on a 95 percent unit is quicker the further north you live just as the a/c is the further south you live, But condensing furnaces are not that  much more than non condensing and usually vent out with 2 inch pvc,so they are not much more to install. Plus depending on the shape of your chimney, it may be just what your looking for.

Paul Pollets

Furnace Efficiency vs.Duct Losses

Comparing the efficiencies may mean little if the ducted system was neither insulated or has leaks. Most ducted systems have serious issues with leakage when the joints are not cemented ("pookied") or insulated.  This creates dramatic loss of efficiency, beyond what could be gained with a new furnace.  Take a good look at the ducting with a pro.

John Mills_5

brands

Everyone has their own opinion of what is a good brand. Within most brands, there are high end and low end. Of those you mentioned, Goodman is the exception with Goodman being the lower end and their Amana nameplate being the higher end. Trane, Carrier & York have several tiers under their names. Weil-McLain furnaces are made by Texas Furnace Co. and A.O. Smith is only water heaters.



Now you can get a basic single stage 95% furnace for the same price as a 92% model. Or you can get a top of the line 95% for about $1500 more than a basic unit and let the tax credit even things out.