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Oil furnace brands - Armstrong, Spirit, or Williamson

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atothez
atothez Member Posts: 4
I received some quotes to install an oil furnace in my home in CT and all three of these brands came around the same price. I don't know the exact model numbers unfortunately. I've seen some older threads here saying that Armstrong is a pretty good brand, is that still true?
Thermopride seems to have good reviews as well and from what I can see Spirit is owned by Thermopride so that may be pretty good too. The Williamson is a 86% AFUE and the other two are 83%. Will that make a huge difference?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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  • Marz
    Marz Member Posts: 90
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    We use Williamson and Thermopride. Both are good units. I prefer the Williamson over the Thermopirde. We install dozens per year, and have great results at every routine maintenance. Our customers have been happier with the model that utilizes the ECM motor. Good luck.

    PS. I would choose the Carlin burner over the other 2. It matches up better for the Williamson unit.
    atothez
  • atothez
    atothez Member Posts: 4
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    Thank you! Another option came into the mix - Carrier. That's the only brand out of these that I had heard of and surprisingly it is cheaper than the rest.
  • Kakashi
    Kakashi Member Posts: 88
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    Spirit or T-pride. Go with whatever burner the installing company recommends.
    If you buy that Carrier unit, odds are you're going to be replacing the heat exchanger/unit within ten years.
    atothez
  • Marz
    Marz Member Posts: 90
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    I will say this, We always match our Williamsons with Carrier A/C products. They are great. We will not however install an oil fired Carrier ever again. If anyone here has seen this new design knows what i'm talking about.
    atothezSuperTech
  • John Mills_5
    John Mills_5 Member Posts: 951
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    How new of a design on the Carrier? We installed some ICP units which are Dettsen like Carrier. So far good results but they are only in the 5 year old range.
    atothez
  • atothez
    atothez Member Posts: 4
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    Thanks for the input everyone.
    The Carrier model I was quoted was OVMAAB03698, looks like it's their performance 80 model with a variable fan so it's a higher end one...but still ends up being about 600 cheaper than the Williamson. And it has a Beckett burner.
    From the sound of it though, Carriers have the worst reviews on here. I guess I'm leaning towards Williamson at this point.
    Has anyone had a good experience with Carrier OVM oil models at all?
  • Bob Bona_4
    Bob Bona_4 Member Posts: 2,083
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    Just about every furnace out there pales in comparison to T-Pride. Carrier is quite tinny as well. The ECM blower is a good choice regardless of brand.

    If one sees the sheer heft of the T-Prides heat exchanger and control simplicity, it's no contest.
    SuperTech
  • Dave0176
    Dave0176 Member Posts: 1,177
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    I think Armstrong us manufactured by Lennox. I like the Williamson furnaces too.
    DL Mechanical LLC Heating, Cooling and Plumbing 732-266-5386
    NJ Master HVACR Lic# 4630
    Specializing in Steam Heating, Serving the residents of New Jersey
    https://heatinghelp.com/find-a-contractor/detail/dl-mechanical-llc

    https://m.facebook.com/DL-Mechanical-LLC-315309995326627/?ref=content_filter

    I cannot force people to spend money, I can only suggest how to spend it wisely.......
  • atothez
    atothez Member Posts: 4
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    Thanks all. The T-Pride although I understand is highest quality one but it's significantly more expensive than the rest and I only plan on staying in this house 3-5 years. Based on the overall input here, I'll go with Williamson. Thank you!
  • Bob Bona_4
    Bob Bona_4 Member Posts: 2,083
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    That would be my second choice! Good plan.
  • Marz
    Marz Member Posts: 90
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    You will love it..Fact.
    Bob Bona_4