Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I always spend a bit more upfront and go with high-efficiency. Better for my bills and the planet.
I had a Lennox system that was 35 years old when we replaced it. We went with another Lennox. The only experience I have had with Carrier was a window unit. It's about 20 years old and still runs well. I'd be comfortable with either brand.
Depending on where you live, if you have forced air heat, you might want to consider adding a whole house humidifier to the unit. I did, and it greatly improved winter conditions inside the house.
Upcharges for each level of "efficiency" can very quickly offset any potential "lower energy cost".
I am fortunate to have known my HVAC shop owner since we were in GRADE SCHOOL together and when I need advice I ask him "what makes the most sense". Unless your home is already SUPER INSULATED and so very weather tight that the pay off period for the most efficient furnace is very short it probably makes sense to get a more affordable unit.
The pricing model that the manufacturers have adopted means the costs for each level of efficiency "stack up" and the most efficient unit, which is only using a tiny bit less fuel than the unit a step or down, might be 2x or 3X more money upfront. Often the repair costs and reliability record of the most "cutting edge" units is also negative...
I recommend understanding how the various tiers are "upsold" -- 4 Things That Dictate The Cost Of A Gas Furnace
There are online calculators that help you determine the pay back period for the more efficient units and if that pay back exceeds the time you plan on living in the home / lifespan of the unit, then that just leaves how much of "warm spot" you get from being "kind to Mother Nature"... https://www.yourmoneypage.com/energy/furnace1.php
I am fortunate to have known my HVAC shop owner since we were in GRADE SCHOOL together and when I need advice I ask him "what makes the most sense". Unless your home is already SUPER INSULATED and so very weather tight that the pay off period for the most efficient furnace is very short it probably makes sense to get a more affordable unit.
If your house is well insulated and weather tight, wouldn't that make the pay off period longer, rather than shorter? That is, in a well-insulated house, the furnace runs less often so I'd assume the efficiency matters less than in an uninsulated house where the furnace had to run more.
You'll save about 17% of fuel costs by going from 80% to 96%. So if you use more fuel in the first place, your payoff time is lower.
Note that to put in an ultra-high-efficiency furnace requires you add a vent (existing chimney can't be used), so that's a big increase in installation cost.
Do the research. You'll find Carrier will last you maybe 6 years and then you'll be replacing it. They have had tons of issues with the cores leaking and the fix is EXPENSIVE. Lennox is made in Mexico with Chinese parts. I'd strongly suggest Trane, American Standard, Rheem or Ruud. All are made in the USA. Ruud is an economy Rheem and made with the same basic parts on the same assembly line. The American Standard is an economy Trane and is also made on the same assembly line using the same parts. I would suggest getting as high of a SEER as you can afford. It will pay for itself over the long haul.
I'm shocked nobody asked where the OP lives. If the OP lives in a cold climate, the high efficiency condensing furnace would be the obvious choice. However, in a warmer climate, the OP may never see a return of investment with a high efficiency condensing furnace. Here in the Phoenix area high efficiency condensing furnaces are almost never installed by anyone (with some contractors not even stocking them at all); most people go for standard efficiency furnaces or heat pumps.
I'm shocked nobody asked where the OP lives. If the OP lives in a cold climate, the high efficiency condensing furnace would be the obvious choice. However, in a warmer climate, the OP may never see a return of investment with a high efficiency condensing furnace. Here in the Phoenix area high efficiency condensing furnaces are almost never installed by anyone (with some contractors not even stocking them at all); most people go for standard efficiency furnaces or heat pumps.
Yup, I'm in a mild climate too and the demand for HiE furnaces dried up when the tax break bill rode off into the sunset a few years ago. They simply don't pencil out unless the climate is cold for long periods.
It's also crucial to understand the difference between burner efficiency and system efficiency. A high efficiency furnace connected to leaky 40 Y/O ductwork may provide a system efficiency of only 70 +/- % efficiency if the leakage is to outdoors...crawl space or attic. The upgrade money would be better spent on tightening the duct leakage and if you have A/C, the duct strategy would provide benefits year round.
2 stage equipment best benefits those with noise concerns. If you don't have noise concerns, you'd be buying features without receiving any benefits. Variable speed blower motors (ECM) cost considerably less to run so if you need constant circulation for filtering, that'd be a good choice, otherwise pass....it'll be a $1000 + repair bill when it lets the smoke out.
Carrier would be my recommendation.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
