EmailBest Reviewed
Furnaces
- High-efficiency gas furnace 90 percent AFUE gas furnace *Est. $3000
- Gas furnace for the most comfortable home environment Multi-stage modulating gas furnace 92 percent to 97 percent AFUE *Est. $3500
- Budget gas furnace 80 percent AFUE gas furnace *Est. $2000
- Oil furnace Sealed-vent oil furnace *Est. $2000
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Budget gas furnace
- Relatively inexpensive
- May require fewer installation modifications
- Lower efficiency than other furnaces
- Higher operating costs
James Dulley writes an excellent roundup of 80 percent AFUE gas furnaces, citing various manufacturers and comparing different designs. We also consult Consumer Reports' surveys of brands and contractors.
Gas furnaces with annual fuel utilization efficiency ratings of 80 percent are obviously less efficient than their higher-rated 90 percent AFUE counterparts, but they still have their uses. Experts recommend these furnaces for people who live in mild climates or who do not plan to stay in one home for at least five years (enough time to make up for the higher upfront cost of a more efficient furnace). While a 90 percent AFUE furnace wastes considerably less fuel, an 80 percent furnace will probably still be more efficient than the unit you're replacing, which is most likely an older 60 percent furnace. The different amounts of wasted fuel will cause your monthly energy costs to be higher with an 80 percent furnace than with a 90 percent one, but how long it would take to break even depends on gas rates and how much they increase over time.
Our Sources
1. Sensible HomeDetails/Subscribe
Dulley lists 18 manufacturers of furnaces with efficiencies ranging from 80 percent to 82.2 percent. He examines the various designs and discusses them with the manufacturers' engineers. Dulley does not rate or rank brands or products, explaining, "I generally list only the highest-quality, most efficient or unique ones that I feel are particularly 'good buys.'" He does mention his personal preference for the crimped clamshell heat exchanger design offered by Bryant and Carrier.
Review: Budget-Priced 80 percent Gas Furnaces Improve Comfort, Savings, James Dulley, 2007
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
This survey covers more than 36,000 furnaces installed in homes between 1997 and 2004. The Consumer Reports staff rates 12 brands but neither tests nor recommends any particular models.
Review: Furnace Picks and Pans, Editors of Consumer Reports, Feb. 2005
3. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
This informative article on selecting a furnace incorporates interviews with 500 contractors. Editors don't compare or recommend specific models; instead, they emphasize the importance of selecting both an appropriate size of furnace and a reliable contractor. Information is provided about choosing the right efficiency level for your climate, selecting a contractor and soliciting bids.
Review: Heating with Gas, Editors of Consumer Reports, July 2003