Furnace Brands

Furnace brands and features

According to large homeowner surveys, American Standard and Trane (the same company) furnaces are among the least repair-prone, and most of the contractors we interviewed ranked them among their top picks for reliability, regardless of whether or not they actually sold them. One dissenter, who sells Carrier furnaces, says Trane is the least reliable brand. He says the brand has more proprietary parts than others, and is therefore more expensive to repair. An American Standard contractor agreed that the brand has more proprietary parts than other brands, and offered a good technical explanation of why those parts were better. A Trane contractor disagreed with the premise, and pointed out many major parts that are sourced from third-party manufacturers.

The Trane XV90, for example, incorporates a variable-speed blower that delivers air more slowly and quietly when less heat is needed, using less electricity. Heat is thereby delivered continuously with fewer swings in temperature. Higher efficiency rates mean lower energy bills, but 90% gas furnaces can cost $1,000 more than 80% models. If you live in an area with harsh winters, such as the Midwest or Northeast, you'll eventually recoup this additional cost in fuel-bill savings. However, if you live in an area with milder winters, experts say an 80% AFUE furnace may be more cost-efficient in the long run. The Trane XV80 has a similar two-stage burner and variable-speed blower, features that experts say help furnaces run with fewer on-off cycles, which makes for less wear and tear. Trane now offers a three-stage gas furnace, the Trane XC95, rated at 95% AFUE. This model can actually communicate with your phone (with an extra-cost module), so you can dial-up the temperature remotely.

The Rheem Prestige Series 90 Plus Modulating with Contour Comfort Control is a high-efficiency furnace with two-stage modulating burners. This modulating furnace varies fan speed and heat automatically at the selected temperature within a variance of .5 of a degree. Conventional furnaces are either 100% on or 100% off, resulting in a temperature variation of around five degrees between cycling on and off. The Rheem (along with the Trane furnaces), however, varies its blower power to maintain a more consistent air temperature with less power-consuming on/off cycling. The downside is the price. The savings on lower utility bills may not be enough to justify the expense of the furnace plus installation if you live in a climate with only moderate winters. Contractors we interviewed generally praised Rheem. But one contractor, Rob Dowd, a service manager for DiFilippo's Service in Paoli, Pennsylvania, says he has witnessed a lot of Rheem equipment fail and criticizes the company for poor technical support. However, none of the other contractors we spoke to have such critical words for Rheem. This furnace is also available as the Ruud Ultra Series.

Reviewers say the Bryant Evolution Plus 90i series (also sold as the Carrier WeatherMaker Infinity 96 series) is the best choice among super-high-efficiency gas furnaces with AFUE ratings from 94.1% to 96.6%. Columnist James Dulley praises this unit's heat/blower controls, and according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the Infinity series' electric motor uses the smallest amount of electricity (105 to 258 kilowatts per year). Armstrong makes a similar 95% gas furnace with an excellent repair record. If your contractor offers the choice, the Armstrong unit may be a couple hundred dollars cheaper.

We did read some comments that Carrier/Bryant models need repairs more often, and are more difficult and expensive to repair because of the high cost of parts. In spite of the class action suits (see above), both Carrier and Bryant have average to above-average long-term reliability. Bryant's top line is called Evolution. The middle and bottom lines are Preferred and Legacy.

Lennox, Tempstar and York have supporters, including James Dulley, but reliability is below average, according to the latest survey data (which is quite outdated). Dulley commends the Lennox two-stage model for quiet operation.

The majority of households use natural gas fuel for furnaces, but if you live in an area where natural gas is not available, an energy-efficient oil-burning furnace is an option. Though there are a small handful of 95% oil furnaces on the market, the majority of oil furnaces aren't capable of the super-high AFUE rates that gas furnaces have achieved; 87% is typically the highest rating you'll find, and oil furnaces also have higher electrical demands. However, installing an 86% AFUE oil furnace to replace an old 60% AFUE furnace will still save fuel costs. ACEEE's efficiency ratings and interviews with oil-furnace contractors point to Thermo Pride oil furnaces, which have high AFUE ratings coupled with lower electrical costs.

Regardless of brand, Dulley says to install a sealed-vent model. He recommends a slew of brands. Among them, only Carrier/Bryant also makes gas furnaces.