<p>Has anyone chosen a new gas furnace lately? Mine’s either going to have to be replaced or repaired, and since it’s older I think we’ll just replace it.</p>
<p>My furnace guy has a website showing about 10 models. Before I study that, if someone has a short sweet opinion on the merit of high efficiency vrs. ‘normal’ I’d be most grateful.</p>
<p>Ha! I am not alone. My furnace’s blower fan is working off and on. Furnace is 15 years old and it will cost $1750 to fix it.</p>
<p>I have a Lennox representative coming this PM. Already have recommendation for Lennox G61MP and Carrier 58CVA and Carrier 58STX from another firm.</p>
<p>Have looked on line and also found recommendations for Rheem which does not advertise.</p>
<p>I found out if you opt for high efficiency you have to have a condensation unit that will need a drain for the water. The more efficient furnaces need these units. Also, find out if the furnace, condensation unit and new thermostat are included in any quotes you get.</p>
<p>I have an electrostatic air cleaner. One firm said it was OK to use with a new furnace. Another (the ones coming this PM) told me that it should not be used with a high efficiency furnace.</p>
<p>If you belong to Angie’s List you can look at reviews by consumers. I also found that the quality of your installer is very important. If the furnace is not installed properly the life of the furnace will be shortened.</p>
<p>So, be careful and let’s hope more individuals reply to this thread!</p>
<p>We actually have heating/AC guys in the family, but they don’t travel as far as my house. One relative says that the very high efficiency units need special venting out the side of the house (my recollection of what he said, anyway) and while that may be the way to go with new construction, poking new holes in existing houses might not make as much sense. Just looking for other opinions. Those tax rebates only work for the very high efficiency stuff I think.</p>
<p>$1750 for a blower seems crazy. My handy brother replaces the blowers for nowhere near that price.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>We bought our house in 1987, and the furnace was relatively new at that time. While not the high efficiency of those today, the efficiency was high enough that the water vapor was condensing in the chimney and causing problems. Last year we got a Bryant high efficiency furnace because I have been happy with the Bryant AC unit we have had for 18 years. It does have the pump for condensation, and holes were poked in the side of the house for the intake and exhaust. I have been happy with it, it is much quieter, and I like the idea of higher efficiency from a fuel standpoint.</p>
<p>We got a Lennox High Efficiency HVAC 15 years ago. It’s never needed servicing, works great and is far more efficient than the system that it replaced. It has a intake and exhaust tubes going outside the home. It also has a tube hooked up to a pump (I guess that’s the condensation unit) that pumps water to our sewer pipe. Never had a problem with it. It also takes care of the condensation from the AC compressor. I think that the whole HVAC was about $3,500 way back then. There was a rebate from the gas company too.</p>
<p>Our old unit was outside and the blower motor was next to a wall. To replace the blower motor meant taking the HVAC apart to get to it. It was well worth it in money saved in heating and cooling and reliability to just replace the whole thing.</p>
<p>We replaced a 9 year old furnace two years ago. Yeah, the first one was “builder” grade and we hadn’t known any better. We now have a Tappan high efficiency. My H wasn’t really keen on Tappan, but we were in dire straights with a dead furnace in Feb. and that’s what the local HVAC guy wanted to install. We have had, and continue to have, problems with an annoying screeching sound on the variable speed blower.</p>
<p>But…the high efficiency is such a vast improvement. Our LP consumption dropped 35%. It does vent through the house exterior with PVC, which I consider an improvement. As soon as I replace our “builder grade” water heater, I can get rid of that stupid steel chimney sticking out the roof.</p>
<p>Tax credit is pretty beneficial, but you must buy before Dec. 31st.</p>
<p>We went through this 2 years ago when deciding on a new gas fired boiler to replace a very oil oil burner. High efficiency (94%) @ $3400 to acquire and $4500 to install vs. regular boiler (84% efficiency) @ $1400 to acquire and $2500 to install. The break-even for the extra cost was 12 years away even with the rebates. Too far away.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone. Don’t need this thread right now, but we will in a year or two. We are nursing the current system along, but are trying to get S2 through college first. Have subscribed to the thread for later reference.</p>
<p>We got a new gas furnace this past summer. Our old one was 28 years old. We got a Trane.</p>
<p>Well, the furnace guy came and showed me the numbers. This tax credit makes the best furnace with the best efficiency cost the same in the end as the less efficient roof vent replacement, so we’re going to poke another hole in our house.</p>
<p>Gads, 25 years since we replaced the first one… I knew it had been a while but wow.</p>
<p>If you live in a climate where the temperature gets warm, I also recommend a high-performance roof vent. That combined with our HVAC replacement (did them both around the same time) cut our heating and cooling bills in half. Even with large increases in the cost of energy, our bills are still lower than they were in the early 1990s.</p>
<p>Treetopleaf, We’re in the process of replacing our aging propane furnaces with Bryant high-efficiency dual-fuel systems (heat pumps with propane furnace backups). This is probably too late for you, but I thought I’d share some of the things we’ve learned about the process:</p>
<p>1) Get more than one quote, and be sure to get quotes for systems manufactured by different companies. By doing so, you can negotiate a substantially better price. </p>
<p>2) Those of you who are nursing along aging systems might want to think about replacing your systems now. Not only will you be eligible for substantial tax credits and rebates before year end, but you’ll also be able to negotiate price. There’s no negotiating once your system fails and you need a new system immediately.</p>
<p>3) Furnaces are no longer the best options for many of us, including those who live in colder climates. Heat pumps and/or dual fuel systems may now be the most cost effective options because of recent improvements in design, efficiency, and programmable thermostat capability. A heating professional should be able to tell you if a heat pump or dual fuel system is a viable option in your part of the country.</p>
<p>4) There’s little to no difference in the quality of systems manufactured by many well-known companies. Just be sure to compare apples to apples when negotiating price.</p>
<p>5) Don’t discount a geothermal heating system because of the high initial cash outlay. If you’re planning to be in your home for more than a few years, a geothermal system may be the most cost effective option for the long term. Geothermal systems are especially attractive right now because of the 30% total installation tax credit for systems installed before December 31, 2016.</p>
<p>6) High efficiency heating and air conditioning systems installed before the end of the year may be eligible for state, electric company, manufacturer, and/or federal tax credits and rebates. </p>
<p>7) Quality of installation and service are important considerations when choosing a new system. If you’re not familiar with a heating professional, ask for references from previous customers.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>know there are only a few manufactures out there, but many brands.
With a little research you can find out who makes who.
For example, rheem may make comfortmaker(just an example) so many people feel the comparable Comfortmaker is almost exactly the same model as the rheem, just a different nameplate, but for far less money.
If you expect to stay in your home a long time, the more efficient the better, you’ll re-coup the extra costs. I also recommend you look at your insulation. We added additional blown-in r-19 in attic when we upgraded furnace, in 2 yrs we broke even on insulation cost hereafter we are saving money.</p>