Furnace Replacement - Good -vs-Bad

[Mark_AR]

OK, I'm replacing my whole heating & AC system.
I've narrowed it down to 3:

Lennox - Best price. 92% efficient & 410A refrigerant(SEER 13). No idea what their track record is. 5yr Compressor, 1yr P&L, 20yr Heat Exchanger.

Carrier -Priciest of the 3(By $1,000, but my last Carrier lasted 27 years. 92% eff. 410A in AC unit(SEER 12). 5Yr Compressor, 1yr P&L, Lifetime Heat Exchanger.

Ruud - Next cheapest, but 90% eff. 20k BTU less than old unit, AC using old R22 refrigerant(SEER13). 7yr compressor, 1Yr P&L, 20yr Heat Ex.

What is your best pick of the 3, knowing that each has about the same warranty.

Any personal horror stories I should know?

Thanks...

 

[SatelliteGAL]

I dont have any personal experience with the brands you mention although Lennox and Carrier are very popular in my area. I did go check consumer reports website though. They do not rate furnaces like most things. They advise that you choose the proper size and a good installer and maintain it properly because those were the factors that made a difference.

 

[HCI]

Go with the Carrier you said your last ran for 27 years before it died.

Proof enough.

 

[txcruiser]

It's hard to stop a TRANE in Texas!

 

[Mark_AR]

I tried to get a Trane rep to come out, but I had to go through Home D* and I *STILL* haven't gotten a call for their rep that is 120 miles away in Little Rock. That was over a week ago now.
So they are out of the running...

I've also eliminated Ruud as from what I am hearing, R-22 is being phased out, so the new refrigerant R-410A will be the only thing available in 5-10 years, so I would have to switch again(after the warranty is out).

Now its down to Carrier & Lennox. I will pit them against one another in a price/warranty war and see who bends the most or offers me a little better service.

FYI- YORK was also a choice, but they wanted $6,000.00 for comparable units listed above. The rep took the longest amount of time to talk to me, but an hour of chit-chat isn't worth yanking $2,000 extra out of my wallet.

Thanks for the input!

 

[DRGingras]

My vote was for other - had a Bryant plus90 installed in '94, not a single problem or service call in 11+ years. Warranty similar to Carrier, local contractors were more willing to negotiate price on this brand. Also added a freon-free AC unit (seer14, though) in 2000. No problems here, but 6 years in short Wisconsin summers may not give the best track record for you
I do my own cleaning and maintenance on both units, and, besides filters, have only had to replace the blower motor (preventative maintenance after 8 years, we run it 24x7 during heating and cooling seasons.).

Dave

Edit: FWIW, Carrier bought Bryant, and they're both owned by United Technologies.

 

[rtt2]

I just replaced an oil burner with a weil-mclain if that helps. Great burner and really iproved effeciency.

Many parts of Farfield County CT does not have gas lines. I get gas delived for the Viking stove by a truck every few mopnths though.

But oil works out cheaper than gas, lock in the price each year and do not deal with the soaring prices of natural gas like you guys have been over the past few years.

 

[Bob Haller]

Lennox built that piece of #@!$#^% Pulse furnace years ago. I say ANYTHING but a Lennox!

Then again I dont buy bridgestone Firestone tires under any circumstanes!

Companies would be more careful if more people remembered their screw ups!

 

[Mark_AR]

York came down in price by $1,800.00 but by sacrificing some updated cold air return ductwork. I *could* live with it, but I am getting ductwork with the other guys...

He said that he looked at the wrong price in his book for the furnace too. (Yeah right)

Side note. My propane company filled my tank Friday. Yesterday I went out and got the bill from under the lid and noticed a hissing noise. The receipt was covered with an oily substance and was unreadable. The driver left the bleeder valve cracked just a tiny bit allowing my propane to leak out. I just took my fingers and tightened it a little and it quit.

I don't know if it was intentional or not, but I am going to always check my tank from now on.

I had to talk to the owner and he finally agreed to credit me 10 gallons on my balance.

That could have gone on for weeks. Sometimes I don't retrieve the bill for a while. That would have eaten up my prepay quickly.

BEWARE!:devil:

Oh.. Happy New Year too!

 

[SatelliteGAL]

We have had our York furnace for 10 years and the a/c for about 7. Both have been .... knock wood.... problem free.

 

[dodge]

Heating and Cooling System

The Lennox Pulse was a great furnace very reliable no problems nice even heat. My neighbor has one and the guy who instlled said when you get rid of it, he wants it for his house.

Down in arkansas you guys still use forced air??
I though most in the south and mid south used heat pumps for ac and heat!!! With electric coil for backup???

How cold does it get down there if never gets below 30 deg. the heat pump would be the way to go!!

 

[LER]

Just moved into a brand new house, and it has Carrier A/C with puron.

Dunno on cost yet, just another data point.

 

[Bob Haller]

The Lennox Pulse was a great furnace very reliable no problems nice even heat. My neighbor has one and the guy who instlled said when you get rid of it, he wants it for his house.

maybe it was a second generation pulse?

my father in law had his pulse guts replaced 5 times, board failures, his neighbors complained of the exhaust noise, and even with a muffler it was annoying.

pulse the model that should of never been sold..