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QUESTION:Shortly I will have to decide on a gas furnace. I will be most likely
getting an AC system as well (later on).
The options I see are:
regular 80% furnace (recommended by some solid HVAC people; the kless
electronics it has the longer it will last)
regular 90% furnace - recommended by sales people for thgouse with not very
hight budgets
dual speed 90% furnace - recommended by sales people for thouse who have the
buck and want the best.
I wouldn't mind spending a bit more if it gives me something (dual 90%) but
I get the point of the old good HVAC contractors as well.
Does anyone know how much you get and how much you lose by going with the
more expensive models?
ANSWER: The typical 80% furnaces are reportedly noisy. Lennox makes a 78% or
something (WhisperHeat, I think) that is supposed to be quiet, but at
expense of a bit of efficiency. The Lennox dealer I spoke with also
bragged on them for reliability, as it's an older well-proven design.
The typical 90% furnace is fairly quiet, but a complex beast (for instance
it has a sump pump). It vents via PVC and emits steam out the side of your
house (which bothers some folks). It also needs well filtered air because
of fine tubes in the heat exchangers, so consider an electronic air
cleaner or at least use pleated media air filters.
I've heard quite mixed reports on variable output (including from
knowledgeable salespeople). They run more often and blow cooler air. On
the down side, they blow air around and make noise more often, and the
cooler air may not be to everybody's taste. On the up side the temperature
should allegedly be a bit more constant, especially in a house with poorly
designed ducting or drafts, because the air is mixed better. Variable
output furnaces are, of course, more expensive to repair.
I have heard very mixed reviews of Lennox, but perhaps some of the
negative comments are based on their pulse furnaces. Carrier, Trane and
Bryant all have had good recommendations posted here. We have a Bryant;
it's only a few months old, no problem so far. One friend has a Lennox and
likes it but it had some problems in the first year.
Make sure you get a good electronic thermostat to go with your furnace. We
like our Honeywell because it holds a very steady temperature and has a
fairly reasonable interface. However, it has a rather poorly implemented
feature (that fortunately can be disabled): to prevent overshoot when
switching from a cooler period to a warmer one it ramps up over an hour or
so. The ramp time varies and we sometimes find ourselves too warm too
early in the morning. Also, its display doesn't properly show you what it
is doing during a ramp, making override a pain. Still, that is a minor
complaint; I'd buy Honeywell again.
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