Has anyone installed a new furnace recently?

cherry · ‎03-09-2010

If you have, could you tell me which brand, and are you happy with it?. Right now we are looking at a Lenox

I am dismayed to hear the expected life of a furnace is now only 20 years. It seems they don't last like they used to

PinkyPetunia · ‎03-09-2010

I would like to know, too. I have a gas fired forced hot air system.

2blonde · ‎03-10-2010

I have a good friend in the HVAC business (he installed my current heat pump and electric furnace for me at cost). He does all kinds of furnaces, heat pumps and A/C. He says there are so many brand names, but most units are only manufactured by a couple manufacturers. He also says he doesn't see much difference in repair rates from one brand to another.......there are lemons anywhere. The most important thing is to get a reputable installer. Many problems are the result of poor installation.

@cherry

Laura loves cats!

Oostende · ‎03-14-2010

I replaced my twenty-year-old furnace almost exactly a year ago. I replaced the air conditioner at the same time.

I went with the Lenox. My old furnace and air conditioner were Carrier.

The Lenox is excellent quality and came with an unmatched waranty. They were also the most expensive.

It was the blower that made the difference to me. I live in a house with the furnace in the basement and two floors above that. A good blower was imperative to force the warm air high enough to warm the top floor, (Or cool it efficiently in the summer.)

I live in the mountains, close to the Tetons. It gets cold here. A good furnace is a necessity. I researched a lot and went with the Lenox.

By the way, I think Costco has a relationship with Lenox. Maybe you could get a better price through them if you are a member.

cherry · ‎03-09-2010

@2blonde The guy we are looking at is reputable. He iinstalled our last furnace 27 years ago. We have never had any problems

2blonde · ‎03-10-2010

@cherry If he's been in the business that long and you already have experience with him, then by all means go with whatever he recommends!

Laura loves cats!

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

My old forced-air-gas furnace was nearly 40 yo. I had three different hvac companies come to my house to analyze my needs and I got three different recs from each of them.

With the limited budget I had at that time, I chose a mid-priced Rheem to heat my house. It's been about five or six years running with no problems.

One of the biggest change from the old one is the electronics in the new one. My new one does not have a pilot flame. It has an electronic spark thing instead. There is also a flame detector thingee that detects when the the burner comes on. This is a pain in the neck because it gets "dirty" and must be cleaned or your furnace shuts off and won't come on until you clean it. I encourage you to learn how to do this because it happens more than than you think...mine two or three times last winter. Professionals charge around $75-$150 for annual cleanings/checkups here and the flame detector and spark thingee are the main things they clean. Once-a-year cleanings is not enough for the flame detectors.

Also have had to replace the original flame detector once because cleaning the old one did not help. I did it myself...like changing a lightbulb, sort of.

Lipstickdiva · ‎03-10-2010

@SilleeMee, we have a furnace that is now 21 years old in our house. Ours has that same stupid thing you are talking about and we didn't know it. My DH used to work nights. One evening I kept hearing the furnace kick on but it would run for maybe a minute and shut off. I would wake up in the morning and the house would be in the 50s. But everytime DH came home, everything was working fine. This went on for a couple of weeks and DH was starting to think I was nuts. LOL

Finally one morning I woke up frozen, he came home and it was doing it for him. He called his buddy who told him what needed to be cleaned so we've been able to do it ever since then ourselves.

Lipstickdiva · ‎03-10-2010

I've not changed our furnace but we had to get a new AC. We also went with Lennox. The warranty on them could not be beat. 10 years and it is parts AND labor.