My SIL asked me to do some research for her. She's interested in a
forced air furnace for her 3000 sq. ft. home and doesn't know which
kind to buy. Rather than ask a heating expert, who may or may not sell
you his/her special brand, I thought I would ask here. Does anyone
have any special preferences as to which kind they like/would like to
have? What would be the reasons?

Thank you.

Sorry to say, but from what the HVAC guys have said here, time and
again:

They can be pretty much the same, regardless of brand and sometimes
price.

I've seen more than one installer comment here that a good install can
make the most poorly designed and least expensive unit perform better
and longer than the most expensive poorly installed unit.

It's getting a good installer that knows what you need, and installing
it properly that counts.

Having said that - DO NOT buy a Lennox. I spent top dollar on one of
those damn things.... over the last 4 years it has gone out at least 5
times.

Sizing and installation are certainly important, but an inferior unit
well installed is still an inferior unit. I think most HVAC people,
knowledgeable as they are, cannot give a good answer as to which units
are best, because all of them seem to be limited to a few lines; if you
ask a Chevy dealer what the best car is, is he going to know anything
about Fords?

I looked he http://www.consumersearch.com/www/ho..._home/furnaces

and they recommended an article he
https://www112.rapidsite.net/dulley/data/bulletin.php3

I have no idea about their credentials, but at least it gives you some
place to start looking.

wrote:
My SIL asked me to do some research for her. She's interested in a
forced air furnace for her 3000 sq. ft. home and doesn't know which
kind to buy. Rather than ask a heating expert, who may or may not sell
you his/her special brand, I thought I would ask here. Does anyone
have any special preferences as to which kind they like/would like to
have? What would be the reasons?

Thank you.


--
SPAMBLOCK NOTICE! To reply to me, delete the h from apkh.net, if it is
there.

On 26 Jan 2005 12:40:26 -0800, wrote:

My SIL asked me to do some research for her. She's interested in a
forced air furnace for her 3000 sq. ft. home and doesn't know which
kind to buy. Rather than ask a heating expert, who may or may not sell
you his/her special brand, I thought I would ask here. Does anyone
have any special preferences as to which kind they like/would like to
have? What would be the reasons?

Thank you.

Thats kind of like asking,
"I need to buy a new car. What kind should I get?"
You also need to ask an expert. They are who installs them. You
wouldnt ask your plumber to work on your car, would you?
Get approx 3 estimates (NOT 10). Get estimates from companies you have
researched (friends, family, co workers etc.) Ask the local Trane,
Tempstar, Carrier, Rheem, etc wholesale house who they would use if
they needed a new furnace in their home.
Do a little research and you'll be happy you did.
Bubba (An expert)

That is sort of like shopping for a green car.

The most important part of the process is the contractor not the unit.
Sure a bad unit properly installed is still a bad unit, but a good
contractor will not install a bad unit.

As your friends neighbors and co-workers. Find one or more you can
trust and get estimates. Let them pick the units they feel will work best
in the situation. Then before you make the final choice, get references and
check them out.


--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math
wrote in message
oups.com...
My SIL asked me to do some research for her. She's interested in a
forced air furnace for her 3000 sq. ft. home and doesn't know which
kind to buy. Rather than ask a heating expert, who may or may not sell
you his/her special brand, I thought I would ask here. Does anyone
have any special preferences as to which kind they like/would like to
have? What would be the reasons?

Thank you.

First question is which fuel will she be using- gas,electric,oil, heat pump?
Next is what one of the other posters said- They are all pretty much the
same. I prefer Trane or Ruud/Rheem but only because of one reason---Make
sure you can get local repair work done by a reputable service organization!
Ask some neighbors who they use don't be afraid to call them and conduct an
interview. It's a lot of money at stake (both for the furnace and the fuel)
and you want to make the right decision.

'
My SIL asked me to do some research for her. She's interested in a
forced air furnace for her 3000 sq. ft. home and doesn't know which kind
to buy. Rather than ask a heating expert, who may or may not sell you
his/her special brand, I thought I would ask here. Does anyone have any
special preferences as to which kind they like/would like to have? What
would be the reasons?
Thank you.'

There are many good brands out there ; it comes down to how important is
name recognition to you and how much are you willing to pay for a fancy
advertising budget being put into the cost of the equipment . If you
feel you need a well recognized name, like Carrier or Trane, then be
prepared to pay out about 30-50% more to cover the enormous marketing
program they have AND...the Carrier Dealers attitude that he can charge
more cause : 'Its a 'Carrier' . Same with Trane and Lennox.

If brand recognition is not all important and you dislike paying for a
manufacturers advertising scheme, then there are a number of good brands
out there that will work just as fine, will last just as long, will be
just as reliable. Such brands are : Goodman, Tempstar, and a few others
which im sure the average consumer hasnt heard of.

Also, the installer and his how he installs the equipment is very
important in your consideration too. Make sure he doesnt have the
typical darkside attitude of the hvac trade, as readily found in :
Alt.HVAC newsgroup.

'Having said that - DO NOT buy a Lennox. I spent top dollar on one of
those damn things.... over the last 4 years it has gone out at least 5
times.'

Lennox is overrated and over-hyped .

What many consumers dont realize is : many of the parts found in
furnaces AND a/c units 'very often' come from the same vendors (IE:
Honneywell Gas Valves, ThermoDisc Limit Switches, G.E. fan motors,
Mallory Capacitors, Norton hot surface ignitors, Fasco Draft inducers,
etc...) .

Ive had many problems with in warranty Trane, Carrier, Lennox as of
late....and fewer and fewer problems with Goodman and Tempstar. Want to
save a bunch of money on advertising and still have a lifetime warranty
on a stainless steel heat exchanger for a 90 plus gas furnace as well
as 5 years on all other parts ?? Then try a Goodman. I put it in my own
house and im convinced its every bit as good as Carrier, Trane, and
Lenny . With the money you save, youll be able to take the family to a
local Embassy Suites Hotel for the weekend including lunch,dinners,
pizza snack, and gratiuity . And youre family will think youre the
greatest.

DNandButthead Davie Boi of Illinois only sells Goodman so he is biased
and full of Bull. Lennox dropped him. Carrier banned him.

Truely it is the instaler, he will make it all come together and work.
But Goodman is not top line from what other Pros here say .

As others said ask the pros, the install is #1, but aside does she
live in a warm area where heating is a few days of the year or where it
is now -35f and she is paying more for heat than the national debt. Is
her old furnace 50- 60 or 80% efficient. Are her summer AC bills high or
nonexistant . How old is it and why is she looking for a new unit,
Saftey, ancient, efficiency, and undersized are a few reasons, as is
unfounded fear.

On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 17:02:31 -0600, (DN B) wrote:

'
My SIL asked me to do some research for her. She's interested in a
forced air furnace for her 3000 sq. ft. home and doesn't know which kind
to buy. Rather than ask a heating expert, who may or may not sell you
his/her special brand, I thought I would ask here. Does anyone have any
special preferences as to which kind they like/would like to have? What
would be the reasons?
Thank you.'

There are many good brands out there ; it comes down to how important is
name recognition to you and how much are you willing to pay for a fancy
advertising budget being put into the cost of the equipment . If you
feel you need a well recognized name, like Carrier or Trane, then be
prepared to pay out about 30-50% more to cover the enormous marketing
program they have AND...the Carrier Dealers attitude that he can charge
more cause : 'Its a 'Carrier' . Same with Trane and Lennox.

If brand recognition is not all important and you dislike paying for a
manufacturers advertising scheme, then there are a number of good brands
out there that will work just as fine, will last just as long, will be
just as reliable. Such brands are : Goodman, Tempstar, and a few others
which im sure the average consumer hasnt heard of.

Also, the installer and his how he installs the equipment is very
important in your consideration too. Make sure he doesnt have the
typical darkside attitude of the hvac trade, as readily found in :
Alt.HVAC newsgroup.

Stop your damn whinning davey. If you werent such an idiot you wouldnt
be crapped on so badly all the time. And the only reason you have a
Goodman in your home is because thats all hacks like you can buy. They
sell to anyone.
Bubba

"William Brown" wrote in message
...
Sizing and installation are certainly important, but an inferior unit
well installed is still an inferior unit. I think most HVAC people,
knowledgeable as they are, cannot give a good answer as to which units
are best, because all of them seem to be limited to a few lines; if you
ask a Chevy dealer what the best car is, is he going to know anything
about Fords?


As a HVAC contractor, I can say yes, we do!

See we work on ALL the brands, and know which ones are failing due to
install issues and which ones are failing do to the unit being a POS!

~kjpro~


I looked he http://www.consumersearch.com/www/ho..._home/furnaces

and they recommended an article he
https://www112.rapidsite.net/dulley/data/bulletin.php3

I have no idea about their credentials, but at least it gives you some
place to start looking.

wrote:
My SIL asked me to do some research for her. She's interested in a
forced air furnace for her 3000 sq. ft. home and doesn't know which
kind to buy. Rather than ask a heating expert, who may or may not sell
you his/her special brand, I thought I would ask here. Does anyone
have any special preferences as to which kind they like/would like to
have? What would be the reasons?

Thank you.


--
SPAMBLOCK NOTICE! To reply to me, delete the h from apkh.net, if it is
there.

"DN B" wrote in message
...
'
My SIL asked me to do some research for her. She's interested in a
forced air furnace for her 3000 sq. ft. home and doesn't know which kind
to buy. Rather than ask a heating expert, who may or may not sell you
his/her special brand, I thought I would ask here. Does anyone have any
special preferences as to which kind they like/would like to have? What
would be the reasons?
Thank you.'

There are many good brands out there ; it comes down to how important is
name recognition to you and how much are you willing to pay for a fancy
advertising budget being put into the cost of the equipment . If you
feel you need a well recognized name, like Carrier or Trane, then be
prepared to pay out about 30-50% more to cover the enormous marketing
program they have AND...the Carrier Dealers attitude that he can charge
more cause : 'Its a 'Carrier' . Same with Trane and Lennox.

If brand recognition is not all important and you dislike paying for a
manufacturers advertising scheme, then there are a number of good brands
out there that will work just as fine, will last just as long, will be
just as reliable. Such brands are : Goodman, Tempstar, and a few others
which im sure the average consumer hasnt heard of.

Also, the installer and his how he installs the equipment is very
important in your consideration too. Make sure he doesnt have the
typical darkside attitude of the hvac trade, as readily found in :
Alt.HVAC newsgroup.


That's just because you are a HACK and get called on it damn near on every
post you reply on over there.

You are a HACK, admit it and go on.

~kjpro~

wrote in message
oups.com...
My SIL asked me to do some research for her. She's interested in a
forced air furnace for her 3000 sq. ft. home and doesn't know which
kind to buy. Rather than ask a heating expert, who may or may not sell
you his/her special brand, I thought I would ask here. Does anyone
have any special preferences as to which kind they like/would like to
have? What would be the reasons?

Thank you.


You have several good replies, and I will say this...

Manual J (size unit to home)

Manual D (size ducting to unit)

You haven't given a general local. Every part of the country uses different
equipment.
North...big on heating and high efficiency...South...big on high S.E.E.R.
Heat pumps.

Equipment longevity depends on several items...local, install, sizing,
general maintenance.

Find the BEST damn INSTALLER you can find and afford, buy the highest energy
saving equipment you can afford!

~kjpro~

wrote in message
oups.com...
My SIL asked me to do some research for her. She's interested in a
forced air furnace for her 3000 sq. ft. home and doesn't know which
kind to buy. Rather than ask a heating expert, who may or may not sell
you his/her special brand, I thought I would ask here. Does anyone
have any special preferences as to which kind they like/would like to
have? What would be the reasons?

Thank you.


This is Turtle.

Most all brands are equal if installed by a Good hvac Installer. All Brands are
trash if installed by a NOT SO GOOD INSTALLER. Now I did say most and not all.

TURTLE

wrote:

My SIL asked me to do some research for her. She's interested in a
forced air furnace for her 3000 sq. ft. home and doesn't know which
kind to buy. Rather than ask a heating expert, who may or may not sell
you his/her special brand, I thought I would ask here. Does anyone
have any special preferences as to which kind they like/would like to
have? What would be the reasons?

Thank you.

I offer two bits of advice from experience.

1st, about 4 or five years ago at a home show, I spoke with a tech, not
a salesman, who advised against very high efficiency (hi 90's) as they
were very finicky and maintenance intensive. He recommended staying in
the low 90 percent efficient range for reliability and cost recovery.

Now keep in mind that was 4-5 years ago, could have been 6. They could
be better now. I wound up replacing mine 2 or 3 years ago.

2nd, get a couple of estimates. Better still 3 or 4. There should not
be any fee for an estimate; call the next guy if there is. I chose my
guy based on the thoroughness of his assessment. Sears was $1,000
higher, and the low bid was $1,000 lower, but the size-up was slap-dash.

The guy I went with, got out a tape measure & sketched the project out
before quoting a price.

P.S. I did not do this but got lucky with the follow up service on a
couple of issues (faulty A-coil that was replaced under warranty, & a
bad solder job on the aforementioned repair) - check the BBB for
complaint history. Don't bother checking with NARI as they are
shameless whore's for crooked contractors (but that is another
story/thread).

On Tue, 01 Feb 2005 20:10:53 GMT, Kevin
wrote:

wrote:

My SIL asked me to do some research for her. She's interested in a
forced air furnace for her 3000 sq. ft. home and doesn't know which
kind to buy. Rather than ask a heating expert, who may or may not sell
you his/her special brand, I thought I would ask here. Does anyone
have any special preferences as to which kind they like/would like to
have? What would be the reasons?

Thank you.

I offer two bits of advice from experience.

1st, about 4 or five years ago at a home show, I spoke with a tech, not
a salesman, who advised against very high efficiency (hi 90's) as they
were very finicky and maintenance intensive. He recommended staying in
the low 90 percent efficient range for reliability and cost recovery.


High or low 90"s??? You flippin idiot. A 90% efficient furnace is a
90% efficient furnace. There is no high or low 90"s. Those are all
just numbers the diff manufacturers try to show so they can look
better. Then next group of furnaces is the 80% ers.
The reliability is the same on the 80's and the 90's. No difference.
I highly recommend a 10yr parts and labor (or 5 yrs) on system you
purchase because they are all **** and they all break.

Now keep in mind that was 4-5 years ago, could have been 6. They could
be better now. I wound up replacing mine 2 or 3 years ago.

2nd, get a couple of estimates. Better still 3 or 4. There should not
be any fee for an estimate; call the next guy if there is. I chose my
guy based on the thoroughness of his assessment. Sears was $1,000
higher, and the low bid was $1,000 lower, but the size-up was slap-dash.

The guy I went with, got out a tape measure & sketched the project out
before quoting a price.

You went with him because he drew you a pretty picture? Did this
pretty picture come with a Manual J and a Manual D load calculation?
(No, I didnt think so)
So who did you pick? The cheapest guy? (Yeah, I thought so)

P.S. I did not do this but got lucky with the follow up service on a
couple of issues (faulty A-coil that was replaced under warranty, & a
bad solder job on the aforementioned repair) - check the BBB for
complaint history. Don't bother checking with NARI as they are
shameless whore's for crooked contractors (but that is another
story/thread).

BBB sucks! They cater to those companies that pay them for a preferred
rating. How honest and reliable can that be?
Bubba