A furnace system is one of the most critical components of your home. Without a good system, you will be cold during the winter, spend way too much on your heating bill, and have poor comfort in your home. Knowing which bad furnace brands to avoid when purchasing a new system is important.
Based on research and personal experience, furnace brands to avoid include Westinghouse, Maytag, Frigidaire, York, Luxaire, and Coleman. Other brands that have low reliability include Goodman, Amana, and Ducane. While these brands may have the occasional good model or unit, they are brands to avoid due to low quality and unreliability.
For any questions about furnace systems and what to look for in a quality one, continue reading. We will examine the good and worst furnace brands and how to distinguish the difference.
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Lennox
Lennox manufactures some of the best AFUE-rated furnaces and SEER-rated air conditioners on the market. Lennox achieves the highest ratings on the Most Efficient list by Energy Star. Lennox equipment primarily requires furnace installation and AC installation by certified Lennox contractors to maintain the premium performance and reputation.
Ducane offers a standard, limited lifetime warranty on the heat exchangers on all of its gas and oil furnaces, along with a 10-year limited parts warranty. Air conditioners have a 10-year warranty on the compressor and parts. Heat pumps have a 10-year limited warranty on the compressor and on components. Product registration is required to receive full warranty benefits.
Furnace Buying Guide: What to Look for When Buying a Furnace
Today’s modern furnaces pollute less and provide more consistent heat than older models. Gas is the most common heating fuel, with natural gas and propane furnace models.
When it is time to repair or replace your furnace, most people call a qualified HVAC contractor for advice. Depending on the technician evaluating the system, you can get various opinions. It’s important to ask meaningful questions and obtain multiple quotes from different companies.
Many companies use certain brands exclusively. There’s nothing wrong with that; however, it can also tell you a lot.
The furnace needs to be correctly sized, or it won’t be able to keep your house warm when you need it most. An undersized furnace consumes more fuel as it runs longer than necessary to heat your home.
Most technicians will oversize the furnace to ensure it works during freezing temperatures. A bigger furnace will cycle on and off more frequently, putting additional wear on its component’s energy waste and potentially causing temperatures to fluctuate uncomfortably.
You may also require larger ducts if the ductwork isn’t big enough. Airflow can be noisy if ducts aren’t large enough.
Choose a contractor who will take the time to compute your heating requirements according to an industry standard like the Manual J HVAC residential load calculation from the Air Conditioning Contractors of America.
FAQ
Is Lennox better than ducane?
How long is a ducane furnace warranty?
Who makes the most reliable furnace?
