What is the Best Brand of Furnace?

There are a number of manufacturers of home heating systems and home furnaces. Telling which one is best can be difficult. This is especially true when everyone says their heater is the best.

Manufacturers of Furnaces are like Politicians

Manufacturers tend to rely on tidbits of information to claim that their furnace is the best home heater on the market. One furnace might get a 10th of point higher on the AFUE scale and claim that they have the highest efficiency furnace. Another furnace manufacturer might get a little more airflow out of their furnace and claim to have a higher calculated efficiency.

Some claim they have the quietest furnace when in fact they have nearly the loudest furnace. Some exclaim outrageously satisfied clients and use that as a basis for claiming that they have the best home furnace on the market.

You Really Shouldn't Believe Any of It

It is all true, to a degree, and it is all false, to a degree. Homeowner satisfaction surveys are usually taken within a day or two of the installation. These tests are nearly always higher in approval than if the satisfaction survey is taken 3 months to a year after ownership.

Sound Surveys

These are skewed by where the test is taken. The amount of airflow through the ducting, the level of gas going through the furnace and the construction of the home. There are too many variables that can be taken advantage of for the tests to be taken seriously.

Efficiency Surveys

Efficiencies can vary with an adjustment of the air fuel mixture, the amount of airflow across the heat exchanger and the amount of Btus contained within the gas itself.

Computer Programming

Most furnaces and air conditioners are not even tested for their efficiency rates in actual use. They are tested using computer programming and simulations. It was only a few years ago when the Federal Government and AHRI (testing institute) found out that 1 in 4 coils failed to achieve the efficiency the manufacturers were stating. One manufacturer had a 100% failure rate.

Enough of the Negative – Here is Some Positive

The best furnace on the market is one that is installed the best. The one that follows the Uniform Mechanical Code and the manufacturer's installation instructions. There is virtually no difference between a 95% AFUE furnace and a 96% AFUE furnace. The majority of the efficiency in an heating system is contained within the ducting and plenums. We can make an old 80% AFUE furnace every bit, or more, efficient than a brand new 96% furnace when the system is upgraded to Energy Star standards.

Quiet Applications

Even the noisiest furnace can be quieted down with the correct installation techniques. Properly sized ducting and sound baffles in the return air chamber help tremendously. Insulated cabinets and furnaces sized correctly for the application lower noise greatly.

Reliability

If you recognize the brand name of the furnace, then chances are it is a reliable furnace. The number one reason for furnace breakdown, by far, during the first couple of years of operation is poor installation techniques. The number one reason for furnace breakdown after those first couple of years is a lack of proper yearly maintenance. It isn't the furnace causing most of the breakdowns.

Permits

Have your furnace installation inspected. The inspector will help to ensure that the contractor installed your furnace up to code and up to the manufacturers recommendations.