I have been doing tons of reading and get negative results in many areas but here is what I have found.
Trane or American Standard seem to be the best out their but costly.
Goodman=Amana=problems
Carrier once good now is having issues.
Pane might actually be a better outfit then the carrier and is cheaper.
York seems to be coming in as the unsung hero of the day for reliability and cost. I have been getting the idea they might be a tad noisier then others. Three to four times cheaper then Trane.
Lennnox also might be a good buy but York is possibly more reliable.
Pulse furnaces is a big stay away from.
Also if you have a midefficient furnace do not bother upgrading to high efficiency as none are going to run longer then 20 years most likely 15.
I have a carrier was not looked after and is corroding fast. I think the kiss rule applies here stay away from sophisticated controls that save you no more then 10.00 a month but cost 2000.00 more as an option 20 year payback is unreasonable given life expectancy of the time. My thought is less parts less issues. get the 80% efficient model and be happy with the lower cost.
Any one have thoughts on this? I hope to make a decision on my system very very soon.
I have to say that trane or the american standard is your best bet. YEs they cost more but over the life of the device they are the ones that are going to stand up and keep going. Carrier is what I would consider third and still have a good system. I know that the better ones cost a lot more but at times you can qualify for a rebate that will help lower the over all cost. This may be a states thing but am unsure. Being in the power business you may know if they offer a rebate for a new efficient furnace. I believe that you should do your research and go with the one that is proven to have less problems than the others. IF you do get a cheaper one that needs more maintance are you really saving money over the life of the machine?
Yes that is the big issue. Though some right now offer ten year part and labor. So that might sway me a bit.
The only rebates apply to the over 90 % (600 back ) over 93 (1000 back) Does not off set the price increase in the higher effective model.
I had three service men recommend (they were not bidding on the job) the york as they never have issue wit them. I do not recall them being around much.
Consumers put carrier lennox Goodman amana american standard and trane in the top 10. I like that Jonson controls are n the lennox line I trust them from my experience in the manufacturing world. I feel the warranty might play a big part.
I think I am going to get the trane and the york priced by the next place coming.
Funny lots of these companies are from Texas go figure. Nope not a good test ground for a/c I am sure.