Replacing Furnace

[Amarinelli]

Hi all I'm new to the forum and have a couple questions I would like to repllace my 32 year old lennox furnace with a newer unit and also add central air at the same time I have a gas forced air system the furnace is 110.000 btu's so with newer system I'm assuming because of the age of my current one it should be much more effecient so would i be still looking for the same size furnace or does that have more to do with the size of my house? what are some of the better brands out there I've heard good things abot Trane and carrier is a kenmore furnace any good ? really any help at all would be great thanks so much

Alan

[surenuff]

Yes, btu requirements will be based on the integrity of the house(not just the size). If any major improvements have been made to the house over the years such as better windows, doors, insulation in the attic/walls. etc... could make a big impact on the size of furnace needed. Have a good contractor in you area take a look at the requirements and recommend what size you need. Almost all the brands out there anymore have good warranties, and can provide years of effecient service. But any unit is only going to perform the way it should if it is installed correctly. Make sure the installing contractor has taken time to look at everything including exsisting duct work to make sure everything is sized correctly for the unit and capacity that is chosen. A lot of times a duct work system that was designed for heat only will not be correct for adding a/c, but a lot of units get put in anyway without ever checking these things. Get a good contractor.

[Amarinelli]

Yes, btu requirements will be based on the integrity of the house(not just the size). If any major improvements have been made to the house over the years such as better windows, doors, insulation in the attic/walls. etc... could make a big impact on the size of furnace needed. Have a good contractor in you area take a look at the requirements and recommend what size you need. Almost all the brands out there anymore have good warranties, and can provide years of effecient service. But any unit is only going to perform the way it should if it is installed correctly. Make sure the installing contractor has taken time to look at everything including exsisting duct work to make sure everything is sized correctly for the unit and capacity that is chosen. A lot of times a duct work system that was designed for heat only will not be correct for adding a/c, but a lot of units get put in anyway without ever checking these things. Get a good contractor.

Wow thank you for the thorough informative reply it seems that a lot of emphasis should be put on the installation but what about makes of the furnaces surely some must be better than others such as reliabilty performance etc. I'm starting with my first estimate tomorrow from sears they deal in Carrier and kenmore ( does anyone know who makes the kenmore units) I've seen some reviews that say stay away from both kenmore and Sears any thoughts?

[BPChiIL]

Don't get caught up in brand...get caught up in the quality of the install. Hire yourself a contractor that has a good reputation within your area.

Ask friends, neighbors, relatives, co workers...you can even check out Angie's List, or you might even find a professional here on the forum that may be in your area.

Install is 90% of the game....the other 10% is all marketing associated with each of the manufactures.

Good luck with your choice

[skippedover]

Do a search on this web site for information on equipment sizing and equipment choice. You'll find literally hundreds of threads asking the same question and yes, the same answers still apply.

[SkyHeating]

I normally don't talk bad about contractors but... Stay away from Sears, i have heard from many of my customers they use really pushy sales tactics and shady financing. IMHO in the Portland Oregon area they sell the equipment and have the lowest cost installer put it in. You are not getting the quality control on the sales side or the installation side that you do with a local contractor. Check the contractor locator map on this website(link is right above the link to this forum) if there is nobody in your area, ask friends and neighbors for a good refferral.

[LibertyTree]

I think the major brands are all on the same playing field. I have never heard of Kenmore hvac equipment but I'm sure its manufactured by one of the big boys. I like amana because of the warranty (unit replacement guarantee), I sell more amana than trane because of this. Plus the efficiency is typically better as well.