modulating vs two-stage

[bonafide]

Well, I am what you may say fairly intimate with the Rheem mod. I also have one in my home. The furnace is not designed to be a fix for bad duct systems. That said, it calibrates itself to your duct system and can be adjusted beyond that for specific needs.

For example. 71 degrees is 71 degrees no matter what, but if you have a room as described such as a laundry room at the end of the duct 2 things come to mind. Do you want that room warm like the rest of the house? If so or say it's a bedroom. There is an adjustment for the aiflow at either or both ends of the scale. In this case, a 7.5 or 15 percent increase of airflow at 40% firing rate and a 0% change at high fire will still provide static so all your ducts are fed. You dont have to adjust it liniar.

I know more than a few people who had mod furnaces that bought new homes and had brand new 2 stage furnaces ripped out so they could have a mod installed in their new homes.

my 90k mod pulls all of 80 watts of power when running at the 40% firing rate which is the vast majority of the time. That would more than pay for the difference in 92% versus 94% AFUE.

BTW, I pulled a 2 year old 2 stage 90+ out to put the mod in.

This is such an excellent example of how IMO and others that the mod furnace excells in comfort, quietness "if there is such a word" and downright flat out customer satisfaction. Two stages are good furnaces but its like comparing the JV to the Varsity.

[hvaChuck]

Mr Scott said it best(but I'll have to paraphrase)
The more they complicated they make it, the easier to
ef it up.

K.I.S.S. Keep it simple cupid!

[beenthere]

Did they install the furnace yet.

We want pics.

[ppeters914]

No, dang it. Cancelled the York contractor after discrepancies between salesman and manager and unwillingness to "go the extra mile." Made me real uncomfortable.

So I went to the Rheem contractor. Everything hunky-dory and I feel they'll do an excellent job. Then I'm presented the contract and it's 25-percent higher than discussed! Sorry, but I just don't have the extra money.

So, now I'm back to square one....I can reconsider contractor #3 w/ a Carrier Infinity VS 2-stage, or start calling other contractors if I still want a mod furnace.

This sucks...

[Twilly]

Twilli has a song for you





Oh did Twilli mention


Coleman

[furnace4me]

you know more about furnaces now than you ever did before.

Even though the mod furnace may be the most sound choice for you, we all know that the contractor customer relationship is really the most important thing. After all, you are going to have the same company hopefully come out every year (for the next 20 years?) to service the thing.

In the end, even though I love the design behind the Rheem/York products, the right decision for me was a Bryant 2 Stage VS. Signed the contract and it gets installed a week from this Friday. Never been more satisified with the one Rheem and two Bryant dealers that worked with me on quotes - top notch folks that went the extra mile and answered all of my demanding questions.

Go with your gut and work with the guy that will work with you.
And remember, it is after all only a furnace.

Good luck!

[Ken1977]

A York mod is being installed in my Mother's home as I type this post. Thank-you PPETERS914 for starting threads about mods and the York that I otherwise would have needed to start - and thanks to the pros for responding.

These price changes are suspicious. I think it must be either the contractors, or the complexity of the install/extra work as the contractor that I am going with was also selling a Lennox G61 two-stage for only $100 (CDN - as if that matters at the moment) less than the York. The other York guy I talked to also sells Carrier and he priced the Carrier Infinity higher than the York (I think ~$200, but can't remember).

I don't think the furnace is the cause of the high prices. I suspect that you either have some questionable contractors there, or the install is more complex than they first realized. My shopping has shown that the York is competitively priced with the best two-stagers to the point that the differences are to small to worry about.

Any more York contractors around?

[nadian99]

Carrier and Bryant have responded with a modulating furnace that can match the three stages of heat that Rheem offers and do not require any special stat. They have the top of the line ECM motor and you can't even hear it run in low fire. A friend has one in his house and that thing is AWESOME!

[beenthere]

Then its a 3 stage furnace, not a modulating furnace.

[nadian99]

I thought someone else said that Rheem had three stages of heat, my mistake. Either way, the unit I saw looks like a good one.

[beenthere]

The Rheem unit is 13 steps of modulation when used with the Mod stat.
Its 3 stages when used with a 2 stage stat.
Its 2 stages when used with a single stage stat.


The York Mod is 65 steps of modulation, and uses a regular single stage stat

[nadian99]

They claim the furnace can modulate to 1% increments, but then the valve would have to move in increments of something crazy like a .00025" movement...is that even possible? Or is it some kind of marketing gimmick. The guy who bought the Carrier said that he liked the York but did not like the board-mounted pressure transducer because if it craps out then the entire control board has to be changed? I can't say I fully understand this but since I am now considering upgrading my 80% unit to a modulating unit can anyone address my questions

[beenthere]

The York mod comes with a 5 year part warranty. And like any other good unit, you can get an extended factory warranty for ten years.

Yes it modulates in 1% increments. 65 steps of modulation.

Commercial burners have been doing this for more years then I can remember. Its not something actually new. Just new to the residencial market.


If the fan relay craps out on that Carrier. Your buddy will have to get an entire new board that isn't cheap. Carrier is very proud of their name.