I need a new furnace and advice

[snowbound]

I need a new furnace and will get a high efficiency unit. In my small town, I can choose between Lennox and Amana furnaces. Around and hour away, there is an outfit that sells Tranes. Which would you recommend from a reliability vs. cost perspective. Your expert advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[BaldLoonie]

Whichever is better installed. All 3 brands use the same White-Rodgers controls. Amana's tubular heat exchangers are great but we've had almost no failures with Trane's either. Not enough Lennox around here to say from experience. I think you are better off dealing with the local people.

[snowbound]

Thanks Loonie

[heatpumpguru]

Go with LOCAL guy,if he is an hour away,so are his parts!!!

[MikeJ]

Who are the local guys? What do others say about them? If both are reputable and you got some time, get them to both bid on your job and see what kind of deal you get. Get a loan and go for the best efficiency.

Last company I worked for stressed fixing older furnaces rather than sicking the dogs (salesmen) on the customer. I think they wanted to squeeze a few more hundreds out of the customer before a change out happened. I personnally preferred explaining the cost differences and eventual savings by replacing now rather than sinking $300 or more into it again. Now with gas prices estimated to almost double I think most of them will be glad they replaced the unit with a high efficiency one.

Look into extended warranties, VS motors, boards, etc on the high efficiency units are quite expensive to replace and do go out since they are not American made anymore.

[anonymous]

do as everyone else that come her. askk a lot of uestion , get 10 estijates and then go with whom every is cheaper.

[captainrat]

get a bid from an american standard dealer. they own trabe & it seems there distributirs are very particular about who sells there equipment..

[tinknocker service tech]

lenox has a goo unit and is very reliable
trane same thing amana i am not up on so cant say
doesnt matter they are all top of the line and will give you what you are looking for. get the ten year warrenti so you wont have to worrie about anything for ten years or more. install of the equipment is the most important thing to be concerned about. the equipment is only as good as the install no matter who makes it

[heatpumpguru]

Hey MikeJ as a sales person I really do not see myself as a DOG,I think that people trade in cars all the time and buy new computers, when their old ones were fine.I am sure my techs can keep those coal converted boilers runnig forever but are really helping the homeowner by doing so.Everything has gotten better and people get mad when the stuff fails and it is real hot or cold and we have a BIG backlog. And with fuel costs this DOG might look like a hero. To close, I spoke to Bruno(my Bulldog) and he said you insulted the dogs by calling them salesmen!!!!He is offended!!!

[MikeJ]

Just having a little fun, you got a thin skin. I have, however, been burnt by salesmen before. I hang up on telemarketers no matter what they are selling. My Cold Heat unit never worked and I sent it back 6 mos ago and still haven't got a reply. My bad. That and some flowers that never survived the winter are the only things I have bought over the tube. At least the nursery responded to my letter and promised to send me a new order next spring in time for planting.

The dog metaphor came from one of our salesmen's timely visit to a customer. Our policy on a condemned unit was to call the office and give the info. I had no more than packed my tools, collected the bill and exited the side door as this salesman was knocking on the front door. I told him to wait a bit, drive around the block, go have coffee or we will look like scam artists. (Sicking the dogs on them became an office joke amongst techs).

"If you sell a man exactly what he wants, you really haven't sold him anything."

Got a check and went to the bank it was drawn on. Not my bank. I needed the several hundred dollars in cash now to pay for son's auto repair. (cash only-back door deal) So what does the teller say? $10.00 to cash the check. Because of the amount? Nope. Cause I am not a customer of US Banks. But, I say, " They are...see it's your check." Doesn't matter she says.

Bankers are on the bottom of the human garbage pile just above politicians...(who are lawyers).

Say hi to Bruno. Dogs are ok. Cats are smarter tho.