A LOOK AT THE TOP GAS FURNACE MANUFACTURERS

With gas furnaces lasting around a decade, by the time you’re in the market again for a new gas furnace, there have probably been some efficiency upgrades that you should be aware of. Additionally, with numerous gas furnace manufacturers in the market, it’s hard to know which is the best gas furnace to buy in Winnipeg.

Depending on when you last installed a new gas furnace, you may see a huge difference between the efficiency of your old furnace and what newer furnaces are capable of. Apart from the purchase cost and the furnace installation cost, you should see a difference in month to month billing.

Apart from the monthly energy cost savings, newer gas furnaces pollute less and increase comfort by producing heat more consistently. Since gas is the most common heating fuel in Winnipeg, this article will focus on gas furnaces.

It’s important to remember that this article is not advocating for one furnace over any others, and that every situation is unique, and therefore one gas furnace brand might not be suitable for another.

best gas furnace

Major gas furnace manufacturers

Let’s start by identifying the major gas furnace manufacturers. Keep in mind that there may be others than what are listed here, but since we can’t name them all, we are staying to the most recognized.

In alphabetical order:

  • Amana
  • American Standard
  • Armstrong
  • Bryant
  • Carrier
  • ComfortMaker
  • Coleman
  • Daikin
  • Goodman
  • Heil
  • KeepRite
  • Lennox
  • Luxaire
  • Napoleon
  • Payne
  • Rheem
  • Ruud
  • Tempstar
  • Trane
  • York

Five crucial factors in determining the best gas furnaces

While it would take an enormous effort to rate each and every furnace, we’ve decided to rate three furnace rating websites since the work is already done. However, in order to level the playing field and not play favourites, we are using three, non-related, reputable websites to gather information and average out the scores.

Here are the five factors:

  • Efficiency rating
  • Features
  • Price and Overall Value
  • Warranty Information
  • Quietness

Gas furnace efficiency rating

Furnaces have a rating called the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, otherwise known as AFUE. A higher AFUE means that the furnace has a higher efficiency, which means that you are saving money on monthly heating bills. In order for a gas furnace to have an Energy Star certification, it has to have an AFUE rating of 95% or more.

Gas furnace features

When it comes to the gas furnace manufacturing business, competition is tight. Companies spend a lot of money on R & D to come up with new innovative technologies and features. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the furnace with all the newest bells and whistles is the right furnace for you. When looking at the features, ask yourself if you really need all of them.

Gas furnace price and overall value

Price is always the first thing that consumers care about. Value normally takes a solid second. Sometimes our personal financial situations come in between the two, and that is just reality. Prices can fluctuate based on required BTU, installation costs, etc.

Gas furnace warranty

Gas furnaces, especially high efficiency gas furnaces, are significant expenditures. With every major purchase, you want that purchase to be protected if anything should happen to it. Making sure your gas furnace has a good warranty is important. Check what is included, including labour and parts. As well, some manufacturers have specific rules and regulations, so make sure not to run afoul of any stipulations.

One of the parts of the gas furnace you definitely want under warranty is the heat exchanger, as it is one of the most expensive gas furnace components and also very costly to replace or repair.

Gas furnace quietness

You might decide to purchase the gas furnace with the most bells and whistles, and a high efficiency, but if it’s too loud for your surroundings, you’ll live the next decade or so with an annoying, interrupting sound every time the furnace comes on. Look for a furnace with noise-reducing technology.

Best gas furnaces overall

As we said before, it would be reinventing the wheel to evaluate every single gas furnace when other sites are dedicated to doing such that. And in order to be fair, we must look at more than one site to ensure the most fair and transparent outcome.

Furnaceprices.ca

Furanceprices.ca has a score for all the furnace manufacturers listed above. There is a clear winner on this site – York, with a total score of 8.4.

There are a few very close runner ups, which include: KeepRite, Luxaire, Rheem, and Trane. Each had a final score of 8.2.

TopTenReviews.com

TopTenReviews.com lists the best gas furnaces for different categories, including “best for most homes”, “best value”, and “best energy efficiency”.

Here are the results from that site:

Best for Most Homes: Bryant

Best Value: Amana

Best Energy Efficiency: Rheem

Asm-air.com

ASM stands for All Systems Mechanical.

Here are ASM’s gas furnace ratings for its top five:

  1. Goodman Furnaces
  2. Day & Night Furnaces
  3. Daiken Furnaces
  4. Bryant Furnaces
  5. Rheem Furnaces

Best gas furnace conclusion

Out of the three sites, there is only one gas furnace that appears in each one. That is Rheem.

Does this mean that Rheem is the best gas furnace? That all depends on what your situation calls for. Maybe your needs mean you need something more…or something less.

Gas furnace installation

At Dean’s Plumbing & Heating, we will install your gas furnace for a reasonable cost and properly. Our reputation is your absolute satisfaction.

Contact us today for your gas furnace installation!