Has anyone upgraded from an old furnace?

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

Well, good to know. If that many people are saying to stay away from them I will. I have no experience with modern furnaces so I'll listen to what the experts say.

I have a Lennox in the house and it's a POS. The thermocouple, blower and control board have all been replaced over 13 years.

It's also noisy when it starts up.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by bootsnixon

Piggy-backing on a good thread. Would these $ numbers and venting, mechanical considerations apply for a boiler replacement as well? Thanks

Significantly cheaper. As far as I know, you can re-use existing lines and chimneys.

[PostandIn]

I recommend you not go with any Ruud products. I was told this Norwegian product was great and when I got competitive quotes they were marginally the cheapest. I replaced my furnace with a high efficiency unit and did a central AC install six years ago. The components have all worked very well until this summer when the variable speed motor in the furnace failed. The replacement cost was north of $800 (with labour) because its an 'import' where if it were a domestic brand the price tag would have been between $300 - 400. Buyer beware.

[InglewoodFan]

Originally Posted by Flames-FanAttic

As a tradesman in the industry and an owner of a small HVAC business, I can tell you that upgrading your furnace from a mid that is 40 years old to a high efficiency furnace will save you money just in the cost of running it. Your 40 year old furnace at the moment is probably running about 72 cents on the dollar, while the models now a days are running anywhere between 92 to 97 cents on the dollar. It may take a little bit but you will end up getting your money back in efficiency. As far as brands go, Its all about the warranty. I have serviced many different brands and it really comes down to when they were manufactured. Sometimes you have a well respected brand that has had a bad batch of products, its like anything else.

Depending on what needs to be done. Your cost could be anywhere from 3500-5000.

Things I look out for when I quote a furnace replacement:

How far do I have to run the new venting? 2-3" Plastic Pipe (out the side of your house, back, or through the roof)
Is your mechanical room on an outside wall?
Was your furnace undersized or oversized?
What efficiency do you want (92%-97%)
Do you have a floor drain near your furnace? (New furnaces condensate and drain water)

There are quite a few factors that go into quoting a furnace, these are just some basic questions that set the parameter for the price.

If anyone has any questions regarding a replacement or new installs for a Furnace or A/C, I would be happy to answer them.

One quick question - do you think code is going to go power vented for hot water heaters as well? I'm looking at replacing both furnace and hot water in the next year or so and am thinking it might make sense just to get them tied into the same PVC inlet and vent and abandon the chimney vent.

[Sr. Mints]

So high efficiency furnaces have to be vented horizontally through a wall (as opposed to reusing the existing vertical chimney from the old furnace)?

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by Sr. Mints

So high efficiency furnaces have to be vented horizontally through a wall (as opposed to reusing the existing vertical chimney from the old furnace)?

I sure hope not as the only option for me is going out the only exterior wall in that part of the basement (typical unfinished furnace/laundry room) and that would mean I'm exhausting the furnace straight onto the deck out back.

I THINK someone mentioned they can run a sleeve of sorts up your existing chimney but the hot water tank also exhausts into the same chimney the furnace does so not sure how that would work out.

[tvp2003]

Good thread. Our furnace is probably from the late 60's -- because it's so simple we've had no issues with running it or maintenance (touch wood); we also have a couple of CO detectors just in case.

I've always wanted to do the math to see how much we'd save in a year; unfortunately, during the summer our consumption is next to nothing but we're still hit with all those extra delivery charges and such (which means our savings with a new furnace would be next to nothing). I'll have to dig out some old bills from last winter...

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

I've always wanted to do the math to see how much we'd save in a year; unfortunately, during the summer our consumption is next to nothing but we're still hit with all those extra delivery charges and such (which means our savings with a new furnace would be next to nothing). I'll have to dig out some old bills from last winter...

Based on what I've read so far, it's going to take years before you reap the benefits of a high efficiency furnace.

Which is basically why I've never looked into upgrading until I had to.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by InglewoodFan

One quick question - do you think code is going to go power vented for hot water heaters as well? I'm looking at replacing both furnace and hot water in the next year or so and am thinking it might make sense just to get them tied into the same PVC inlet and vent and abandon the chimney vent.

I had an HVAC guy over to fix my furnace just now (gas control value on an Armstrong Air for $700 after parts and labor...) and asked that question. He was saying there's a reasonable chance that they will mandate high efficiency for water heaters, but that natural draft options existed for HE (that would still require some sleeving up the chimney)

I'm praying the tank lasts until the furnace is replaced to be able to do both at the same time.

[Regular_John]

So which vendors/companies are you guys going with for new furnace purchase/installation? Much like GoinAllTheWay we've got a 40 year old furnace in our townhome that's still kickin. I know I should replace it before it dies at -40... but the damn thing still works.

I had gotten quotes when we originally moved in 4 years ago, but the government rebate process at the time seemed daunting and turned a 2-3 visit job into a shell game of inspectors/contractors and "cheques in the mail" months later... so I ended up leaving it... and here we are 4 years later.

[Flames-FanAttic]

Originally Posted by InglewoodFan

One quick question - do you think code is going to go power vented for hot water heaters as well? I'm looking at replacing both furnace and hot water in the next year or so and am thinking it might make sense just to get them tied into the same PVC inlet and vent and abandon the chimney vent.

Unlike furnaces, you can still replace natural draft tank. However any new install requires power vented. I'm sure there will be a time in the near future when all tanks that need to be replaced will at least be power vented but I think you still have a few years.

If you are already considering changing your tank to power vented, do it at the same time as your furnace. It will provide more options about where terminate you vent. In the past I have run my PVC for both the furnace and the hot water tank up the chimney. This can be the case when your mechanical room is in the middle of your basement and the only way out is through finished rooms.

[tvp2003]

Bump. Any new tips/advice? Recent quotes/experience?

Still avoid Lennox?

Sadly, it doesn't look like there are any rebates available anymore... thanks Kenney.

[FurnaceFace]

Replaced our old furnace about 10 years ago with an Amana and also got a Rinnai on demand water heater. Happy with both, they’ve held up well. Perfect time of year to do it.

[PsYcNeT]

The Daikin/Amana/Goodman family is solid value. Cheap to repair since the parts are so plentiful as well.

Just got a Daikin Furnace and AC installed. There's some good value to be found right now.

[Snuffleupagus]

Just replaced a 22 year old junk Lennox that had cracked heat exchangers with a Trane XC95, it wasn't cheap at $5800 with install and new duct work but with the modulating fan you never know it's on, heating bills dropped by about 15%

[Fuzz]

Ya, I've had my Trane XV95 for 10 or so years, it's been great.

[Lubicon]

Carrier in our home but I am slightly biased as that is the brand my brother deals in. But is has performed well, no complaints.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Bump. Any new tips/advice? Recent quotes/experience?

Still avoid Lennox?

Sadly, it doesn't look like there are any rebates available anymore... thanks Kenney.

I would suggest bringing a guy like EVERLAST to take a look at the existing set up and give you a better idea of how to approach the replacement. He probably has some reliable guys he can recommend you chat with as well.

That is ultimately my plan when I need to replace my furnace in a few years if he's still working. Having a guy of expertise to give me an idea how to approach such a project and if appropriate, contracting him to supervise an install might be a good approach IMO. Some of this HVAC stuff I've learned over the years is that the differences are minuscule but can be significantly costly to revise.

Keith (EVERLAST) gave me some suggestions of products I wasn't even aware of when he came to clean my furnace. He even gave me a quick rundown of things to pay attention to when the furnace is to be replaced that went completely over my head.

[bob-loblaw]

Instead of replacing the furnace, I just buy a new house.

[jmac98]

Is there a reason Lennox is poorly received, other than the higher price for parts?

In checking online, the Lennox brand seems to be on top of many reviews and ratings.

My furnace clunked after 20 years and I'm now needing to replace it, and feel I'll do the water tank as well. Arpi's is who I have been using for repairs for the past number of years, but they're a Lennox dealer it seems and from what I am reading on here, that's not a good thing.