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Skellinton
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 83,570
April 2003
Posts: 5,041
Layouts: 49
Loc: Halloweentown
 |  Posted: 1/25/2013 7:34:26 PM
My mother is thinking about replacing her furnace, is there anyone who knows much about that? Is any one brand better than another? What should she be looking for? Any suggestions?
TIA? |
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bugluver
PeaAddict
PeaNut 371,264
April 2008
Posts: 1,405
Layouts: 0
Loc: St. Louis
 | Posted: 1/25/2013 9:01:57 PM
I do not know anything about them but I do know we recieved an email from a friend who is in the industry stating that regulations on HVAC units are changing and will be much more expensive in 2014 so now is a good time to replace if needed. We replaced a few years ago so I deleted the email.
I would ask around in your area to see what local service companies people like and contact those companies to see what they carry. I would also look for some kind of consumer reports comparison guide. | |
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Katlaw
Send in the Monkeys!
PeaNut 86,755
May 2003
Posts: 6,556
Layouts: 20
Loc: Canada
| Posted: 1/26/2013 9:50:25 PM
We googled lots before buying ours. There are so many out there and we found that most companies told you how good the brand name they installed was.
A couple good sites for information we found were
Furnace Compare
and this site has good information on how to choose the best one for your home. It is not as easy as I thought it would be based on knowing your square footage.
Consumer Reports
In Canada there are government grants and rebates available sometimes. It depends on how much more energy efficient you are making your home. We also have grants and rebates to assist seniors in an older home to update things like furnaces and water heaters.
I am not sure where you are but I would find out what might be available.
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h*pea*ing
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 231,164
November 2005
Posts: 5,108
Layouts: 8
Loc: Midwest
 | Posted: 1/26/2013 11:01:24 PM
Not a lot of help, but have her look at the difference in AC vs DC current. We chose the DC current model because electric costs are supposed to be much lower with it. I have to have the fan running all the time so the few extra hundred dollars to get the DC one was worth the electricity savings.
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~heather~
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ZUKE1
PeaFixture
PeaNut 40,037
June 2002
Posts: 3,510
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/27/2013 9:20:44 AM
I'll be watching this thread. We are thinking of switching from oil to gas soon. |
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Scrapbrat1
Sue Pea
PeaNut 87,238
May 2003
Posts: 7,028
Layouts: 190
Loc: Dirtyland and Oilyland
| Posted: 1/27/2013 12:32:48 PM
We had our entire HVAC system replaced this past summer. We previously had a Trane, and we stayed with Trane because we didn't have to have new duct work put in. If you switch to a different mfr's equipment, the duct work may not fit and re-doing duct work is a huge extra expense.
What I discovered through my research is that most of the "major" brands of equipment are good -- all offer high efficiency furnaces, have similar warranties, etc. But, the key is installation. A great system installed poorly will cause nothing but problems. And people frequently blame problems on the system that in reality are problems with the installation. So when you or your mother calls dealers, I would ask lots of questions about the experience of their installers and service people. Getting a recommendation from a friend as to a particular dealer would be a great way to go. |
Barbara
CKU-Indy -- March 2003
CKU-M, Salt Lake City -- August 2004 | |
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Katlaw
Send in the Monkeys!
PeaNut 86,755
May 2003
Posts: 6,556
Layouts: 20
Loc: Canada
| Posted: 1/28/2013 11:47:55 PM
What I discovered through my research is that most of the "major" brands of equipment are good -- all offer high efficiency furnaces, have similar warranties, etc. But, the key is installation. A great system installed poorly will cause nothing but problems. And people frequently blame problems on the system that in reality are problems with the installation. So when you or your mother calls dealers, I would ask lots of questions about the experience of their installers and service people. Getting a recommendation from a friend as to a particular dealer would be a great way to go.
This is really good advice. We also choose a company that has 24/7 emergency help. |
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BuckeyeSandy
Old Dogs are Best!
PeaNut 92,987
June 2003
Posts: 22,364
Layouts: 364
Loc: With my dogs
 | Posted: 1/28/2013 11:56:21 PM
WE replaced our HVAC last year, was York, now Lennox. Our exchange coils were leaking., had to be done. Close to $16,000. The energy to operate has gone down (although the price of energy has gone up)!
Our unit has a turbo fan that starts up before the heat or AC, to push the air that has been sitting in the duct work out. We do have to be careful to NOT shut off more than one room. If there is not enough air volume it does not work very well. |
Sandy
Every MOM is a working mom!
"Retired" after 22 years of an Air Force Career
REMEMBER this Veterans Day
To quote Wayne Gretzky, "You miss 100% of the shots you never take."
Aesculus | |
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