If you're shopping for a new furnace, you probably know Carrier and Lennox.
They are two of the most popular (for good reason) names in the furnace industry.
How do you choose between the two?
Look at how they compare and make your decision based on your family's priorities. You can't go wrong with either brand, but your family deserves what it wants.
Efficiency is one of the top selling points for furnaces, particularly with Ontario's long, cold winters.
Furnace efficiency is measured by the annual fuel utilization equivalency ratio, or AFUE. Older furnaces are less efficient, and many homes are stuck with AFUE 80 or lower models.
An AFUE of 80 means 20% of your fuel, so 20% of the money you spend on heating, is wasted as a byproduct of combustion. If your heating bill for a winter is, say, $2,000, a healthy $400 of that is completely wasted by the poor efficiency of your old furnace.
Today's furnaces register AFUE of 90 to nearly 100.
For comparison sake, we'll look at the most efficient models from Carrier and Lennox.
Lennox's top furnaces are in its Dave Lennox Signature Collection, while Carrier's top models are in its Infinity Series, with furnaces ranging in efficiency from 80 to 98% for both brands.
We can compare two models, each rated at AFUE 98: the Dave Lennox Signature SLP98V and the Carrier Infinity 98.
Some features are standard across almost all modern furnaces. Both Carrier and Lennox models offer cutting-edge features that contribute to comfort and efficiency.
The Lennox Signature SLP98V offers:
The Carrier model has:
But the Carrier Infinity 98 also has a feature that gives it an edge on comfort in the winter: a built-in humidifier. During the heating season, humidity not only prevents dry conditions that lead to respiratory problems, but also makes your home feel warmer without an increase in the thermostat.
Homeowners can also compare Lennox's and Carrier's top furnace models for price.
Obviously, prices vary depending on the dealer and the region you live in.
The Carrier Infinity 98 Series is reported to cost about 15% less in general than the Lennox Signature Series with comparable features.
When you spend your hard earned money on a new furnace, you want something reliable.
There's a notable gap between Carrier and Lennox in this category.
Consumer complaints about the reliability of Lennox furnaces and the difficulty and cost of obtaining replacement parts convinced us to stock Carrier furnaces over Lennox.
Reliability is particularly important in our region, where homeowners can't afford to suffer repeated breakdowns when it's cold, nor wait days for replacement parts to arrive.
We could go on, but you probably get the idea. Carrier furnaces are an excellent choice given the high efficiency, features, price and reliability.
For more on why Carrier furnaces are recommended for our southwest Ontario customers, contact Appleby Systems today.
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