This gas furnace review is a comprehensive collection of answers to questions homeowners may ask when shopping for a new gas furnace:
My HVAC Price will take a deep dive into furnace costs by brand, location and what labor factors will cause a gas furnace installation cost to change.
We will take an independent look into all major furnace brands, and rank them by reliability, cost and life expectancy.
My HVAC Price will define furnace options, and when upgrading to more options matter.
There are many factors that influence the price of a new furnace, and for the average consumer its hard to understand why the same size unit may vary in price significantly. Continue reading as we explain what factors influence the price of a new gas furnace.
Much like every consumer product made today, products are separated by classes of quality. The quality of the materials used and where the units are manufactured has a large impact on the price and cost. Gas furnaces are no different. We have broken down the quality of gas furnaces in a 3 different ranges to help you compare quality. This breakdown is purely based on the quality of the construction and materials. These classes do not factor in the quality of the installation.
The gas valve inside a furnace regulates the flow of gas to the burners. There are three different styles of gas valve technologies that directly effect the efficiency (operating cost), as well as the cost to purchase and install a new gas furnace. All of the premium furnace brands and most of the standard branded gas furnaces offer a tiered line of furnaces which use all of these technologies.
The main factor of operating a gas furnace the amount of fuel the furnace consumes. The other important efficiency metric to look for in a new furnace is the style of blower motor in the appliance. Below is a breakdown to be able to compare a furnace efficiency no matter the brand.
The size or capacity (not physical size) of a gas furnace will have a dramatic effect on the cost. In residential furnaces the sizes include a range from 40,000 BTU up to 140,000 BTU. The larger the furnace, the most the furnace will cost.
To size which furnace is required to heat your home many factors come into play. The geographical location of your home, square footage of your space, the height of the ceilings, insulation of the home and even the type of windows that your home has.
The last factor to consider is the size of the ductwork inside your home. Having too small of ductwork in your home for the size of furnace can greatly effect the performance of your new furnace significantly, even worse it can lead to costly repairs over time.
As you can see from the chart above, different regions of the country require different size furnaces due to the climate they operate in. Most contractors will perform a sizing process called a Manual J load calculation. A Manual J will take into consideration the shading of the home, type of windows and even the grade of insulation of the home to recommend the appropriate size furnace for your home.
Price transparency is a very touchy issue when it comes to the consumer and contractor relationship. Most contractors are very reluctant to disclose what they actually pay for a furnace. This is somewhat of an unfounded fear of being honest with a consumer. More and more contractors are beginning to shift their mindset towards a more transparent buying experience. If a contractor is trying to hide how much they pay for a furnace be cautious, ask yourself what else they maybe trying to hide.
What a contractor actually pays for a furnace can vary on many factors listed below:
The following section will breakdown by brand what a contractor pays for a gas furnace. These numbers are averages, some contractors will pay more or less. Remember this is just a box, this does not include installation.
Model | Efficiency | Compressor Type | Unit Price |
---|---|---|---|
XR-14 | 14 SEER | Single Stage | $1100-$2200 |
XR-15 | 15 SEER | Single Stage | $1300-$2400 |
XR-16 | 16 SEER | Single Stage | $1500-$2890 |
XL16i | 16 SEER | Single Stage | $1890-$3150 |
XR-17 | 17 SEER | Two-Stage | $2100-$3300 |
XL18i | 18 SEER | Two-Stage | $2350-$3890 |
XV18 | 18 SEER | Variable/Invertor | $2590-$4690 |
XV20i | 20 SEER | Variable/Invertor | $2900-$5900 |
Model | Efficiency | Compressor Type | Unit Price |
---|---|---|---|
XR-14 | 14 SEER | Single Stage | $1100-$2200 |
XR-15 | 15 SEER | Single Stage | $1300-$2400 |
XR-16 | 16 SEER | Single Stage | $1500-$2890 |
XL16i | 16 SEER | Single Stage | $1890-$3150 |
XR-17 | 17 SEER | Two-Stage | $2100-$3300 |
XL18i | 18 SEER | Two-Stage | $2350-$3890 |
XV18 | 18 SEER | Variable/Invertor | $2590-$4690 |
XV20i | 20 SEER | Variable/Invertor | $2900-$5900 |
Model | Efficiency | Compressor Type | Unit Price |
---|---|---|---|
XR-14 | 14 SEER | Single Stage | $1100-$2200 |
XR-15 | 15 SEER | Single Stage | $1300-$2400 |
XR-16 | 16 SEER | Single Stage | $1500-$2890 |
XL16i | 16 SEER | Single Stage | $1890-$3150 |
XR-17 | 17 SEER | Two-Stage | $2100-$3300 |
XL18i | 18 SEER | Two-Stage | $2350-$3890 |
XV18 | 18 SEER | Variable/Invertor | $2590-$4690 |
XV20i | 20 SEER | Variable/Invertor | $2900-$5900 |
Model | Efficiency | Compressor Type | Unit Price |
---|---|---|---|
XR-14 | 14 SEER | Single Stage | $1100-$2200 |
XR-15 | 15 SEER | Single Stage | $1300-$2400 |
XR-16 | 16 SEER | Single Stage | $1500-$2890 |
XL16i | 16 SEER | Single Stage | $1890-$3150 |
XR-17 | 17 SEER | Two-Stage | $2100-$3300 |
XL18i | 18 SEER | Two-Stage | $2350-$3890 |
XV18 | 18 SEER | Variable/Invertor | $2590-$4690 |
XV20i | 20 SEER | Variable/Invertor | $2900-$5900 |
The price to install a new gas furnace can vary greatly from company to company, which can leave anyone shopping for a new furnace in a daze. The price to install a new furnace can even vary between efficiency levels and where the portions of the system are located. The following section will breakdown the variables that can cause the price to change.
Typically furnaces are replaced along with a new matching air conditioner. The location or access to the air conditioner can influence the ultimate ending price. Here are some examples of furnace locations and how they can affect the price.
Choosing a high end gas furnace is not only a more expensive product for the contractor, but retrofitting an old outdated system and setting up the controls/features takes longer than a standard or base model. Below are some of features that higher efficiency units require that can raise the cost of a furnace installation.
The team at MyHVACPrice would be happy to answer any questions you have! Drop us an email, we will get back to you shortly.
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