All major name brand HVAC manufacturers use proprietary parts from one degree to another.

Who installs the machine, services the machine, designs the duct system it is attached to can make or break any system regardless of brand chosen.

All brands have their strengths and weakness.

This system will require servicing, it would be counter productive to use one company to install it and then a trail of opposing contractors to service it? Not that this is your intent but there are a number of companies that get into this field to do nothing but sell new equipment or mostly sell new equipment.

It requires knowledge and know how to repair HVAC systems. Not that you can 'always' repair a system. A way of repair is to replace. If your system needed to be replaced every time it broke down? So you understand what I am getting at. (playing devils advocate more or less)

The con in the ways in which something is done:

A 'hopefully' licensed HVAC contractor starts a business. This contractor hires unskilled people to install equipment and a salesman to sell it. The licensed contractor is mostly uninvolved with the grunt work of the operation. Maybe one of the installers has some training. A salesman sells you the system. Even worse situation is where an investor owns the company, the licensed contractor sold out or fell on hard times and had to cash out so the investor may own a slice of the company maybe as much as a controlling interest or more. HVAC is a hard business for a variety of reasons. Most of which you won't know looking from the outside to the inside.

The salesman is paid commission for anything he sells. If he doesn't sell, he doesn't make any money. The salesman has motive to talk you into the sale. Once the sale is complete the salesman isn't coming back. It's not likely most of the time for what the salesman said to remain true. In some cases due to the skill of who puts it in, it may not work out of the gate.

People like to put all this faith in a "brand name" -- the brand the small sticker or decal on the side of the box, the manufacturers have nothing to do with installation. That is the most critical part 9 times out of 10.

Servicing is the other. It's not just knowing what to do --- it's also knowing what not to do.

Most of this is a gut decision, of who to use --- unless you have been using a servicer for your current system and they have been living up to what you think is 'good service'. Ask questions... who is doing the work? who will be servicing? Who serviced your current system?

If you don't have a company that has serviced your current system, then you've got a significant hurdle to over come. ( You wouldn't use a service company that doesn't provide you with good service would you? This is kind of a question in regards to where there is smoke, there is fire. )

I service the Katy, Texas area.

Thank You for the informative comment Austin Air. As you have rightly said regular maintenance is the key and the previous owners were not doing it regularly. But from your experience and knowledge of unit prices; which of the quotes are reasonable?

I don't know if these models you have listed are variable speed or not but don;t get variable speed furnace. Get a regualar furnace with a programmable thermostat (which you probably have already). Variable speed cost more and cost much much more to fix, just not worth it.

I personally do not like Lennox especially their low end Merit level. Why are you getting quotes on 80% eff furnaces? I would suggest getting quote from an American Standard dealer (Trane’s sister company and identical).

IMO

Hello Tigerdunes; Of the 3 HVAC companies I contacted in my area based on google reviews and angi review 2 are Lennox dealers. The other company offered Ruud and if I insist said they would offer Bryant. That is how I ended up with Lennox quotes. Also the reason for getting 80% eff furnaces is per HVAC contractors recommendations based on current ductwork in place.

For OP...not a good explanation about the 80% eff furnaces...get an American Std dealer involved before you make a mistake.

IMO

For OP...not a good explanation about the 80% eff furnaces...get an American Std dealer involved before you make a mistake.

Sure there's an American Standard furnace install in recent Colorado thread that has been taking 2.5 hours to reach temperature that was installed around a week ago. A brand name doesn't solve anything in this business.

On the comment about variable speed furnace (blower) there is no choice any more of variable speed vs non variable speed. They are all variable speed now or ECM which is essentially the same thing, just a cheaper variety. I believe it was July 2019 in which PSC motors are no longer used in residential furnaces.

Which quotes are reasonable:

Just listing brand info / model number of said equipment doesn't fully explain what is done or not done (included in the job).

There could be other things included with a higher priced option that would make it the better option.

I view your KY climate as more moderate. So I believe as long as this equipment is installed properly, maintained regularly and properly by professional HVAC service any option listed should suffice.

Will these options ever break: Yes, that's what HVAC equipment does. No brand is immune to breaking. The key is to use a profession service and limit the breakage as much as possible.

I service the Katy, Texas area.

the question remains why only 80% eff furnaces...

the question remains why only 80% eff furnaces...

mostly because of cost that you'll never recoup. Efficiency standards map. I believe this picture below makes it pretty much self explanatory. Kentucky is borderline... so unless there is an easy way to install a condensing furnace that will cost more to install, cost more to maintain, cost more to repair... Well?

The condensing furnace will require an all new flue consisting of PVC and in some cases may require a second for combustion air purposes. That costs $$$. The amount you save above an 80% furnace at best would be 15% but if run time is low due to climate you will never make up the difference. If in a colder climate run time is much longer and those installation costs can be made up over time much easier because the furnace runs alot.

Note: This comment wasn't for Tigerdunes, it was for you the reader. Tigerdunes should know better.

I service the Katy, Texas area.

Also the reason for getting 80% eff furnaces is per HVAC contractors recommendations based on current ductwork in place.

Did the contractors explain how they come up with their efficiency recommendation based on the ductwork? I would love to understand the physics behind this.

You should calculate how much it costs to heat your house on an annual basis. Once you know that and get quotes for 95% efficiency furnaces you will be able to calculate the return on investment. You will also have to determine how long you plan to live in this house. Find out if a higher efficiency furnace qualifies for a utility or state rebate. If it does then the pay back time is reduced. The way things are going it won't be too long before the minimum efficiency standard in the US will be 90%.

Lennox equipment had a reputation of using proprietary parts which where difficult to purchase. I am not sure if that is true any longer. I would not put a lot of weight on Angie's List or Google reviews. Ask your friends for recommendations.

The way things are going it won't be too long before the minimum efficiency standard in the US will be 90%.

Lennox equipment had a reputation of using proprietary parts which where difficult to purchase.

Yeah in some places gas furnaces might be nixed altogether. You voted remember? The green new deal? (money, green leaving your wallet) --- minimum efficiency to 90% in my climate? Yeah that's going to be fun. Not for you because your wallet is going to go flatter. The votes remember? The green new deal sucking the green from your wallet. Mexico isn't paying for it I can tell you that much. We're going to build back BETTER! Who is going to pay? LOL.

Consequences!

All major manufacturers have a reputation of using proprietary parts, not just Lennox.

The furnace has a myriad number of parts that are not interchangeable with different brands. So just saying Lennox? That's a joke. They all do it.

I make my living repairing HVAC systems. They all do it. They all break. I don't get to choose what brands I work on. I work on all of them.

If I have a broken Trane, I don't go to Lennox to get parts. If I have a Lennox I don't go to Trane to get parts. If it's a Ruud? Uh no I don't go to Lennox or Trane. See where this is going? LOL.

Thanks Ray Austin @Austin Air Companie for the map. That helps a lot.

With respect to the 80% eff discussion; the main reason that I see for all the dealer reps recommending a 80% replacement is as Ray Austin and @mike_home pointed out it is time to recoup the investment and also l am assuming the additional $$$ for laying out the pipework etc.

@mike_home; all the sales rep except one from the above quotes measured the return size and the main duct sizes and that is how they recommended the models and the tonnage. All of them went with 2 Ton size for the air conditioner and 70K BTU for the furnace. I did ask one of them about Manual J calculation but he said the main duct and return size measurements are enough.

@Austin Air Companie; Thanks for your observations about the spare parts. I was just trying to confirm if online literature is right about Lennox using more % of proprietary parts when compared to other competitors. That is where my question was coming from as that would translate to more costly repairs when compared to its competitors.

@Austin Air Companie; Thanks for your observations about the spare parts. I was just trying to confirm if online literature is right about Lennox using more % of proprietary parts when compared to other competitors. That is where my question was coming from as that would translate to more costly repairs when compared to its competitors.

No not any more than any other major brand. With the recent change in energy code requiring either ECM or variable speed blower motor in all furnaces and air handlers they are all forced to do it now. Not to mention circuit boards and other various parts of the furnace can be different from one brand and or model to the next.

That said it's costly to carry specific parts for a specific model or brand. Because unless you're a dealer of that model / brand there's a good chance you never use it. If you're a dealer that moves alot of a particular brand or model, there's more money in replacement. So it's a double edge sword to use a particular company that is more in the business to sell, rather than to fix.

If you fix, you upset the manufacturer that has xyz company sign a pledge for $xx,xxx.00 in some cases more like $xxx,xxx.00 ---(annual sales quota) at that point "the tipping point" it becomes more about selling and little about service or repair.

It's common for people to recommend Trane or American Standard. -- nothing wrong with either of these brands except that they are nothing special. They break like any brand. The parts once out of warranty are one of the worst --- very costly parts for repair(s).

Each brand has it's strengths and weaknesses. There is no perfect brand. I fix them for a living, they all break.

Note: It doesn't always make sense to repair. If you call me and your unit is over 15 years old and beat to hell and back don't expect me to perform an exorcism. I wish I didn't have to say that, but some people don't have an ounce of common sense.

You may be confusing size of the equipment and rated efficiency. It is good the estimator measured the duct work to verify it can handle the air flow of a 2 ton AC and a 70K BTU furnace. Usually the minimum air flow requirement and duct size is determined by the AC when cooling. But the furnace in heating mode could be higher. The product data sheet would have the requirements.

You have to do the homework as to whether investing in a higher efficiency furnace makes sense for your house and personal situation. It is not a difficult calculation if you are interested.

@Austin Air Companie: Thanks for giving the insight into repair mechanisms. As for your note; hope you are able to get that I was not implying repair of my current system but the future system if I were to opt for Lennox brand. This is in line with what you have been stressing that these are machines and will break at some point.

@mike_home: Thank You. Can you please point me to any online link / literature that would help in the calculation that you were referring to. Thanks in advance.

@Austin Air Companie: Thanks for giving the insight into repair mechanisms. As for your note; hope you are able to get that I was not implying repair of my current system but the future system if I were to opt for Lennox brand. This is in line with what you have been stressing that these are machines and will break at some point.

Sure. The note wasn't intended for you, but others who may read this thread months or years later in some cases and some like to twist the meanings of my words or take them entirely out of context. I've been doing this for so long I know what "some people" think before they think it.

I service the Katy, Texas area.