Need a new furnace

[renpeg]

well our house was built in 76 still have the original natural gas furnace. But about 8 years ago it started having issues and so I shut it down. We heat the house with wood fire inserts. This year with working so much then getting hurt on the job. I haven't be able to build up the wood supply. Sooo... Time for a new furnace. Im wondering if anyone has gotten a new on or works on them? I like to be educated before making the calls and getting estimates. biggest questions I have are.

What brand do you recommend
What Efficiency 80-85-90-95?
one or two-stage furnace?
what am I forgetting?

Thanks in advance
Dusty

[Bodofish]

If the house was built in 76 the best efficiency you're going to realize is 80 to 85 unless you're willing to almost gut the house and start over. I had to do that for our house and luckily at the time I was doing some work for Gensco. I scored a dented Trane unit for less than wholesale. Of course that meant I had to find a guy that would do it as a side job bob. It's been great for about 10 years now, no problems. I think you'd be doing well with just about any brand, they're all UL tested and Uncle Sam looks at them from the EPA so I think they're all pretty good these days. Don't do a DIY, it will for sure entail a bunch of sheet metal work, nature of the beast. You will also need a certified plumber connect the gas for your insurance carrier. Contact a bunch of heating and AC guys let them take it from start to finish. Just ask for a quote, lots of them, don’t be shy about telling them you’ve asked a bunch of vendors, sharpen you’re pencil. It’s a buyers market.

[hewesfisher]

My brother is a partner with an HVAC outfit in the Seattle area. He will not steer you wrong and his work is nothing but top notch. PM me if you want his contact info. Geothermal, hydronic, boilers, furnaces, heat pumps, A/C, you name it, he does it all.

Even today there are brands to steer away from. Based on first hand experience with one installed in our parish hall (not by my brother), you couldn't give me a Lennox.

[The Quadfather]

Look up a regular from this forum....his handle is something like MarkfromtheSea, orMarkoftheSea
He is a HVAC guy. Might have some thoughts.

[Bodofish]

Pretty close. marksfromsea He would be a good contact.

http://www.washingtonlakes.com/forum/me ... ile&u=4177

He logged on the site a couple days ago but may last conversation with him was he might only have limited access due to a job.