The quality gas furnaces are reliable, first and foremost. And they deliver superior comfort at a minimum of 80% efficiency or 90% and higher efficiency.
Here are the 10 best gas furnaces along with installation prices for each model. Identical brands, like Trane and American Standard, are noted.
See complete reviews and the price range to install each model below.
A gas furnace remains the most popular heat source in homes across the country.
Today’s furnaces are affordable and efficient, a cost-effective choice when you select a model that is right for your region’s climate and the level of indoor comfort you want.
Selecting the ideal furnace for your home can be done in a few steps that we’ll guide you through.
For a fully installed furnace, plan to spend between $4,500 and $8,500, on average. Most new furnace units are currently priced between $1,600 and $5,000, but professional installation with the contractor obtaining a building permit and getting the completed job inspected is almost always in your best interest, for reasons we’ll explain below.
The current national average (80% range) is about $5,000-$7,500 for a new gas furnace fully installed.
Furnaces with 90% and higher efficiency average $6,400 to $10,000. These gas furnace costs include any necessary building permits and inspections, a new gas furnace unit and standard supplies, professional installation, and a typical 5-year to 10-year workmanship warranty from the installer.
Most HVAC contractors typically charge between $75 to $125 per hour for their work, and may include an assistant, or a team of three to complete the job faster. Their helpers often cost $50+ an hour as well when you consider the worker’s comp on top of their base pay.
Professional installation generally requires 10-man hours at a minimum, but can easily go up to 15-20 hours due to many reasons, usually related to adjusting or updating the forced air system, providing additional ductwork, removing, and disposing of the old boiler/furnace, removing old radiators, etc.
If significant updates are needed to your per-existing ductwork or if there is no ductwork currently in place, this can add anywhere from $5,500 to $15,500 to the total cost of the job.
Typically, it will cost under $10,000 for new ductwork or modifications to the existing ductwork, and often these additional charges are only steep if/when converting from say an electric furnace or oil boiler to a gas furnace, which requires new ductwork for forced air heating to work.
Other costs that may be included are removal and disposal of an older furnace (about $750-$1,500 extra), and miscellaneous materials and supplies needed to complete the installation.
*Other Extras: Gas line, vent, wiring and circuit breaker. If your project is furnace replacement vs a new furnace, some of the old equipment should be usable for the new furnace.
Furnace brands to avoid are:
There are other brands, too, all listed and explained below.
The general rule is to stay away from Johnson Control brands (York, Luxaire, Coleman & Champion), Nortek brands (Maytag, Frigidaire, Gibson & Broan) and anything sold online or at Home Depot as a DIY option.
As for Lennox, avoid its cheapest units – and a couple of its most complex furnaces because they are prone to mechanical failure. And the more complex the furnace, the higher the repair bill when it breaks down.
What is on this page about furnace brands to avoid? This page has a list of the worst brands and furnace types and why you should not buy them. Reasons are explained, so you can decide for yourself.
Poor quality and/or installation: It’s more than just furnace quality, though that’s at least half of the equation. The rest of it surrounds installation – which is a huge factor in how durable a furnace will be.
Some HVAC manufacturers make inferior furnaces. It doesn’t matter if the “Furnace Technician of the Year” installs them, they won’t have the durability of a Trane or a Carrier. There are two families of brands that make the worst gas furnaces.
These are four identical brands manufactured by Nortek Global. Never heard of the company. It was Nordyne until the name change in 2015, if that name rings a bell.
This company also made Tappan and Westinghouse furnaces, but those brands have been retired.
Top Reasons to Avoid These Furnaces
*What about MrCool gas furnaces? Did you know MrCool makes furnaces? Well, they don’t. MrCool-branded furnaces are Nortek Global furnaces, identical to Maytag models. Perhaps that is all that needs to be said.