A new furnace question...I am replacing my old, inefficient furnace and have two

[likesmountains 52]

quotes from the contractor...a 2 stage gas furnace will run about $500 more than the single stage model..is a 2 stage worth the extra money? They have the same BTU and the same (80%) efficiency...Thanks in advance to all of you helpful folks

[NMDemDist2]

1. $500 isn't a lot over the life of a furnace

not sure how it does 'two stage' but that's not that much when you're probably talking several thousand bucks already

[likesmountains 52]

3. that's kind of what I thought...$2300 or $2800...not much different..thanks

[Kolesar]

2. We bought a 91% efficient condensing furnace that has 20,000 BTU & 60,000 BTU levels

The 60,000 BTU level kicks in in cold weather when the low level cannot heat the house up in less than " a few" minutes (2 or 5?). It is Bryant/Carrier brand and it works very well.

[likesmountains 52]

4. that's pretty fast! Thanks for the info..I was leaning toward the 2 speed...it's a Carrier too..

[freestyle]

5. You can get well into the 90's on the efficiency. Go for that first.

We replaced our furnace about seven years ago with a gas furnace at 94% efficiency. It made an immediate difference in the bill. When it is time to replace, go for the highest efficiency you can get.

[nedbal]

6. efficiency...

On a Northern boarder state go for the 90+ efficiency, beware the sensors & control circuits will cost much more to repair than the simple 80% models