I am looking to replace a 30+ year old furnace,made by Chrysler, which has finally died. RIP. The first hvac representative that I talked to stated he doesn't install 90 percent+ units because they break down too much. Thus the savings in energy costs are wiped out by costs is repairs. Is he correct? The furnace was Rheems(100k btu), which has a
20 warranty on the heat exchanger and a 5 year limited warranty on parts. I 'll be talking to a Carrier rep tomorrow.Are the variable speed(2-speed)motors at risk for breaking down more than the one speed variety? Are they really more energy efficient?
And are those UV lamps worthwhile?
Finally, does anyone have experience with Home Depot or Sears. Home Depot installs Trane and Sears installs Carriers. I obtained my list of potential contractors through the BBB, and narrowed down the list to ones who were members of the BBB and didn't have any complaints in the past 36 months. I assume Home Depot subcontracts and Sears has their own guys do the work.
Thanks