I keep my home fires burning with a 95% efficiency, natural gas Goodman furnace. It’s quiet, effective and oh so efficient. Not only did I get a $150 tax credit for my 2006 taxes, but I’m now saving an average of 85% on my energy bills. In fact, the first full month I had my Goodman furnace operating, I saved a whopping 111% over my energy cost for the same period last year! I haven’t done the math yet, but with the low cost I paid for the Goodman 95% efficiency furnace – compared to other brand names for a similar product – I know the Goodman furnace will pay for itself in no time.
Here’s the whole story:
I live in Michigan. It gets pretty cold here in the winter, and the weather can continually be unpredictable. For instance, as I’m writing this on April 6, 2007, it’s 20 degrees outside. Last week, it was almost 80 degrees here. The saying here is: If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes. Needless to say, you need a reliable furnace in the winter.
When my wife and I moved into our home in 2005, we knew our old furnace was about to give up the ghost. Our home was built in 1965, and that’s also when the furnace was installed. The good news is we had a home warranty, that included the furnace, which lasted a year. So, we decided to wait on replacing the furnace, to see if the old furnace would die that first winter, and we could get a warranty replacement furnace for free. It didn’t happen. Come fall 2006, I’m thinking we can push our luck for just one more year. I mean, if the furnace lasted for 40 years, surely it could make it 41 years. Wrong! Just before Christmas, (like, a few days before) the old hoss finally called it quits. No amount of coaxing, re-lighting the pilot light that wouldn’t stay lit, or any other mechanical intervention was going to resurrect our furnace. Its flame was out for good.
Knowing the furnace failure was looming, I had previously done research online to see if I could order a furnace direct, to avoid the contractor mark-up that comes with them selling you a system before they install it. (You can see the link to the company I ordered from at the end of this review. I haven’t been compensated from them.) I had also done research on Goodman, the furnace brand they offered, and was pleased at what I found. Goodman’s warranty for the furnace included: “A lifetime limited compressor warranty, a lifetime limited heat exchanger warranty, a 10-year parts limited warranty and a
10-year unit replacement limited warranty” ( Goodman website). Plus, the cost for the furnace was only $959.99! I was sold. I ordered the furnace over the phone the week before Christmas. In spite of the delivery being during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, the furnace came early that next week. I got it in the house, got it installed, and it’s worked like a charm ever since. Between furnaces, my wife and I had a few chilly nights in our home, but we had a space heater for the bedroom, and just spent most of our time in there until our new Goodman furnace was installed. I also got a humidifier with the furnace, and overall, I think I saved more than $1000 by ordering the Goodman furnace direct.
In all fairness, the reviews for Goodman furnaces I’ve seen from HVAC professionals haven’t always been flattering. However, there are many pros out there that swear by Goodman, and have sold their products for years. A common phrase I came across in my research was that a proper installation is critical to any furnace performing well. It doesn’t matter if you buy the top-of-the line, most expensive, brand-name you can find, if it’s installed incorrectly, it’s not going to function at its optimal potential. But, with Goodman’s outstanding warranty, I know I’m protected if something does go wrong.
If you need a furnace, get a Goodman 95% efficiency furnace. But hurry, the tax credit for high efficiency furnaces is only available until the end of 2007. You’ll be comfortable, get a great warranty, reduce your energy consumption, and save your hard earned money.
