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Carrier Infinity 96 Gas Furnace Price
Some homeowners shy away from getting bids on high efficiency gas furnaces like the 96.6% AFUE Carrier Infinity 96 Gas Furnace because they believe the gas furnace prices will be too high and that the mechanics they require in order to be so efficient may make them more vulnerable to breakdowns. A letter submitted to our Share an HVAC Price page from Ted in Perth, North Dakota giving his Carrier Infinity 96 Gas Furnace price offers another side of the story.
“It’s another typical cold winter here in North Dakota, but my fuel consumption is down by about 20% with the new Carrier Infinity 96 Gas Furnace. With our weather and the ridiculous price of propane we knew that choosing a high efficiency model made total sense. I’d heard that high efficiency models can be finicky, breaking easily, so did some checking. They haven’t been around as long as 90% gas furnaces so it’s hard to check their service record for longevity. What I did find was that Carrier high efficiency furnaces have not shown any demonstrable issues that make them more fragile than lower efficiency furnaces.
Secondly, the Carrier Infinity 96 Gas Furnace comes with a warranty that is just as good as the vast majority of 80% efficient furnaces. The final reason for going with the high efficiency model is that the prices are only 10-15% higher and that means I can make up the difference in just 3-4 years here. It made the choice a no-brainer. Here’s what we got:
Carrier Infinity 96 120,000 Btu gas furnace with propane conversion kit, $1,929. Installation, $2,450. Total: $4,379
I thought the installation cost was a bit high so got 2 more bids. They weren’t much different so went with the original bid since it came from a company I’d done business with several times and trusted. The installation required some duct work change where the furnace hooks up and a new vent, plus about an extra hour to install the propane kit. We are enjoying the furnace’s high end features after years of so-so heating in our old farm house. It offers:
- Up to 96.6% fuel efficiency which makes it Energy Star rated and eligible for the tax credit from Uncle Sam.
- Variable speed blower motor creates more efficient, quiet and even heating which we’ve definitely notices.
- 2-stage heating should reduce fuel use and reduce cold blowing before it warms up.
- Units from 40K Btu to 120K Btu – we went with the max in our 2,200 sq. ft. 2-story.
- Primary and secondary heat exchangers made from high-quality, high-performance materials.
- Well-built cabinet is very sturdy and secure.
- Programmable Infinity thermostat and compatibility with more advanced Thermidistat
- Lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger with 10-year coverage on everything else.
That’s our story. We’re very happy with our decision and are confident it will pay for itself pretty quickly – and if any mechanical problems arise we’ve got a great warranty.”
This letter shows how technological advances in efficiency aren’t as pricey as they once were and that ultra-high efficiency models are worth considering more than ever. One thing Ted didn’t mention was the importance of having a high-efficiency model installed by the pros. At today’s energy costs you want to make sure that any gas furnace is achieving the highest efficiency possible. Having a qualified contractor do the work is the best assurance you have that your system will be giving you the comfort and efficiency performance you paid for.
