Furnaces

A furnace, as part of a central heating and cooling system, converts fuel into heat, then uses a blower to circulate warm air throughout your house. In summer, the furnace works with your heat pump or air conditioner to draw in warm air from your house and recirculate the newly cooled air. The main components to a natural gas furnace include burners and heat exchanger, blower and controls.

AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. AFUE measures a gas furnace's efficiency in converting fuel to energy. A higher AFUE rating means greater energy efficiency.

Every furnace is going to age differently based on location, maintenance, build quality and several more factors. However, we recommend replacing your furnace if:

The efficiency of any furnace is measured in Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE). The AFUE shows how much of the fuel you pay for is actually turned into usable heat. The higher the AFUE, the less fuel you'll need to keep your home comfortable. Trane 95 and 90 gas furnaces deliver at least 90% efficiency, far exceeding the government minimum standard of 80 AFUE for new furnaces. If you have a furnace that is at least 10 years old, it probably has an AFUE somewhere between 60 and 70 – meaning up to 40 cents of every dollar you pay for fuel is wasted.

Getting the right size furnace is important because if you buy an HVAC system that’s too big, you’ll end up wasting money and energy. And if it’s too small, you won’t get enough cool or warm air to keep you comfortable. An HVAC expert can help you calculate the correct size based on the square footage of your home.

A Trane furnace can range in price from $1,800 - $6,000. The cost of a Trane furnace depends on many things including the size of your house, model you choose, special installation requirements - even where you live and the climate in your area. Our pricing guide explains the factors that affect your price. Your costs could be higher, or you can talk to your dealer and lower your costs thanks to local rebates, special offers and tax credits. To get the most accurate price for your home, schedule a home evaluation.

FER stands for Fan Energy Rating and is a federal regulation that sets a minimum airflow efficiency standard for residential gas furnaces and gas packaged units. As of July 3, 2019, furnaces and gas packaged units cannot be manufactured unless they meet the FER standard. The US Department of Energy (DOE) predicts the new standard for furnace fans will save energy, reduce carbon pollution and save Americans more than 9 billion in home electric bills through 2030*. See our Trane Topics article on FER standards and what they mean for you.
*See DOE for more details

Trane furnaces are designed to run on natural gas as most homes connect to natural gas lines. If you live in an area where natural gas is not available, you can use propane as gas fuel in our hybrid dual fuel packaged systems. In some cases it may be possible to convert a gas furnace to run on propane. Ask your Trane Dealer for more details.

New gas furnaces have AFUE ratings between 89% and 98%. New oil furnaces have AFUE ratings between 80% and 90%.

A gas furnace uses natural gas for fuel and distributes gas-powered heat to the home. Oil furnaces convert oil into heat energy. Fuel cost is another main difference. Fuel costs for a natural gas furnace are much less than for an oil furnace.