Furnaces

In a central heating and cooling system, a furnace burns fuel and distributes it throughout the house in conjunction with an air conditioner or heat pump.

Two-stage heating means a furnace has two heating settings: high for the coldest days and a low setting for more mild temperatures. A multi-stage furnace is more efficient and keeps temperatures more consistent throughout the day.

American Standard furnace pricing depends on multiple factors like the size of your house, model, installation requirements—and even the climate conditions in your area. Average prices across the country can range from $1,600 to $6,000. Some furnaces even qualify for local rebates. Your best pricing resource is your local dealer.

Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) is a measure of a gas furnace’s efficiency in converting fuel to energy. A higher AFUE means greater energy efficiency.

When it comes to choosing what size furnace you need, your best bet is to get a Manual J calculation done for your house. An HVAC expert can also recommend the correct size based on the square footage of your home. The maximum size unit you should buy would be 15% over the BTUs you need for cooling and 40% of the BTUs for heating.

A furnace burns fuel to create heat and distributes it throughout your home. It does not generate cold air. A heat pump uses the outside air to both heat a home in winter and cool it in summer.

FER stands for Fan Energy Rating, which is a rule that was passed by the Department of Energy (DOE) to set minimum airflow efficiency standards for residential furnaces and gas packaged units. These new guidelines are in place to encourage energy efficiency and will help make a positive environmental impact.* As of July 3, 2019, gas furnaces and gas packaged units can’t be manufactured unless they meet the FER standard.*
*See DOE for more details (PDF)