Payne Gas Furnace: Cost, Pros & Cons, Best Models

Payne is frequently ranked among the most reliable furnace brands, comparable only with Trane in this area according to our HVAC experts. Payne makes both single-stage and two-stage furnaces, and their Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ranges from 80% up to 96% depending on the model chosen.

  • The high quality of Payne furnaces comes as no surprise: the brand is owned by Carrier, one of the top HVAC manufacturers worldwide.
  • If you’re looking for a Payne furnace but the brand has limited availability in your area, you can find very similar models from Carrier. Just note that their prices will likely be higher.

You can find Payne gas furnaces for any application. Their product selection includes ENERGY STAR Certified models with two-stage heating in case you live in a city with harsh winters. On the other hand, you can purchase their more affordable 80% AFUE furnaces if local weather is milder.

Standard efficiency furnaces are also a good option for vacation homes and other properties that don’t need heating for extended periods.

Two of the best furnace models offered by Payne are the PG95ESA and PG96VTA. Both models are characterized by their durability and reliability, and they have an AFUE of up to 96%.

PG95ESA is a single-stage furnace, while PG96VTA is a two-stage furnace, more expensive but capable of controlling indoor temperatures more efficiently.

How Much Does a Payne Furnace Cost?

Furnace prices vary depending on the equipment model chosen and local installation costs. You might pay less than $4,000 to install a basic low-tier furnace and more than $10,000 for a premium unit.

Based on our research, you can expect to pay around $6,420 for a Payne furnace, and costs can be broken down as follows:

Payne Furnace – Cost Breakdown Amount
Equipment $3,520
Installation labor and accessories $2,500
Permitting and other costs $400
Total Cost $6,420

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American Standard Gas Furnace: Cost, Pros & Cons, Best Models

American Standard is one of the top furnace brands recommended by our HVAC experts, offering reliability and solid warranty coverage.

The company offers a wide product selection that includes high-efficiency furnaces (>95% AFUE) for places with cold winters, and more affordable 80% AFUE furnaces for places with milder weather.

American Standard is owned by Trane, one of the leading HVAC equipment manufacturers in the US.

When comparing furnaces, the best recommendation is focusing on specific models rather than brand names in general. Furnace manufacturers make products for all budgets, which means you may find premium units and cheap lower-quality units from the same brand.

A common mistake is assuming that high efficiency is always equivalent to high quality: you can find ENERGY STAR furnaces that break down after only five years, and modest efficiency units that can heat your home reliably for 15+ years.

For example, American Standard offers the high-efficiency Gold S9V2 furnace (96% AFUE) and the lower-efficiency Platinum 80 furnace (80% AFUE). Both products have an excellent track record in the industry:

  • High efficiency only means that a furnace includes a secondary heat exchanger to extract more heat from natural gas combustion.
  • A high AFUE is very useful if you live in a place with cold winters, but the extra cost may outweigh the savings in a place with milder winters.
  • 80% AFUE furnaces are also an excellent option for vacation homes, Airbnbs and other properties that are only used part-time.

Here we will discuss how much you can expect to pay when purchasing an American Standard furnace, and we will compare their product lines while recommending their top furnace models.

How Much Does an American Standard Furnace Cost?

The installed price of an American Standard furnace will depend on the specific model chosen and local labor costs, among other factors. If you want to compare accurate quotes, the best recommendation is getting in touch with qualified furnace installers in your city.

Based on our research, a US homeowner can expect to pay around $7,820 when installing an American Standard furnace.

American Standard Furnace – Cost Breakdown Amount
Equipment $4,620
Installation labor and accessories $2,800
Permitting and other costs $400
Total Cost $7,820

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Top 10 Best Value Gas Furnaces: Costs by Model Installed

A great value gas furnace must be above average in quality and reliability, while also being priced competitively to make our list.

Lower-quality, cheaper gas furnaces don’t offer the best value because they don’t last long enough to justify the installation expense in the first place. Low quality furnaces are also more prone to breaking down in the middle of a nasty stretch of cold weather.

Value = good quality + reasonable cost

Your climate suitability for a particular model and the quality of the installation job also play an important role in the overall value you get.

Top 10 Gas Furnaces that Deliver the Best Value for the Money

  1. Day & Night G96VTN QuietComfort 96
  2. Trane S9X1
  3. Goodman GMVC96
  4. Payne 95 PG95ESA
  5. Armstrong Air A951E
  6. Goodman GMSS92
  7. Carrier Comfort 92 59SC2
  8. Day & Night N80ESN Performance 80
  9. Rheem Classic Series R801C/R801S
  10. Trane S8X1

That’s our list – and each model is reviewed below including cost, efficiency, performance, warranty and why it makes our list.

Before those reviews, we cover information about what makes for a good value gas furnace, installation costs, the cost of ductwork, if you need it, and other relevant information.

If you’d rather jump to the furnaces, select the Day & Night furnace that heads the list, and you’ll be taken directly to the reviews.

Gas Furnace Installation Cost – Warrantied Professional Installation/Labor

The professional installation (labor, supplies, building permits, and labor warranty) part of your bill will be about $2,600 on average, if your installation is of average difficulty.

The range is from about $1,500 for a very simple installation (not including the furnace) in new construction projects (this doesn’t include the cost of ductwork) to about $4,000 (not including the furnace) for more involved jobs where the gas line requires replacement and/or there are other variables come into play, requiring more materials and warrantied professional labor.

A high-end, touchscreen, WiFi thermostat can also boost the cost of the overall job with a price tag of $500 or more.

Here’s a gas furnace installation cost breakdown showing where your money typically goes:

Gas Furnace Installation Cost Only (Not including the cost of the unit being installed)

The plenum connects the furnace to the hot air ducts. The return connects the furnace to the cold air return ducts.

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