2-stage thermostat and wiring required to get the full benefit from the 2-stage furnace.Ĭorrect sizing is very important for comfort and lifespan -> matching the furnace right to the house and ducts is the most important thing. Make sure you get the second pipe run for combustion air from outside. The new ones are just 'meh' - basically a heil/tempstar with a carrier logo and their electronics. Not having the burner box is not by any means a deal breaker.Ĭarrier used to build a really great, quality high efficiency furnace, minus the secondary heat exchangers that had issues.

It's not perfect and the rest of the components get exposed to cold/moisture, etc. Combustion air from outside only enters into a box at the top to feed the burners, the carrier and all other brands rely on the top access panel to make the seal. It is a basic 5-speed tap and if the factory heating speeds are incorrect for your duct system, it is very easy to change by moving wires around on the circuit board. The blower in the armstrong can be replaced with an aftermarket- drop in substitute after warranty at a lower cost. They call it 'variable speed', but it does not function like one which automatically compensates for duct pressure to deliver proper airflow. The blower in the 59tp6 60k is weak in heating mode at high duct pressures, and if you have marginally sized ducts, it will run hot. The blower in the carrier doesn't allow for major heating adjustments beyond 10% - comfort vs efficiency mode. The primary heat exchanger is stainless steel instead of aluminized steel. The armstrong is a much better furnace than the carrier, if it's a good fit for your home.Įach burner is 11k btu instead of 20k btu, each heat exchanger cell is subjected to less heat relative to surface area

The armstrong is 66 000 btu, not 60 000 btu.

Armstrong furnace reviews