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Their top premium model is an Energy Star rated gas furnace with a 96% AFUE rating. The Frigidaire economy model gas furnace covers the gas furnace minimum efficiency rating as set by the Department of Energy for gas furnace manufacturers.
The minimum is 80% AFUE which is far better than older furnaces that got around 60% AFUE if you were lucky. Today, gas hogs have been banned from being produced so you get the now standard minimum of 80% AFUE.
Frigidaire has other models that fall in between the two stated efficiency ratings for their premium models and for the minimum rated model.
Frigidaire Gas Furnace Reviews | Consumer Ratings
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Frigidaire Gas Furnace Top AFUE Rating
Frigidaire offers a two-stage gas furnace that is compatible with one of their air conditioner condensing units so both can retain their Energy Star rating is you get a central air conditioner with their gas furnace. You could also pair this with one of Frigidaires heat pump condensing units for a dual fuel heat pump configuration provided the controls installation is correct.
While two-stage is better than a single-stage gas furnace the two-stage is still not as good or efficient as a modulating gas furnace that many other manufacturers have in their inventory. The difference is in the efficiency ratings and comfort factors. A modulating gas furnace will have less temperature swing than a two-stage gas furnace. If you have a single-stage and you are upgrading to a two-stage, you will likely recognize the difference.
Energy Efficiency and Gas Furnace AFUE
Just because you spend extra money to buy a high AFUE gas furnace does not mean you will have true energy efficiency. There are many factors to getting true energy efficiency. Among these factors are:
- Proper installation of the gas furnace
- Ductwork Integrity
- Home Insulation including energy-efficient doors and windows
- Home humidity levels
For more information see our article on Gas Furnace Efficiency Factors
Select Features & Components | Frigidaire Gas Furnace Reviews
Select features and components of Frigidaire gas furnaces include:
- As noted above, two-stage gas furnaces along with single-stage gas furnaces in their model line up.
- What Frigidaire calls iSEER for compatibility with an air conditioner condensing unit. This adds efficiency for the air conditioner split system and offers you better humidity control. It is basically a variable speed ECM blower motor. ECM blower motors offer soft-start capabilities and use less energy than conventional PSC motors. The comfort feature is for air conditioning in the summer and the added ability for dehumidification. With less humidity in the air, you feel cooler.
- Hot surface ignition offers direct ignition of the main burners which eliminates a pilot light and offers electronic control of the ignition process.
- A control board that offers fault codes or flash codes in the case of a problem with your gas furnace. This makes gas furnace troubleshooting easier and more efficient.
- A two-stage inducer for the low-fire and high-fire rates of the two-stage gas furnace. This means the inducer is not running at high speed when it only needs to be running at low speed.
- Furnace compartment air leakage is less than 2% which adds more efficiency from air loss and heat loss to the system. While 2% is good I have seen other manufacturers that are rated at 1% air leakage rate.
Premium Versus Economy Models - Frigidaire Gas Furnace Reviews
Frigidaire does have an economic model that is rated at 80% AFUE that is a two-stage gas furnace. They also have single-stage furnaces rated at 80% AFUE. The differences between the premium models and the economic models at the efficiency rating.
The question is: Do you want to pay more for the premium more efficient model or less for the economy model? That depends on what you want to pay for your gas bill and when paired with an air conditioner your electric bill.
Of course, the premium models cost more because they have more components in them that add efficiency, therefore, reducing your utility bills. To answer that question, it depends on your budget and the ROI or return on investment for the added cost of the premium models.
Warranties
Frigidaire offers a 10-year all parts warranty with a modifier to the warranty. If the heat exchanger or the compressor (if you have a matching Frigidaire air conditioner condensing unit) fails within the ten years, they will replace the entire unit. I am sure there are terms and conditions applied to that, so make sure you understand it before signing the contractor to purchase one.
Additionally, we always advise our readers, if they are purchasing the premium models, that they see if a “parts and labor” warranty is available. We do this simply because labor can be costly, especially for the premium models. It’s like buying insurance so you won’t have to worry about out of pocket expenses if something fails.
Frigidaire Gas Furnace Model Comparison Chart
Frigidaire Gas Furnace Reviews | Consumer Ratings