Table of Contents
Rheem Gas Furnace Reviews | Consumer Ratings - Features
Some features of various Rheem gas furnaces are:
- Two-stage gas furnaces with the first stage operating between 40% to 65% combustion and the second stage operating to 100% combustion.
- Gas valves that work with either a single-stage or two-stage.
- ECM Variable Speed Blower Motors in selected gas furnaces for energy saving for a forced-air furnace. A variable-speed motor will also offer quieter operation.
- Direct spark ignition for the pilot light and also save energy over older types of pilot lights. That lowers your utility bills and operating costs.
Additional Features:
- Diagnostic boards that hold a history for gas furnace troubleshooting and furnace repair purposes.
- Rheem includes stainless steel heat exchangers in selected models. Heat exchanger warranties vary depending on the furnace.
- Propane conversion kits are available for a propane furnace over natural gas.
Modulating Furnaces Versus Staging Furnaces
- Rheem Warranties as Compared to Other Brands 85%
- Rheem Quality as Compared to Other Brands 92%
- Consumer Opinion based on Field Experience 80%
- Efficiency Compared to Other Brands 90%
- Overall Rheem Opinion from a Technical Perspective 88%
%
Rheem Gas Furnace Top AFUE Rating
What is a Modulating Furnace and How Does it Work? How does Modulation Benefit You and Energy Efficiency?
Rheem has modulating gas furnaces along with two-stage and single-stage units. Modulating gas furnaces are considered superior gas furnaces in providing energy efficiency and comfort for you. Provided they are installed properly and set up correctly a modulating gas furnace can deliver optimum comfort and energy efficiency for years to come. Control is another area that needs to be set up correctly for the modulating gas furnace to work properly and deliver results in comfort and energy efficiency.
The modulating gas furnace operates at varying capacities. Typically, from 40% to 100% range of capacity. That means the furnace operates based on load demand. If it is mild weather the furnace will operate in the lower modulation range. If it really cold outside the furnace will operate at a higher capacity. This is designed for energy efficiency and comfort. By operating this way, the modulating gas furnace reduces temperature swing meaning the temperatures will be more even. That translates to more comfort for you.
Rheem Modulating Gas Furnace and Econet® Control | R98V and R97V Models
Rheem has a few gas furnace models that offer modulation. When these furnaces are paired with the Econet control they will give the operating capacity range of 40% to 100%. The Econet control gives you advanced capabilities for a thermostat including:
- WiFi connectivity
- Local weather display
- Touchscreen
- Scheduling features
- Remote monitoring and control with a smartphone app
Rheem does state the operation range (40% to 100%) of the modulating furnace is dependent on the Econet control. Keep this in mind if you are considering purchasing a Rheem modulating gas furnace.
Furnace Maintenance | Rheem Gas Furnace Reviews
Rheem’s forced air furnace is a good furnace of all the furnace brands. We always recommend, with any heating and air conditioning system, that you get furnace maintenance from a qualified furnace service provider. It will increase the efficiencies of your home comfort system and reduce energy bills. A home furnace, especially a high-efficiency gas furnace, needs regular maintenance. Additionally, make sure you change your furnace filters on a regular basis. Lastly, this will also help you reduce your home heating costs.
Gas Furnace Buyers Guide | Rheem Gas Furnace Reviews
High Performance HVAC offers an HVAC consumer buyer guide to help with the purchase. We know dealing with contractors and making a purchasing decision is no easy task. Furthermore, we want to help you smooth things out with our buyer’s guide. Here are a few helpful hints from our buyer’s guide page:
- Always get a load calculation. Never go with the rule of thumb or sizing by the old system.
- Quality of contractor over the brand. You can buy the best gas furnace in the world but if it’s installed incorrectly, it’ll be a frustrating money pit.
- Get at least 3 bids from 3 different vetted contractors. The lowest bid is not always the best.
Warranties and Details About the New Furnace
Lastly, final advice about the information publicly available for consumers. Rheem can add to their website clear information about their products and warranties. I had a difficult time finding information about:
- Heat exchanger warranty information. If you have a 20-year/lifetime replacement for heat exchangers this would be a good selling point as other manufacturers use it on their websites. Are the warranties transferable if you sell the property?
- More information on components even in specification sheets. Things such as inducer motor types (Single-speed/multi-speed/variable-speed)?
For a consumer, you want to know this information, especially about the warranties. The other things are technical but different components are beneficial to the consumer while others are not.
Rheem Gas Furnace Comparison Chart
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
Pricing, Efficiency, and Return On Investment | Rheem Gas Furnace Reviews
Rheem History
Rheem Manufacturing Company was established in the 1920s by Richard and Donald Rheem when the two brothers bought a galvanizing plant in San Francisco, CA. In the ’40s and ’50s, Rheem expanded its core product line of water heaters to include air conditioning and heating equipment. Rheem has expanded and is now a global company with offices in Europe, Australia, Canada, Asia, and South America.
For more information on Rheem and its latest models and efficiency ratings please see the Rheem website.
See our other Rheem Reviews: Rheem Air Conditioner Reviews – Consumer Ratings | Rheem Package Unit Reviews - Package Units | Rheem RGTK Series 90 Plus Gas Furnace Review
Rheem Gas Furnace Reviews | Consumer Ratings
