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goodman furnace

drozer | Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on August 7, 2009 03:00am

does anyone have a goodman furnace?

i need to replace the furnace in my rental unit. i went to my plumbing and heating place, where i get a small discount, and was quoted $3,700 for a 60k btu olsen. that’s uninstalled. so i still have to get them to fabricate the sheet metal adapter (i forget the trade term) to the existing ductwork, get 2 holes cored in my foundation, a bit of pipe and some fittings, a new thermostat and then install it myself.

today i got a quote for $3,600 for a 70k btu goodman (they don’t make a 60). installed. everything included, even a new thermostat thrown in. its a friend of a friend, who’s company has the subcontract to install the goodmans as rental furnaces for a local outfit. but he’s allowed to sell and install them on the side. everything’s above board, nothing off the back of a truck. all the paperwork and a signed contract, and i can get the extended warranty for another $150.

i did a quick google search of the reviews, and they were mostly positive (10 of the 12 i read), despite goodman having a bit of a bad rep.

TIA

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Replies

  1. User avater
    Dam_inspector | Aug 07, 2009 03:54am | #1

    Goodman is a low end furnace, but not a bad unit from what I hear.

  2. PedroTheMule | Aug 07, 2009 04:14am | #2

    Hi drozer,

    does anyone have a goodman furnace?

    Two Goodman Heat Pumps here......no problem.....a little outside blower noise as compared to those quiet Carriers but the indoor exchange unit is really quiet.

    No regrets......it's what virtually all the builders in central NC install as best I can tell.

    Got these through a dealer buddy at church.....they're what he recommended and I'm grateful.

    Pedro the Mule - Year round heating and cooling fur's good

  3. mikeroop | Aug 07, 2009 05:14am | #3

    Mines 11 years old and no problems. would buy it again

  4. peteshlagor | Aug 07, 2009 05:28am | #4

    Mine was put in 6 years ago.  I did have a problem with some circuit board about a week after the install, but the guy came right out, swapped the board and I've never seen him again.  No need to.

     

  5. alwaysoverbudget | Aug 07, 2009 05:38am | #5

    wow 3700 carry out! it's time to shop elsewhere.

    if your able to put it in yourself check ebay,i buy all my heating and cooling off there, i think somewhere in the 550 -800 range you can pick up one.

    as far as goodman is concerned ,i have a couple and they are fine. some guys talk about the case being flimsy,but i don't really beat on mine that much,put it in ,shut the door and go on.if i kick anything it's the cat.

    the older i get ,

    the more people tick me off

  6. DanH | Aug 07, 2009 05:46am | #6

    Yeah, Goodman is a low-end unit. When I was looking several years back they made a unit that was the same as the Amana, only lower quality heat exchangers, etc.

    As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
    1. drozer | Aug 07, 2009 03:14pm | #7

      thanks for all the replies.

      1. rdesigns | Aug 07, 2009 05:20pm | #8

        I agree with alwaysoverbudget--you should pay less than $1k for the unit itself.

        Goodman is common in our area, too, and the dealers who use them think highly of them. Not the best, but a decent product.

        As a guess, I would think that the 60k btu will actually keep you more comfortable than a larger one, and will last longer. The reason is that many--maybe most-- furnaces are grossly oversized  and for most of the heating season, their output will be 2 or 3 times what the house needs. If this is the case, it's hard on the heat exchanger and controls:  overheating, short-cycling, premature failure.

        The exception to this would be if you have a high cooling load with a split-system A/C tied into the furnace. If so, you may need to oversize the furnace in order to get a large enough blower to give the A/C enough airflow to perform at capacity. Generally speaking, you need at least 400 cfm per ton of A/C. You have not posted any profile information, so we don't know your location or climate.

        I'm not familiar with the terms of their extended warranty, but, in general, they are a waste of money. Anything other than normal wear will show up early enough to be covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

  7. Tim | Aug 07, 2009 09:16pm | #9

    I have a Goodman furnace. Completely trouble free from day I installed it.

    I worked at a company that sold Goodman products. In my observations, the only reason Goodman has a bad reputation is because it is inexpensive and installed by so many hacks. Generally the failures are caused by poor installations and rough handling.

    I wouldn't waste the money on an extended warranty.

    1. DanH | Aug 07, 2009 09:59pm | #10

      The main thing to keep in mind is that the heat exchanger in the Goodman will not last as long as will other brands. If you're OK with that then Goodman is probably a reasonable choice.
      As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz

      1. Tim | Aug 07, 2009 10:50pm | #11

        On what do you base that statement? Do you have information that the aluminized steel in Goodman's primary HX is inferior in some way? Or the stainless steel in the secondary is inadequate? As a Goodman dealer I never had to replaced a HX under warranty or for any other reason.

        1. DanH | Aug 07, 2009 10:57pm | #12

          I base it on their warranties, mainly. And the fact that higher-priced brands do not use the same technology.
          As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz

          1. Tim | Aug 11, 2009 06:48pm | #20

            When I was at the distributor, we sold Goodman and York. I was the technical service advisor for both lines to our installing and service contractors. I am very certain the "technologies" are not different, nor are the standard manufacturer's warranties. You've been duped by marketing or just been listening to too much hearsay. No one that has direct experience with this equipment buys that line of garbage.

          2. DanH | Aug 11, 2009 07:12pm | #21

            I know for a fact that the Goodman and Amana units we looked at were identical, save for fit and finish, heat exchanger construction, AND WARRANTY.
            As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz

          3. User avater
            Dam_inspector | Aug 11, 2009 07:52pm | #22

            Were the heat exchangers the same gauge and alloy metal? The design doesn't matter so much for longevity as does the materials. Warranties are not always an indicator of quality. Rumor has it the Autozone remanufactured parts are identical in the limited and lifetime warrantied versions. Just rumor, but it makes sense. You can give a lifetime warranty on parts if the price is adjusted to maintain profitability.

          4. DanH | Aug 11, 2009 08:42pm | #23

            > Were the heat exchangers the same gauge and alloy metal?No.
            As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz

          5. drozer | Aug 12, 2009 06:27pm | #24

            apples to apples.just got a quote from furnacefactory.ca on the goodman. $2100 cdn. cash and carry.checked ebay. $1300 us- don't ship to canada.

  8. MSA1 | Aug 08, 2009 12:48am | #13

    I have Goodmans in about three rentals. No problems but all under three years old. I would get them again in a heartbeat, but for the price you've been quoted I may just put a bonfire beneath the ductwork and go with that.

    $3600 sounds damn high for just a furnace.

     

    Family.....They're always there when they need you.

  9. casnshs | Aug 08, 2009 04:56am | #14

    you may want to check into getting one of the Goodman GMH95 furnaces. I work at a Goodman Distributor and if you get the GMH95 it qualifies for the $1500.00 tax credit. It also has a 10 year warranty on parts if it is registered, a 10 year unit replacement if the heat exchanger fails and a lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger. But I wouldn't put much stock into the lifetime heat exchanger warranty.



    Edited 8/7/2009 9:58 pm ET by casnshs

  10. mikeroop | Aug 08, 2009 05:52am | #15

    you people need to read the post. the price is installed everything included not just the unit

     

    today i got a quote for $3,600 for a 70k btu goodman (they don't make a 60). installed. everything included, even a new thermostat thrown in

    1. pixburd | Aug 08, 2009 01:23pm | #16

      I put in a Goodman Amana (their upscale line) furnace 2 years ago -- great unit, 2 stage burner, controllable ramp up and ramp down on motor blower.It was the only unit I could buy and install myself w/o license. My buddy found them on ebay.

      1. drozer | Aug 08, 2009 02:41pm | #17

        thanks for all the replies from people with experience with goodman.and thanks for all the opinions. <g>i should have put cdn $ in my prices. and fill out my profile...
        i don't think (most of) you guys realize how expensive thing s are here in canada.i'm gonna start another thread.

        1. mikeroop | Aug 08, 2009 04:23pm | #18

          please don't start another thread on the same subject it makes it hard to follow

          1. drozer | Aug 09, 2009 12:42am | #19

            i meant another thread on cdn prices.its in general discussion.

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