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Bryant Model 986T

6K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  gjones 
#1 ·
Can anyone give me a rough price on what this furnace costs? I cannot find anything anywhere online. I do not want anyone coming to my house to try to sell me the furnace and the job. I am just trying to figure out how much I need to save to buy the unit.

Or is it impossible to buy a quality furnace without getting quoted on the unit, installation, service, duct cleaning, duct modification, and whatever else is bundled into the price?

For what its worth for anyone that might ask what I currently have:

Bryant 383KAV042091
Input 88,000 BTU
Output 71,000 BTU

I want to get rid of the chimney running through the master bed to make it useable space.

Thanks

Graham
 
#4 · (Edited)
gjones said:
Are they worth buying? I don't want to spend the money to buy something that will cause problems.
Nobody does. If you're DIYing this, your options are limited as far as brands. You'll need to do your homework. Find out what brands you can get, then research those to see what is best for you. Proper installation is key, so you'll need to know that you're installing it properly. There's more to it than just connecting the ducts, gas and electric. You could have the best furnace on the market, but if the install is subpar, you will have problems.
 
#5 ·
hvac benny said:
Nobody does. If you're DIYing this, your options are limited as far as brands. You'll need to do your homework. Find out what brands you can get, then research those to see what is best for you. Proper installation is key, so you'll need to know that you're installing it properly. There's more to it than just connecting the ducts, gas and electric. You could have the best furnace on the market, but if the install is subpar, you will have problems.
Yes that's why the big brands ( Trane, Carrier, and Lennox) require you to be a contractor and take one of there special two hour classes just to get a hold of their top of the line products. They don't want a bad install to tarnish there name
 
#6 ·
SO this is just a general question for you HVAC pros.

If I was to install a furnace with the exact same output as my current furnace, my duct-work could be wrong?

Do all you pros do a complete re-assessment of a home before changing out a furnace????
 
#7 ·
SO this is just a general question for you HVAC pros.

If I was to install a furnace with the exact same output as my current furnace, my duct-work could be wrong?

Yes. This manifests itself in short life, short cycling, poor performance.

Do all you pros do a complete re-assessment of a home before changing out a furnace????

The knowledgeable contractors do. Modern equipment is built to closer tolerances-they are not a forgiving on crappy ductwork as the old stuff.

The "box seller" companies don't care about your ductwork or longevity of the system....it will last past the labor warranty.
 
#9 ·
@hvac Benny I completely understand that and it is the same in my line of work (performance engines).

@HVAC1000 this is also something I understand, although the majority of products do not require training on the product for someone to be a dealer, just a buy-in.

From the little I know about home hvac systems and my own trial and error work in the home, I am pretty sure that my heating and air ducting is sub-par. There are gaps in all of the return ducts, nothing along the trunk and returns are sealed to anything, including other ducting, the trunk is the same size from the furnace to both ends of the house even though they are substantially different lengths, and there are 6" ducts running to every room, whether its a 25 sq./ft. half bath or a 120 sq./ft. bedroom.

I am probably sure that there are tolerances for duct diameter just like there are tolerances for engines, and even though the work can be within the tolerance it can perform like crap.

I guess I will do what I can in order to save myself money and then start saving up to pay someone else to do the furnace. Any other comments and suggestions are welcome!

Thanks guys

Graham
 
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