These York furnace reviews are a buyers guide for those interested in this popular brand. It’s one of many furnace review guides of today’s top brands we’ve completed, including outlines of Lennox, Trane, Goodman, Rheem, and Amana.
York is one of a family of brands owned by Johnson Controls, a Fortune 100 and Global 500 company. Johnson Controls has its global headquarters in Cork, Ireland with 2,000 offices and facilities worldwide. Coleman and Luxaire are Johnson Control brands with identical products.
York Furnace Brand Overview
You have a good variety of furnaces to choose from with York. If low equipment cost is important to you, York makes many affordable 80% efficient furnaces suited for climates with mild winters and for locations such as vacation homes that aren’t heavily used. Where winters are severe and efficiency counts, York’s furnaces with 90% to 98% efficiency will help you keep heating costs under control.
York furnaces also come in three performance levels:
- Single-stage 80% and 90%+ furnaces are the most affordable, but offer the poorest climate control;
- Two-stage 80% and 90%+ furnaces are quieter and produce temperatures that are more balanced than single-stage models can produce;
- Variable-capacity 95%+ York furnaces are the most expensive. Yet, they keep energy costs the lowest and produce the best climate control whether heating or supporting a central air conditioner in warm months.
York Furnace Technical Specifications
These technical specifications are an important part of York furnace reviews. They also allow you to compare them with other brands you’re considering.
- Like many leading brands, York makes good (Latitude Series with two models), better (LX Series with nine models) and best (Affinity Series with two models) furnaces;
- The Latitude Series gets the best York furnace reviews from consumers and industry experts;
- York makes six 80% AFUE (annualized fuel utilization efficiency) furnaces with models at all performance levels. The best 80% model is the variable-capacity Affinity Series YPLC;
- The brands’ seven furnaces with 90% AFUE and higher are mostly two-stage furnaces, though single-stage models. Some of them are the York TG9S and variable-capacity models like the Affinity YP9C with outstanding 98% AFUE are produced;
- York single-stage furnaces run at full capacity. So, temperature fluctuations of a few degrees and heating slightly past the thermostat set point, which wastes energy, are probable;
- Two-stage models run more quietly and heat more comfortably but cost more too;
- York variable-capacity furnaces deliver precise temperature control and use variable-speed blowers to optimize indoor comfort in all seasons;
- Four York furnaces including the York YP9C gas furnace are certified Energy Star furnaces. Also, they might be eligible for utility rebates or credits where you live;
- Most York 90%+ furnaces are built with secondary heat exchangers that capture more heat from the exhaust gases as they pass through;
- York’s ClimaTrak proprietary technology allows the installation technician to tune the furnace for your specific climate demands;
- Affinity Series and some LX Series models have an EPC fan motor, a type of motor that uses less energy than PSC motors.
PROs and CONs of York Furnaces
Here’s the good and bad points essential for complete York furnace reviews, a list of pros and cons that applies to Coleman and Luxaire brands too.
York Furnace PROs
- The York Affinity YP9C with 98% efficiency is on Energy Star’s list of the most efficient models in the industry;
- Having a variable-capacity furnace at 80%, not just in 95%+ models, gives homeowners in milder climates superior climate control;
- York’s lifetime heat exchanger warranty on its best models with a 10-year furnace replacement guarantee if the heat exchanger fails is a top-five warranty;
- Also, York’s standard 20-year heat exchanger and 10-year parts warranties are average for the industry. They are also better than Lennox and Trane offer on their base furnaces;
- ClimaTrak technology means that the performance of these furnaces can tune for better dehumidification during cooling cycles in very humid climates;
- Most brands require registration of a new furnace within 60 days to get the full warranty benefits. Yet, York gives consumers 90 days to register;
- York makes a range of compatible thermostat controls. This includes the York Affinity HX touchscreen, Wi-Fi thermostat;
- The most efficient York furnaces qualify for energy rebates and credits from energy companies across the country, and those benefits can be found here.
York Furnace CONs
- York has had slightly more reliability issues than other top brands like American Standard, Trane, Carrier, Bryant and Lennox in York furnace reviews. However, many of the bad York furnace reviews can be traced to poor installation techniques;
- The Affinity HX touchscreen, Wi-Fi thermostat offers convenience. But it is more expensive than popular Wi-Fi thermostats like nest and ecobee.
Things to Consider Before Purchasing a York Furnace
With York, you get average quality at a cost that is about average for the industry. You’ll pay more for American Standard, Lennox and the other superior brands mentioned but might get better reliability too. Cheaper brands like Goodman, Payne and Aire-flo cost less, but probably aren’t as reliable as York.
How efficient your new furnace should be is determined by climate and how long you plan to live in your current home.
- Where winters are mild, an 80% furnace is usually proper. This is because it would take 10+ years to recoup the higher cost of a 90% furnace through marginally lower heating bills. York makes single-stage, two-stage and a variable-capacity 80% furnace. So, you can choose the comfort level you’re willing to pay for.
- In a cold climate, a 95% or more efficient furnace is the key. They’re available in affordable single-stage, mid-priced two-stage and premium variable-capacity models. Even if you plan to live in your home a short time, a 95% furnace will be a selling point.
- The most important issue with gas furnace reliability, regardless of brand, is quality of the installation. To find a proven installer in your area, get estimates from several companies with a good reputation. Ask about the training and experience of the technician that will install the furnace. How long the company has been in business is irrelevant if the installer is a rookie.
- One final though on installation. Make sure the furnace you install has the proper size for your home. If you upgrade the insulation, install energy-efficient windows or if the new furnace is more efficient than the old one, the new furnace should be smaller. The technician can complete a Manual-J Load Calculation to most precisely size your furnace.
York Furnaces: Yes or No?
York, Coleman and Luxaire make decent-quality furnaces at average prices. If you’ve had success with York in the past, sticking with the brand makes sense. Be sure, as noted, to choose an installation company with expertise and experience.
See our furnace reviews to compare other top brands. Also, we’d appreciate it if you would pass this information along to friends and followers if the York furnace reviews have been of help to you.
