Amana AMSS92 Review

DISCONTINUED: Please note, this model appears to have been discontinued by the manufacturer, although it may still be available for purchase through distributors and contractors for some time.

Amana’s AMSS92 is a single-stage furnace with a multi-speed blower and AFUE rating of 92 percent. It’s one of the most basic furnaces that Amana manufactures, and also one of the most basic styles of furnace on the market. 

This Amana AMSS92 model review will tell you all the important stats and specifications about this furnace to help you decide if it’s a good choice for your home. 

We’ll talk about the important features, warranty information, and the type of burner and blower it has. We’ll also compare it to three other Amana furnaces based on price, features, and tier. 

About the Amana AMSS92

Average Price (with installation): $4,200 to $4,800

Top Features

• Better efficiency, less fuel waste, and reduced heat loss thanks to the secondary heat exchanger 
• It’s quiet, especially compared to a natural draft furnace
• Made with quality components that are designed to last
• SureStart Ignition System is reliable and reduces fuel waste
• Multi-speed motor is quieter than single-speed ones

The Bottom Line

The AMSS92 is one of the most affordable furnaces in the Amana lineup. It’s also one of the most basic furnaces that Amana makes, and it doesn’t have any of the special features—like the ComfortBridge technology or CoolCloud HVAC app—that some of the other models have. 

Depending on how big your house is and how cold your winters are, the AMSS92 might not be powerful enough to keep your home warm through a Canadian deep freeze. Unless you live in a very small space, the AMSS92 is best suited to more temperate climates. 

The single-stage burner and multi-speed blower motor are best suited for smaller homes and milder climates. It also doesn’t have ENERGY STAR® certification, so it’s not likely eligible for rebates. 

However, the AMSS92 does have a secondary heat exchanger and high-efficiency AFUE rating of 92 percent, so it should save you some money on monthly energy bills compared to an older and less efficient furnace. 

In Depth Review

Amana AMSS92 Product Specifications

• AFUE: 92 percent
• Burner type: Single-stage
• Blower type: Multi-speed
• ENERGY STAR rated? No
• Heating capacity: 36,800 to 110,400 BTUs

Features Overview

The AMSS92 has been designed for quiet, lasting, and reliable operation. It has a number of features that protect the cabinet and the important components inside so that you'll get many years of service from this furnace. 

It also has special cabinet and blower features that reduce vibrations and noise, making the AMSS92 a quieter furnace than some others. 

Finally, the AMSS92 also has a few design features that make troubleshooting and diagnostics easier, and this could save on labour costs when you need maintenance or repairs. 

Other Key Features

• Heavy-gauge steel cabinet that’s durable and quiet
• Special blower assembly reduces noise
• Silicon nitride igniter is more reliable than a pilot light and doesn’t waste fuel
• Offers continuous air circulation so the air is always being filtered and moved
• Tubular stainless steel heat exchanger is durable and reliable
• LED fault code display makes diagnostics easier

Warranty Information

All Amana furnaces are protected by an excellent warranty, and even though the AMSS92 is an entry-level furnace, it still has great coverage. 

The AMSS92 comes with a lifetime heat exchanger and a 10-year parts warranty. It doesn’t have the unit replacement warranty that a lot of other Amana furnaces have, but at least the company stands behind the heat exchanger, the furnace’s most important component, for the lifetime of the unit. 

Just be aware that you must register the AMSS92 within 60 days of installation. If you don’t register, the coverage will revert back to the shorter standard warranty terms, which doesn’t include the lifetime heat exchanger warranty. 

Comparable Models by Amana

Model Comparison by Price: AMSS92 versus AMEC96

The AMSS92 is one of the cheapest furnaces that Amana makes, and it’s also one of the most basic. By comparison, the AMEC96 is a more expensive furnace, coming in around $4,800 to $5,400. At the same time, there are a lot of reasons to consider the more expensive model, including: 

• It has a more advanced two-stage burner
• The two-stage burner is quieter, more efficient, and better at managing humidity
• The furnace will perform better in colder climates
• The AMEC96 will keep larger homes warmer
• It has an AFUE rating of 96 percent
• It has a superior ECM motor
• It’s ENERGY STAR certified
• It could be eligible for rebates the AMSS92 doesn’t qualify for
• The higher price of the AMEC96 could be offset by rebates and increased energy savings

Model Comparison by Features: AMSS92 versus AMVS96-U

The AMVS96-U is another single-stage furnace from Amana, but it has some appealing features that the AMSS92 lacks. 

For one thing, the AMVS96-U has a 96 percent AFUE rating and ENERGY STAR certification, so it could be eligible for rebates and will save more on annual heating bills. It also qualifies as an ultra-low nitrogen oxide emissions furnace, so it’s better for the environment. 

The AMVS96-U has a variable-speed ECM blower motor that’s quieter, more efficient, better at maintaining the right temperature in your house, and that requires less maintenance. 

Finally, the AMVS96-U has Amana’s ComfortBridge technology, which allows important components inside the furnace to communicate with the thermostat. It also has the CoolCloud HVAC app that allows contractors to wirelessly connect to the furnace for faster and easier service calls. 

Model Comparison by Tier: AMSS92 versus AMES92

The AMES92 is another entry-level furnace from Amana, and it’s very similar to the AMSS92 in terms of price, features, and specifications. 

The AMES92 does, however, have a more advanced multi-speed ECM blower motor that’s quieter and more efficient, and that distributes heat more evenly through the house. It also has a two-year unit replacement warranty, which means Amana will replace the entire furnace if the heat exchanger fails within the first two years. 

Aside from the blower motor style and warranty, the two furnaces are nearly identical: they're both single-stage furnaces with 92 percent AFUE ratings, neither is ENERGY STAR certified, they have the same primary and secondary heat exchangers, and they both have the silicon nitride ignitor.