Carrier Furnace Review

A complete Carrier furnace review & buying guide, updated with all the brand’s latest information for 2024, including best furnace models, efficiency and AFUE ratings, top features, warranty details, and more. Get a free quote quickly & easily!

This overview will provide an in-depth look at all the key information you need to make an informed decision about a new Carrier furnace.

We’ll review the Carrier gas furnace models currently sold in Canada and the U.S., with an emphasis on the high-efficiency ones. This comprehensive guide will cover everything, including Carrier furnace prices, furnace features, tech specs, warranty details, model ratings and comparisons, HVAC extras, and more!

We’ll also look at what the experts have to say about Carrier heating systems, and examine what real customers think about their own Carrier furnace models.

When it’s time to upgrade your home heating system, use this guide to find all the information necessary to determine if a Carrier furnace is right for your home, including which model has the efficiency, features, and warranty you want.

Also Read: The Best Furnaces for Canadians

Carrier Furnace In-Depth Video Review

Review of Carrier’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• One of the top brands in North America
• Long history
• Good reputation
• High-quality furnaces
• AFUE ratings as high as 98.5%
• All furnaces have secondary heat exchangers for condensing operation
• All high-efficiency models are ENERGY STAR certified
• Furnaces have fuel-saving igniters
• ECM blower motors
• Single-stage, two-stage, and modulating furnaces available
• Units have multi-speed or variable-speed blower motors
• All models are smart thermostat compatible
• All models are dual fuel compatible

Weaknesses

• Carrier only offers an industry-standard warranty for all models
• Special features require additional equipment
• No ultra-low NOx models available in Canada, but available in the U.S.
• Higher price range than some other furnace brands

The Bottom Line

Carrier is one of the oldest furnace brands in the world, so they have extensive manufacturing experience. That being said, they did move a large part of their manufacturing (especially A/C units) out of the United States to Mexico in 2017.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does signal a fairly substantial shift in their manufacturing supply chain.

When it comes to Carrier furnace models, they generally have something for every home, as long as you have the budget. Their heating systems have a lot of nifty features, some more useful than others, and some you have to make additional purchases to access.

As a premium-brand, Carrier makes furnaces that can be very energy-efficient and include several advanced technologies. But expect to pay a premium for their furnaces, and don’t expect an exceptional warranty with the cost.

Carrier Customer Reviews

Customers who have bought Carrier furnaces say that the models are quiet, efficient, and reliable. They run well, and you get peace of mind because Carrier is an established brand, so there’s no worry that they’ll go out of business or that you won’t be able to find replacement parts. People also like the features that come with Carrier furnaces, including the humidity control and diagnostics. This technology makes it easy for homeowners to troubleshoot small issues without having to pay an HVAC technician. Finally, although you might spend more on a Carrier furnace, many homeowners report being eligible for rebates.

➤ Get the BEST Prices on Carrier furnaces: Fill out a free quote request here

Carrier Furnace Models and Prices

Comfort Series Furnaces

Average price for an entry-level Comfort furnace: $4,800 to $5,800

Models

Comfort 96 59SC6: Carrier’s only entry-level model is a single-stage, multi-speed furnace with an AFUE of 97%. This furnace has the same basic design features as the other Carrier models, including a secondary heat exchanger, hot surface ignition, ECM blower motor, and quiet operation, but none of the advanced features or technologies the brand offers.

Ideal For

Because the Comfort model is a single-stage furnace, it’s best for a small or medium home that doesn’t get extended winter deep freezes. This is Carrier’s most affordable furnace, and it’s still highly efficient, though it doesn’t have any of the novel technologies available with the brand’s mid-range or top-tier models.

Performance Series Furnaces

Average price for a mid-range Performance furnace: $5,300 to $6,300

Models

Performance 96 59TP6: Two-stage, variable-speed model with an AFUE of 96.7%. Has the InteliSense Technology that gives you real-time updates and remote diagnostics. This way, your furnace is always running the latest software, and it’s easy to pinpoint and fix problems.

Performance 96 59SP6: Single-stage, variable-speed furnace with an AFUE of 97%. It’s equipped with a fully insulated cabinet to help reduce noise, and the variable-speed blower is quieter than a single-stage blower.

Ideal For

Homeowners in small or medium homes looking for a quality-made furnace from a well-known brand, as long as you have a larger budget to spend on a mid-tier furnace. Performance models are highly efficient and designed to not breakdown thanks to the automatic updates and diagnostics features.

Infinity Series Furnaces

Average price for a top-tier Infinity furnace: $5,800 to $6,800

Models:

Infinity® 96 59TN6: Two-stage, variable-speed furnace with an AFUE 96.7%. When paired with the Infinity System Control, this becomes a communicating furnace that offers better efficiency and climate control.

Infinity® 98 59MN7: Modulating, variable-speed furnace with an AFUE of 98.5%. This model has Greenspeed Intelligence when paired with Carrier’s smart thermostat, the Infinity System Control.

Ideal For

Infinity models are great for people in cold climates with medium or large homes and large budgets for a new furnace upgrade. These are Carrier’s most expensive models, but they’re designed to heat large spaces quietly and efficiently, so over the years, they’ll save money on energy bills compared to an older furnace.

Recently Discontinued Carrier Furnaces

• Comfort 95 – 59SC5
• Comfort 92 – 59SC2
• Performance Boost 90 – 59SP5
• Performance 90 – 59SP2

See our full Carrier furnace prices breakdown here >>

Carrier Furnace Model Series Overview

The grades are based on our proprietary algorithm which compares a variety of criteria to make it easy to compare models across brands. Note that models with lower grades aren’t necessarily a bad choice, as lower cost models tend to have more basic features, warranty coverage, or efficiency ratings, which lowers the grade relative to more expensive models.

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Exclusive Features from Carrier

Feature 1 – ComfortFan™

How Carrier describes it: ComfortFan gives you control over fan speed in “Constant ON” mode, so you can choose how fast and thoroughly you want the air to circulate, especially if you’re heating your home to a significantly higher temperature.

What's more, the ComfortFan technology also lets you control the speed for the SmartEvap™ technology, giving you precise control over your home’s humidity levels.

What it is in plain language: ComfortFan really just means that you can change the fan speed using the Infinity System Control, which is Carrier’s smart thermostat, or another compatible thermostat. The furnace’s fan can be running all the time, and you can adjust the actual fan settings from the thermostat as necessary to save energy, increase circulation, or warm your home faster.

Is it more than just hype? Fan speeds can make a big difference to your indoor comfort because they can manage temperature and humidity. Therefore, this is definitely a handy feature to have, especially if the furnace only has a single-speed fan.

However, like many Carrier technologies, you must combine multiple equipment types to get access to this feature. If you want to use ComfortFan, then you have to buy and install the Ion System Control as well, or a thermostat that works with the feature.

Another thing to note is that Carrier isn't the only brand to offer such a technology, so ComfortFan isn't totally unique. For example, Bryant has a similar technology called Fan On Plus, and Napoleon’s Integrated Furnace Control achieves a similar result.

Feature 2 – Infinity System Control

How Carrier describes it: A user-friendly tool to help you unlock the potential of your heating and cooling system. It can save you money by reducing energy use, and the Wi-Fi capability means you can manage temperature and ventilation settings from anywhere.

What it is in plain language: Carrier sometimes uses a lot of interesting descriptors for this technology, but when it comes down to it, the Infinity System Control is just a smart thermostat.

From the comfort of your living room or when you're on the go, the Infinity System Control lets you change temperature settings, control humidity, and adjust airflow using a smartphone or mobile device.

And if you prefer a more hands-off approach, the Infinity System Control can also keep an eye on the indoor/outdoor conditions and make adjustments automatically based on your preferences.

Is it more than just hype? Smart thermostats can in fact save you time and money, and they're also great at ensuring your home is always at the ideal temperature and comfort levels.

At the same time, the Infinity System Control is only compatible with the Infinity series furnaces. Unless you have a large budget for a premium Carrier furnace, then you might be better off with a smart thermostat that’s compatible with more systems.

Carrier is also not the only brand to have their own proprietary smart thermostat. Here are some examples of others:

• Comfort Sync® from Armstrong
• Observer Communicating Control from Heil
• Ion System Control from Heil, KeepRite, Comfortmaker, and Tempstar
• EcoNet from Rheem and Ruud
• ComfortLink II from Trane
• Hx3 Communicating Zoning System from York, Coleman, and Luxaire
• iComfort S30 from Lennox
• Daikin One+
• ComfortNet from Goodman

Feature 3 – SmartEvap™

How Carrier describes it: You can reduce humidity levels by as much as 10 percent with SmartEvap, a technology that allows condensation from your air conditioning system to evaporate, thereby preventing moisture build-up.

What it is in plain language: SmartEvap is a dehumidifying technology that’s meant to work with your air conditioner to control summer moisture levels.

The SmartEvap system delays the start of the air-circulating blower fan, giving moisture time to drain off the air conditioner coils so the moisture doesn’t pass to the air being distributed around the house. It also takes advantage of the furnace’s variable-speed blower to reduce humidity levels.

Is it more than just hype? Carrier is one of the few brands that offers advanced dehumidification technology. American Standard and Trane both use Comfort-R technology, and Bryant has something called Perfect Humidity.

However, Carrier is one of the only brands that has a furnace technology specifically to help with summer dehumidification. High humidity in summer can make your home less comfortable, make your air conditioner work harder, and create moisture problems, so this technology could be beneficial if your home has issues with summer humidity.

Feature 4 – Ideal Humidity

How Carrier describes it: A technology that senses indoor moisture levels and adjusts the performance of your system to control humidity in summer.

What it is in plain language: Ideal Humidity is another furnace technology that’s designed to manage humidity in the summer. When the system senses that moisture levels are too high, it adjusts the fan speed and compressor operation to eliminate humidity.

Is it more than just hype? Ideal Humidity is great in theory, but it requires three separate types of equipment: a thermostat with a humidity sensor, a multi-speed furnace or fan coil, and an outdoor condensing heat pump or air conditioner, preferably a multi-stage or variable-speed one.

Feature 5 – Hybrid Heat®️

How Carrier describes it: A technology that helps to make utility bills more predictable by automatically switching between electric and gas heating.

What it is in plain language: When you pair your Carrier gas furnace with a heat pump, your furnace will alternate between gas and electric heat to maintain your ideal indoor temperature. This is especially useful to cut back on your heating bills because the technology will automatically choose the best fuel to maximize comfort and reduce energy costs.

Is it more than just hype? Hybrid Heat is Carrier’s fancy term for dual fuel compatibility, a technology that’s not exclusive to this brand. For one thing, Bryant also offers the Hybrid Heat technology. Further, Payne, Armstrong, Comfortmaker, Tempstar, Heil, and Lennox all have furnace models that are dual fuel compatible.

And here's something else that’s important to know: Hybrid Heat requires three different devices: an Infinity gas furnace, a compatible heat pump, and a compatible thermostat.

Feature 6 – Greenspeed® Intelligence

How Carrier describes it: Greenspeed® Intelligence is a special technology that’s only available with Carrier’s top-of-the-line model. This cutting-edge technology fine-tunes performance for a furnace that leads the industry in dehumidification, quiet operation, and energy-efficient performance.

What it is in plain language: Greenspeed Intelligence is another combination of technologies, this time the variable-speed blower motor inside the furnace paired with Carrier’s proprietary smart thermostat, the Infinity System Control.

The variable-speed blower gives you excellent humidity control and quiet operation while the smart thermostat provides unparalleled control over your heating and comfort settings.

The technology also makes it possible to get wireless software updates for your furnace. It can also give your local HVAC expert remote access to the system, which can reduce maintenance time and potentially even eliminate the need for certain service calls.

Is it more than just hype? This technology can improve the performance of your heating system and the control you have over it, but you could take a variable-speed furnace from any brand and pair it with a high-tech smart thermostat to achieve similar results. Just about every brand now has at least one variable-speed furnace in their line-up, and as we’ve mentioned, plenty of brands have their own smart thermostats.

Feature 7 – PowerHeat™

How Carrier describes it: PowerHeat is a hot surface ignition system that eliminates the need for a pilot light, thereby reducing fuel waste. Hot surface ignition also improves the reliability of the furnace because you'll never again have to worry about your house going cold because of a burnt-out pilot light.

What it is in plain language: Older furnaces relied on pilot lights to begin the ignition process, so the pilot was always burning fuel. Hot surface ignition, on the other hand, is a type of electronic ignition that uses a filament that heats up when electricity passes through it, so it doesn’t waste fuel.

Is it more than just hype? Hot surface ignition systems are generally more reliable and waste less fuel than pilot lights. That’s why many modern furnace brands have switched from pilot lights to hot surface ignition—Carrier just gave theirs a special name.

Bryant also has a special name for their hot surface ignitor, PerfectLight, but Daikin, Goodman, Coleman, and York also use hot surface ignitors in their furnaces.

Feature 8 – Comfort Heat Technology

How Carrier describes it: A technology that monitors the temperature of your home and manages heating stages for more consistent temperatures and improved energy efficiency.

What it is in plain language: Comfort Heat Technology works by allowing the furnace to operate at lower speeds for longer periods to maintain the desired temperature without wasting energy. When necessary, the furnace will kick into a higher stage of operation to produce more heat and keep the temperature the same.

Is it more than just hype? Comfort Heat Technology is really just the advanced performance that you’d get from any two-stage or modulating furnace, no matter who makes it.

These furnaces are always more efficient, quieter, better at managing humidity, and better at eliminating hot and cold swings. Every furnace manufacturer these days has two-stage and modulating models, and many charge less than Carrier.

Feature 9 – InteliSense Technology

How Carrier describes it: InteliSense is a patent-pending technology that changes the way they help customers. Thanks to this technology, customers get a truly smart HVAC option that makes it easier to maintain their heating system.

What it is in plain language: InteliSense Technology involves communicating sensors that collect and pass information to the ecobee smart thermostat. From there, the data can be accessed remotely by a Carrier HVAC technician to diagnose and evaluate problems.

Is it more than just hype? One great thing about this technology is that it can reduce downtime and potentially repair and maintenance costs. That’s because the technician already knows what's wrong when they get there, so they can come prepared with all the right tools and parts. What's more, automatic updates ensure your furnace is never out of date, which can also prevent problems. However, this technology is only        available with Performance furnaces.

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Warranty Analysis

Carrier offers a consistent warranty across most models. Top-tier models have the same warranties as entry-level and mid-range models. There is a lifetime limited warranty on the heat exchanger and a 10-year limited warranty on parts.

Be a happy homeowner when you purchase a Carrier gas furnace. Fill out our online form and ask for a free quote.

Registration is required

Carrier requires registration before they’ll provide these full warranty terms, and this is standard practice across all brands. To be eligible, you have to register your new Carrier furnace within 90 days of installation.

Should you fail to register, then the parts warranty will drop to five years, and the lifetime heat exchanger will only be valid for 20 years.

Conditions and restrictions

Registration isn't the only warranty condition Carrier has. To prevent voiding the warranty, you'll also have to have the unit installed by a licensed HVAC technician.

There will also be regular maintenance laid out in the owner’s manual that you'll have to take care of to keep the warranty intact.

You also have to live in the house where the furnace is installed for the warranty to apply, and if you move, then the warranty might not transfer to the new owner.

How the Carrier warranty measures up to the competition

This is a premium brand and Carrier furnace prices are higher than most other brands, but they don’t offer a better warranty in exchange for the high-end name and higher cost.

In fact, Carrier’s furnace warranty is standard in the HVAC industry, but there are several brands that offer better protection.

For instance, many brands have started offering a unit replacement warranty, meaning if the heat exchanger fails during the warranty period, then the manufacturer will replace the entire furnace. These warranties can last anywhere from a year to the lifetime of the unit, depending on the brand and furnace tier.

Brands that offer unit replacement warranties include York, Trane, Tempstar, Ruud, Rheem, Napoleon, Luxaire, KeepRite, Heil, Goodman, Daikin, Comfortmaker, Coleman, American Standard, and Amana.

Carrier Add-ons, Extras, and Thermostats

Carrier has a number of adjunct HVAC products that you can add to your system to control the temperature settings more easily, improve indoor air quality, increase or decrease humidity levels, and improve ventilation and circulation.

Not every home necessarily needs any or all of these products, but let’s have a look at the HVAC extras Carrier makes:

Smart Thermostats

Carrier has several models of smart thermostat, which are programmable thermostats with Wi-Fi capability. Some smart thermostats can actually learn your comfort behaviours and make automatic adjustments to increase energy efficiency and maximize comfort, so they can help save you a lot on energy bills.

Here’s a brief look at Carrier’s smart thermostat models:

• The Infinity System Control, which is designed to work with their premium Infinity products
• The Infinity Zoning Panel, which is similar to the Infinity System Control but can be used to manage up to eight temperature zones within your home
• The Comfort Series Three-Zone System, which isn't for Infinity products, and which can control three zones

Beyond that, Carrier also has room sensors that can be used with the Infinity Zoning Systems. These sensors sense temperature and humidity levels, and they can be used to control the temperature and fan speed in a zone.

All Carrier smart thermostats and sensors come with a 10-year warranty.

Conventional Thermostats

Conventional thermostats include programmable and traditional non-programmable models, and Carrier has both types. These are designed to be used with their Performance and Comfort series heating and air conditioning systems. They have several models available for different applications, including:

• Relative humidity thermostats
• Touch-and-go thermostats
• Heat pump thermostats

However, there are also alternative smart thermostat options for Performance and Comfort furnaces. In fact, Carrier themselves recommends ecobee smart thermostats for these models, but there are other options as well, such as Nest and Honeywell.

Air Monitor and Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Most HVAC brands have air purification systems, but not too many make an air monitor. Carrier’s air monitor is a portable device that you can move from room to room, and it will detect fine particles, volatile organic compounds, relative humidity, and room temperature.

These devices could be great for families dealing with asthma or allergies, but they could also be good for anybody who has concerns about their indoor air quality.

What's more, you can use the Carrier Home app to monitor the air quality in your home 24/7, get alerts about changes to it, and get tips about how to improve it.

On a related note, Carrier also makes a carbon monoxide detector. These are recommended in any home, especially if you have gas-burning appliances like a furnace, stove, or water heater.

Air Purifiers

Air purifiers aren't always necessary, but they can be helpful if you have pets, have allergies, live in a dusty area, live with someone who smokes, deal with a lot of smog, or have other medical or air quality concerns.

Carrier’s Infinity air purifiers have a MERV 15. These are effective against 95 percent of particles in the range of 1.0 to 3.0 microns and 99 percent of certain pathogens. These come in whole-home and return air purifier models.

They also have the Comfort air purifier, a cabinet air filter with a MERV 10 that can eliminate 63 percent of particles in the 1.0- to 3.0-micron range.

Humidifiers

Like air purifiers, humidifiers aren't always necessary in a home, but they can be useful if you live in a dry climate or find that you struggle with static and dry skin in winter. Moist air can also feel warmer than dry air, so adding a whole-home humidifier to your HVAC system could potentially help reduce heating bills.

All Carrier humidifiers are whole-home systems, but they have different models for different needs:

• Steam humidifiers that can add up to 34 gallons of moisture to the air per day, and which are ideal for large homes or homes in arid climates
• Fan-powered humidifiers that are suitable for large homes and can add up to 18 gallons of moisture to the air per day
• Bypass humidifiers that are suitable for small/medium homes and can add up to 17 gallons of moisture to the air per day.

Dehumidifiers

Too much moisture in the air can create its own set of problems, including making your air conditioner work harder, creating a perfect environment for mold growth, and damaging floors and furniture.

Carrier makes a whole-home dehumidifier that’s available in two sizes, with the larger one being able to remove up to 95 pints of moisture per day. The dehumidifier is equipped with a MERV 8 filter as well, and this improves air quality and increases the longevity of the unit, which is backed by a five-year warranty.

UV Lamps

Moisture on the indoor coils of your air conditioner can increase humidity throughout your house, allow mold and bacteria to grow on the coils, spread bacteria and mold spores around the house, and force your HVAC system to work harder.

Germicidal UV lamps use the power of ultraviolet rays to kill bacteria and mold on the coils, thereby improving indoor air quality and maintaining the efficiency of your system. Carrier has both single and double bulb models of germicidal ultraviolet lamps.

HRVs and ERVs

Heat recovery ventilators and energy recovery ventilators increase ventilation and airflow without forcing your heating or cooling system to work harder. They achieve this by exchanging stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air, all while passing heat from the indoor air to fresh incoming air. ERVs also transfer some moisture to the incoming air.

HRVs and ERVs are great for homes that don’t have a lot of ventilation, and HRVs especially can be a good alternative if you need dehumidification and increased airflow. Carrier models are also equipped with pre-filters to reduce pollutants in your home.

HRVs work best in cooler climates while ERVs are better suited for warmer areas.

Air Scrubbers

Air scrubbers are typically reserved for commercial applications like schools and offices, but they can also be suitable in homes that have major air quality issues.

These devices plug into a standard electrical outlet and are equipped with a HEPA filter that can eliminate particles as small as 0.3 microns. Carrier has smaller models for residential applications and larger ones for commercial settings.

About the Company

Carrier was founded in 1902 by Willis Haviland Carrier who invented the modern air-conditioner. As part of the UTC Climate, Controls and Security, Carrier provides for aerospace and building systems around the world.

With a focus to be eco-friendly, in 2011, one of Carrier’s commercial plants became the first industrial HVAC facility to be LEED®️ Gold Certified.

Eager to learn more about Carrier’s high-efficiency natural gas furnace line up? Fill out our online form, and one of our representatives will be happy to provide you with a free, no obligation quote.

Frequently Asked Questions