Goodman GMVC96 Review

The GMVC96 is a high-quality and high-efficiency gas furnace that’s more affordable than a lot of other two-stage furnaces on the market thanks to lower Goodman gas furnace prices. It has some cool special features and great specifications that could make this an appealing furnace for many homes. 

This Goodman furnace review of the GMVC96 will aim to help you decide if this furnace is a good fit for your home. We’ll discuss pricing, specifications, technologies and features, warranty, and pricing. To conclude, we’ll compare the GMVC96 to three other Goodman furnaces based on price, features, and tier to give you a solid understanding of how this model performs. 

The GMVC96 in a Nutshell

Average Price (with installation): $4,400 to $5,000

Top Features

• Compatible with Goodman’s ComfortBridge™ Technology and CoolCloud™ HVAC app
• Secondary heat exchanger reduces fuel waste and heat loss for increased efficiency 
• Affordable and budget-friendly
• Backed by an excellent warranty 
• High-efficiency and ENERGY STAR® certified
• Could be eligible for rebates
• Quiet operation
• ECM blower motor is reliable, durable, efficient, and quiet
• Has low nitrogen oxide emissions 
• Can be easily connected to a humidifier or electronic air cleaner
• Compatible with single- and two-stage thermostats

The Bottom Line

There are many reasons why plenty of homeowners would be happy with this furnace, and chief among them is the many ways it can potentially save you money. 

For starters, Goodman is an economy brand, so their furnaces are already less expensive than a lot of the competition. 

Beyond that, the 96 percent AFUE means $0.96 of every dollar you spend will be converted to heat for your house, so you should save a lot on energy bills over the years, especially if you're upgrading from an older furnace that isn't high-efficiency.

And here's something else: Goodman backs their products with a generous warranty that could save you on repair costs if anything should go wrong. 

Finally, there's a good chance this unit will be eligible for rebates, and that could reduce the purchase price even more. 

In Depth Review

Goodman GMVC96 Product Specifications

• AFUE: 96 percent
• Burner type: Two-stage
• Blower type: Variable-speed ECM
• ENERGY STAR certified: Yes
• Heating capacity: 26,880 to 115,200 BTUs

Features Overview

The two-stage operation of the GMVC96 means that the furnace has two stages in the ON mode: high and low. For most of the time, the furnace can operate in the quieter energy-saving low mode and keep a regular stream of warm air circulating through your house. When the mercury drops, the furnace kicks into the higher mode for as long as necessary to keep your house at the right temperature. 

Another cool feature of the GMVC96 is Goodman’s ComfortBridge Technology. This is a communicating system that allows important furnace components to talk to the thermostat. Then, the thermostat can relay new information to the furnace to keep it performing optimally and keep your home at the comfort level it should be. 

Finally, you have the CoolCloud HVAC app, which contractors can download to make installation and repairs easier. Through the app, they can see diagnostics, access important data, play with configuration settings, and even read notes from previous contractors and write notes of their own.  

Other Key Features

• Important components are protected by a thermally insulated cabinet that reduces air leaks, noise, and heat loss
• The cabinet is also durable and long-lasting thanks to the baked-on enamel finish
• Has gentle airflow ramp up/down for even and steady heating
• No water leaks thanks to the special condensate water drainage
• Self-diagnostics and fault code display facilitate troubleshooting and repairs
• The silicon nitride igniter is fuel-saving, durable, and reliable
• Primary heat exchanger is made of aluminized steel for longer life
• The tubular heat exchanger design makes the component more resistant to heat and pressure for lasting performance 

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Warranty Information

We already mentioned how warranties can save you money, and that’s especially true when it’s a great warranty like the one Goodman offers. Here's the coverage that backs Goodman gas furnaces like the GMVC96:

• A 10-year parts warranty
• A 10-year unit replacement warranty
• A lifetime heat exchanger warranty

You do have some obligations to get these full warranty terms, namely registering the furnace within 60 days of installation. As long as you do that, Goodman will honour the full warranty, including the unit replacement, by which they will provide a brand new furnace if the heat exchanger fails during the coverage period. 

It’s also advisable to read the warranty terms and conditions so that you avoid things that could invalidate the warranty, like installing it yourself or neglecting regular maintenance. 

Comparable Models by Goodman

Model Comparison by Price: GMVC96 versus GMES92

The GMES92 is an entry-level model, and also one of Goodman’s most basic. It costs about $4,000 to $4,600 to buy and install, so it is a little cheaper than the GMVC96.

However, there's a chance that you could actually save more money in the long-term with the more expensive GMVC96. The GMES92 is single-stage with a multi-speed blower motor, so it’s not as efficient and doesn’t offer the same performance as the GMVC96.

It doesn’t have ENERGY STAR certification, so it probably won’t be eligible for rebates—rebates that could make the purchase price of the superior GMVC96 the same.

The GMES92 also has an AFUE of 92 percent, so it’s not going to save you as much on monthly heating bills. In fact, it no longer meets the Canadian government’s AFUE minimum of 95 percent, and you'll only be able to buy one if it was manufactured before July 2019.

This may have something to do with why Goodman isn't making this furnace anymore. It’s been marked as a limited inventory furnace, though you may still be able to get your hands on a model through a local dealer.

Model Comparison by Features: GMVC96 versus GCVM97

The GCVM97 costs a bit more than the GMVC96 because the GCVM97 is a premium Goodman furnace. It has a modulating burner that can incrementally adjust the heating output for enhanced performance and even better efficiency, quiet operation, humidity management, and temperature consistency. 

The GCVM97 also has a slightly higher AFUE of 97 percent, but you won’t really notice the difference on your heating bills.

Aside from that, the two models are very similar. They both have ComfortBridge and the CoolCloud app, plus all the other standard features that make Goodman gas furnaces appealing. 

Model Comparison by Tier: GMVC96 versus GMEC96

The GMEC96 is also a mid-range Goodman furnace, just like the GMVC96. There are a few key differences between the two, including that the GMEC96 only has a multi-speed blower motor. These aren't quite as efficient and not quite as good at managing humidity as the variable-speed blowers. 

Another difference is that the GMEC96 doesn’t have the ComfortBridge Technology or CoolCloud app, but the two units are very similar otherwise in terms of specifications and price.

Finally, the GMEC96 has also been marked as a limited inventory model, likely because it has been replaced by a similar, updated version.