Napoleon 9600 Review

Napoleon furnaces have a lot to offer consumers, and this two-stage unit should be powerful enough to keep your home warm on even the coldest days. The 9600 is also stylish and compact, so it can be installed in unorthodox areas without taking up space or being an eyesore.

This model review of Napoleon’s 9600 natural gas furnace will cover all the important details about the heating system. We’ll talk about the price, top features, design elements, specifications, and warranty details.

And to give you a really good idea of whether this furnace is right for your home, we’ll also compare it to three other Napoleon gas furnaces so you can see if it’s missing any features you want, or if it ticks all your boxes.

In a Nutshell

Average Price (installed): $4,500 to $5,500

Top Features

• WHISPER QUIET operation
• Flexfit installation options
• Wi-Fi enabled
• Can be integrated with other HVAC equipment like cooling products
• Reliable operation
• Two-stage burner makes for better efficiency and performance
• Compact and space-saving size
• High-efficiency AFUE will translate to great cost-savings
• Comes with the SureView Burner Window so you can see and assess the flames easily
• Can be equipped with Napoleon’s Clean Air Technology
• Equipped with the brand’s Vortex turbulator proprietary heat exchanger
• Backed by an excellent warranty
• Made with the highest-quality components
• Could qualify for rebates

The Bottom Line

This Napoleon product has a great deal to offer homeowners in terms of durability, convenience and efficiency. If you’re upgrading from a furnace that’s over 20 years old, then you can expect to save quite a bit on your monthly heating bills.

Thanks to the two-stage, variable-speed operation and 96 percent AFUE, this furnace should have no trouble keeping your home warm through the winter, no matter how cold it gets or how large your home is. These design elements will also make the furnace quieter, better at managing humidity, and better at eliminating cold spots around the house.

One of the reasons for the great efficiency and performance is the Vortex turbulator inside the heat exchanger. It increases efficiency by enabling the heat exchanger to extract more heat from the flue gasses.

In Depth Review

Napoleon 9600 Product Specifications

• AFUE: 96 percent
• Burner type: Two-stage
• Blower type: Variable-speed ECM
• ENERGY STAR certified: Yes
• Heating input: 35,000 to 120,000 BTUs

Features Overview

Two features you might like about the 9600 are the Flexfit and Whisper Quiet operation. Together, these features mean you can install the unit in more locations around the home—including closets and other small spaces—without being burdened by the noise level.

The whisper quiet operation is achieved through a combination of factors. The two-stage burner, insulated cabinet, sealed blower compartment, thermally insulated heat exchanger compartment, and motor with soft starts and gradual speed changes all reduce noise.

Beyond that, the 9600 natural gas furnace is also compatible with Clean Air Technology. With this chemical-free sanitization system, a HomeShield UV lamp gets installed directly in the furnace cabinet and uses the power of UV-C light to kill pathogens like bacteria and viruses.

Finally, something that’s very unique about the 9600 (and other Napoleon furnaces) is that the blower compartment and heat exchanger are modular, meaning they can be removed easily in case they need to be cleaned, repaired, or replaced.

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Other Key Features

• Can be installed in tight places like crawlspaces and attics
• FlexFit means it can be installed in any position, making it suitable for just about any house
• Can be converted to propane
• Multi-port in-shot burners shape the flame cone for improved efficiency
• Equipped with a self-diagnostic control board that monitors performance and safety
• Has an LED fault code display for faster and more accurate diagnostics
• Heat exchanger is heavy-duty and corrosion-resistant for lasting performance
• Equipped with a heat recovery coil for better heat extraction
• Can be paired with an electric heat pump for better energy savings
• Multiple installation options: upflow, downflow, horizontal left, and horizontal right
• Equipped with a premium hot surface igniter that doesn’t waste fuel
• Variable-speed blower motor reduces electricity use by up to 80%
• Heat exchanger tubes made with wrinkle-bend design to reduce weak areas

Warranty Information

Napoleon uses the highest-quality components and stands behind their promise of reliable operation with an excellent warranty. The 9600 is backed by:

• 10-year coverage for parts
• A 10-year unit replacement warranty
• Lifetime protection for the heat exchanger

Just be sure to register the unit within 60 days of installation, otherwise you risk losing some of the warranty coverage.

Similarly, to keep the warranty valid, make sure the 9600 is installed by a licensed HVAC professional.

Comparable Models by Napoleon

Model Comparison by Price: 9600 versus 9500

With an AFUE of 95 percent, the 9500 falls into the same price range as the 9600, though it will cost a little less.

As you might expect, there are some drawbacks to the more affordable 9500. The slightly lower AFUE means you’ll save marginally less on energy bills, though a 95 percent AFUE is still a lot better compared to older furnaces.

More importantly, the 9500 only has a single-stage burner and multi-speed blower, and this means it might not be powerful enough for every home. The specifications and features make this model most suitable for smaller homes or houses in warmer parts of Canada.

Two-stage and modulating natural gas furnaces are better for the harshest environments and long, cold winters.

Further, the 9500 doesn’t come with the SureView burner window or the option of installing the germicidal UV light. It’s not ENERGY STAR certified either, so it may not qualify for the same rebates as the 9600.

Model Comparison by Features: 9600 versus 9700

When comparing Napoleon furnaces, the 9700 is their most advanced model, but it’s not really that much different from the 9600.

Napoleon is one of the few HVAC companies that doesn’t yet offer a modulating furnace, so even though the 9700 is their top-tier model, it still has the same two-stage burner and variable-speed blower as the 9600.

So what sets the two Napoleon gas furnaces apart? The 9700 has a 97 percent AFUE, and it comes standard with the Clean Air Technology’s HomeShield UV lamp.

Model Comparison by Tier: 9600 versus 9600Q

The 9600 and 9600Q are very similar in many regards. They're both two-stage furnaces with 96 percent efficiency ratings and ENERGY STAR certification. And both models have the same proprietary heat exchanger, compact cabinet, Flexfit installation options, reliable operation, and WHISPER QUIET features.

However, the 9600Q is lacking a few things. It has a less advanced multi-speed blower motor that can change between five speeds, whereas variable-speed motors can make incremental airflow adjustments.

Further, the 9600Q doesn’t have the SureView burner window, and you don’t have the option of installing the HomeShield UV lamp.