Trane Furnace Review

A complete Trane furnace review and buying guide, including updated information about their top models for 2024, efficiency ratings, prices, best features, warranty info, and more. Get a free quote quickly & easily!

Are you considering a Trane furnace for your home? If so, it can be difficult to find accurate and reliable information online. But there are some comprehensive Trane furnace reviews out there, and this one will give you an honest and thorough examination of the brand and their furnaces.

By the end, you'll have a great idea of what the Trane brand is all about and what their different furnaces have to offer, and be well-positioned to find a model that suits your home, comfort needs, budget, and technological preferences.

Also Read: The Best Furnaces for Canadians

Review of Trane’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Trane has an established history and good reputation
• Every model is thoroughly tested in their Systems Extreme Environmental Test lab
• All furnaces have a secondary heat exchanger for condensing operation
• Most models are ENERGY STAR® certified
• Furnaces are dual fuel compatible
• Combustion process uses a reliable silicon nitride igniter that doesn’t waste fuel
• Units have self-diagnostic control boards for faster maintenance
• Powered by aluminized-steel tubular heat exchangers
• Duel fuel compatibility is standard
• Special burners enhance efficiency and heating power
• Some units feature the brand’s patented Vortica II blower
• Compact cabinets
• Insulated cabinets made with durable materials
• Ultra-low NOx model available
• High-end model has communicating capabilities

Weaknesses

• Heating systems are some of the more expensive ones on the market
• Units are only protected by a standard warranty
• Best features are only available with their top-of-the-line model
• No models have AFUE ratings of 98+%
• Some models can be noisy

The Bottom Line

Most Trane furnaces require a significant investment, especially if you want a higher-end unit with a few extra bells and whistles.

There are other brands on the market that have similarly efficient units at a more affordable price, but with Trane you get the peace of mind that comes with buying a brand that has over 100 years of experience and a reputation for making dependable, high-quality products.

Trane also has some great selling features, like great design elements that make your home more comfortable and give you more heat for less money.

They don’t offer the best warranties available, but the coverage will still provide your investment with many years of protection.

In the end, Trane has a reputation for excellence. The brand offers products that are worth serious consideration if you have a decent budget and want a high-quality, high-efficiency furnace that will last.

Trane Customer Reviews

The consensus we’ve heard from homeowners is that Trane furnaces are expensive but generally worth it. They run well, are energy efficient, help to reduce electricity costs, and they're reliable with great features. While most people say they're quiet, we have received several complaints that the units are noisy. Another thing that people like about Trane furnaces is they're compact and don’t take up a lot of space.

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

Trane 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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Trane Furnace Models and Prices

Trane’s Entry-Level Furnaces

Average price for an entry-level furnace: $4,950 to $5,950

Models

S9B1: Single-stage, multi-speed furnace with an AFUE of 92.1%. This is Trane’s most basic and most affordable furnace, but it’s no longer considered high efficiency in certain places, namely Canada. As such, it may not be available in some areas, and even if it is, it may not be powerful enough.

L9X1: Single-stage, multi-speed furnace with an AFUE of 95%. This is an ultra-low NOx furnace that’s ideal for homeowners who care about the environment and want to reduce their home’s emissions. Low-NOx furnaces are also required in places like California because they have air quality regulations.

S9X1: Single-stage, multi-speed furnace with an AFUE of 96%. This furnace has a fully insulated blower compartment to reduce operational noise. This also improves heat transfer, making the furnace more efficient and cheaper to operate.

Ideal For

Trane’s entry-level furnaces are ideal for smaller homes and houses in warmer climates. The single-stage operation isn’t going to be enough for colder temperatures, especially if you’ve got a large space to heat. Furnaces like this can be great if you're looking for a basic furnace and don’t want any special features.

Trane’s Mid-Range Furnaces

Average price for a mid-range furnace: $5,450 to $6,450

Models

S9X2: Two-stage, multi-speed furnace with an AFUE of 96%. This furnace is equipped with Trane’s patented Vortica II blower, a proprietary blower that moves air more efficiently than standard blowers, and it’s also quieter.

S9V2: Two-stage, variable-speed furnace with an AFUE of 96%. This is a condensing furnace, meaning it has a secondary heat exchanger that collects exhaust gasses and extracts additional heat from them. Furnaces like this are more efficient because you get more heat from the same amount of fuel.

S9V2-VS: Two-stage, variable-speed furnace with an AFUE of 97%. This furnace has a variable-speed Vortica II blower, so it has Trane’s Comfort-R technology. That means the blower has gradual starts/stops and speed changes, so it’s quiet, efficient, more durable, and dehumidifies the air better in summer.

Ideal For

Mid-range Trane furnaces have two-stage operation, so they’ll perform fine in colder climates, even if you live in a larger home. These models have some high-quality features, including the proprietary blower, but if you want something sophisticated (like communicating technology), then you'll have to budget for the top-tier Trane.

Trane’s Top-Tier Furnaces

Average price for a top-tier furnace: $5,950 to $6,950

Models:

XC95m: Modulating, variable-speed furnace with an AFUE of 97.3%. This is Trane’s most sophisticated furnace and has many features the others don’t. It’s their only modulating unit and the only one with a communicating interface and ComfortLink II compatibility. Further, this unit has a cleanable filter, and it’s compatible with ERVs, air cleaners, and humidifiers.

Ideal For

This is the furnace for you if you’ve got a large budget for a high-end heating system and are looking for something sophisticated and efficient. The modulating operation makes this unit ideal for large homes and very cold climates, and the communicating technology is an added bonus that will optimize performance and help the furnace maintain the ideal temperature all winter long.

Recently Discontinued Trane Furnaces

• XV95
• XT95
• XR95
• XB90
• XB90

Trane Exclusive Features

Feature 1 – ComfortLink™ II Communicating Capability

How Trane describes it: A communicating technology that connects key HVAC system components so they can calibrate and configure themselves automatically for optimized performance in summer and winter.

What it is in plain language: ComfortLink is a communicating technology that enables important components inside the furnace to communicate with each other and with the thermostat. That includes sending diagnostic and performance updates to the thermostat and receiving instructions from the thermostat in return.

It’s very similar to the way Bluetooth can enable your other devices to communicate with each other.

The technology will monitor your home’s temperature and initiate automatic adjustments to the gas valve or the blower motor speed to change heat output and airflow for optimized comfort and efficiency.

Is it more than just hype? ComfortLink II communicating capability could be a really cool feature for people who like high-tech gadgets and technologies that help you automate functions in your home.

It should be noted that this feature is only available with Trane’s top-of-the-line model, so it will require a significant investment.

And here's another thing to be aware of: if you want to get the most from the ComfortLink technology, then you will have to buy additional equipment, including a compatible smart thermostat like the ComfortLink II and room sensors for various locations around the house.

That said, ComfortLink does have the capacity to automate your home comfort and reduce energy bills by constantly monitoring and adjusting performance.

As such, this feature isn't just hype by any means, but it’s not a technology that’s exclusive to Trane.

American Standard also has a communicating system called the AccuLink™ Communicating System. It’s no surprise that Trane and American Standard have this feature in common because they're both owned by the same parent company, Ingersoll Rand.

Beyond that, Goodman and Amana both have a feature called ComfortBridge, which offers similar communicating capabilities as ComfortLink II.

Feature 2 – Vortica II Blower

How Trane describes it: A patented blower that operates quietly and efficiently in both summer and winter.

What it is in plain language: Vortica II is a specially designed blower. It has a unique shape and housing design, and Trane says this means it moves air more quietly and efficiently than standard blowers.

Vortica II blowers are either constant torque or variable-speed, and the variable-speed ones are even quieter, more efficient, better at managing humidity, and better at eliminating hot/cold spots around the house.

Is it more than just hype? Trane pairs their patented variable-speed blower with a variable-speed draft inducer, and this makes the Vortica II blower one of the most efficient on the market.

Even with the constant torque models, the Vortica II blower uses a lot less electricity in both heating and cooling modes, and that could save you quite a bit on energy costs over the years.

The Vortica II blower isn't unique to Trane because their sister brand, American Standard, also uses it in some of their furnaces. However, they're two of the only brands with a proprietary blower design.

One nice thing about the Vortica II blower is you don’t have to buy the premier unit to get this technology, as several Trane furnaces are equipped with it.

Feature 3 – Comfort-R

How Trane describes it: A feature that promises improved efficiency, enhanced humidity control in the summer, and better heat circulation throughout the house.

What it is in plain language: Comfort-R is a feature that’s built into variable-speed Vortica II blowers. When the blower starts up or changes speeds, it does so gradually. The result is the blower operates more quietly and more efficiently. There's also less wear and tear on the blower, and this means fewer maintenance requirements.

More importantly, the blower works in conjunction with your air conditioner in the summer months to promise greater dehumidification. The gradual startup gives moisture in the system time to dissipate before the blower fully engages, and this reduces indoor humidity levels.

Is it more than just hype? The enhanced dehumidification mode is really only for summertime, but Comfort-R can be a great feature if you live somewhere with summers that are hot and humid enough to require air conditioning.

The gradual speed changes will improve performance a bit, but any variable-speed blower will be quieter and more efficient than a standard blower and offer more consistent heat distribution throughout the house.

In other words, unless you plan to use the Vortica II blower in conjunction with your air conditioner, then you won’t get much use from the Comfort-R mode.

Further, Trane isn't the only brand to offer humidity controlling technology. American Standard also has the Comfort-R mode, and Bryant has something called Perfect Humidity.

Moreover, Coleman, Luxaire, and York all offer the ClimaTrak Comfort System, a technology that enables the installer to customize the furnace’s fan setting based on whether you live in a dry, humid, or temperate climate.

Feature 4 – Trane CleanEffects

How Trane describes it: An air cleaner that uses revolutionary technology to eliminate pollen, dust, allergens, and other contaminants from the air going through your HVAC system, which can significantly improve the air quality throughout your home.

What it is in plain language: CleanEffects is an air cleaner that uses an electrostatic filter to eliminate contaminants from the air without impeding airflow.

It can remove up to 99.98 percent of particles as small as 0.3 microns, including dust mites, dander, pollen, dust, smoke, fungi, mildew, grease, bacteria, and viruses, like influenza and coronaviruses.

What's more, the filters are cleanable, so you don’t have to buy expensive replacements every few months.

Every Trane furnace is compatible with CleanEffects, so you don’t have to buy the most expensive heating system to get cleaner air.

Is it more than just hype? Special filters and air cleaners can be a boon, especially if your home was built recently, was recently renovated, is located on a dirt road, is located somewhere that smoke or pollution are an issue, or if there are people in the family suffering from allergies or have breathing difficulties.

However, CleanEffects is an additional HVAC accessory that you have to purchase separately, and it doesn’t come standard with any Trane furnace.

Plus, air cleaners aren't unique to Trane: just about every HVAC manufacturer has their own air filters (including electronic and electrostatic ones), air scrubbers, and air cleaners.

In fact, Napoleon has a built-in air purifier called the HomeShield UV lamp that comes standard with their premier model, and as an option with some of their mid-range furnaces.

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Warranty Analysis

The warranty terms

Every Trane furnace, with the exception of one model, comes with a lifetime heat exchanger warranty and a 10-year parts warranty.

The exception is the ultra-low NOx L9X1 model. It has a 20-year heat exchanger warranty and a 10-year parts warranty.

You can also buy an Optional Extended Warranty that will cover parts and labour.

Another warranty feature Trane offers is transferability. Depending on the furnace, you may be able to transfer the warranty to a new homeowner if you move, but there is a fee associated with the transfer.

Registration is required

The lifetime heat exchanger and 10-year parts warranty are part of Trane’s registered warranty. To be eligible, you have to register a new furnace with Trane within 60 days of installation.

Should you fail to register, then you'll only qualify for the base warranty terms, which include a 20-year heat exchanger warranty and a five-year parts warranty.

Registration is very simple and well worth the effort because the additional warranty coverage could save you a lot on repair bills.

You can register by phone or on Trane’s website. They’ll ask for things like your contact information, the name and details of the licensed HVAC professional who installed the furnace, the installation date, and the serial/model number of the furnace.

Conditions and restrictions

Registration isn't Trane’s only warranty condition. We mentioned that you'll have to provide the name of the licensed HVAC contractor who installed the furnace, and this is an important point: you must hire a licensed expert to perform the installation. Should you fail to do this, then you risk voiding the warranty entirely.

You can similarly void the warranty if you attempt to perform repairs yourself, or if you fail to have regular maintenance done on the unit.

In other words, to keep the warranty intact, you'll have to hire a professional HVAC technician for the installation and for repairs, and you'll have to take care of regular service.

To avoid doing anything that might void your warranty, read through Trane’s terms and conditions carefully.

How the Trane warranty measures up to the competition

Trane is one of the more expensive furnace brands, in a similar price range as brand name companies like Carrier and Lennox.

But like Carrier and Lennox, Trane doesn’t offer superior warranty coverage with the higher price. In fact, Trane’s warranty protection is only standard for the industry.

So what's missing from Trane’s warranty coverage? Namely, a unit replacement warranty. That type of coverage means the company will provide a brand new furnace if the heat exchanger fails during the coverage period.

Several more affordable brands have started offering unit replacement warranties in addition to their lifetime heat exchanger warranties. A few of those brands include York, Goodman, Keeprite, Amana, and Comfortmaker.

Depending on the brand and model, unit replacement warranties can last anywhere from two years to the lifetime of the unit.

What's more, at least one brand (Daikin) offers a longer 12-year parts warranty on their furnaces, and those extra two years could save you a lot of money.

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

Trane Add-ons, Extras, and Thermostats

Thermostats and Controls

Trane makes smart thermostats, programmable thermostats, and zoning systems that can be used in conjunction with their heating and cooling systems.

They have traditional thermostats as well as programmable ones that can work with single-stage and two-stage air conditioners and between one and four heating stages.

They also have a number of smart thermostats that are Wi-Fi enabled. Depending on the model, these boast features like built-in humidity sensors, programmable energy-saving modes, real-time diagnostic access for HVAC dealers, voice control when integrated with devices like Alexa or Google Home, and more.

When you opt for a Trane smart thermostat, then you can download the Trane Home App and use it to remotely control temperature settings, set and adjust comfort schedules, and monitor your HVAC system from anywhere in the world.

Finally, if you want to optimize your home comfort, then Trane also has the ComfortLink II zoning system. This is a collection of devices that includes the ComfortLink II Control smart thermostat, a zone thermostat/sensor, a dedicated room sensor, and modulating dampers. Together, these devices enable you to customize different temperature and humidity settings for separate areas of the house depending on the time of day, what rooms are in use, and personal preferences.

Filters

We’ve already talked about Trane’s CleanEffects air cleaner, but they also have a media filter option available. It’s called the Quikbox air filter, and it has a MERV 11 rating. That means it’s more powerful than a standard furnace filter but not as advanced as CleanEffects.

Nonetheless, it can still help to control dust, allergens, and other contaminants in the air, and each one lasts up to six months.

Aside from that, they also have basic air filters that are great for dust and lint, and that can be used with any Trane or standard HVAC system.

Humidifiers

Trane has several whole-home humidification systems that can add more moisture to the air and prevent cracks in wood and furniture, alleviate dry skin, and make your home more comfortable.

Depending on your needs and the size of your home, Trane has steam, power, and bypass humidifiers that can accommodate a wide range of houses. Some of the systems work in conjunction with your furnace while others are independent of it.

Humidifiers aren't necessary in every house, but if you live in a dry climate or find you often have trouble keeping your home at a comfortable humidity level in winter, then a humidifier could be the perfect solution.

Dehumidifiers

On the other end of the spectrum, Trane also has dehumidifiers that eliminate moisture from your home to control mold, prevent water damage, and stop undue stress on your air conditioner.

If moisture control is a problem in your home, Trane has a few whole-home dehumidification solutions, including a ventilating dehumidifier that’s great for smaller spaces like attics and crawl spaces, as well as a more powerful unit that can be used alone or connected to your HVAC system.

Ventilation Systems

When indoor air quality is a concern because there isn't enough ventilation in your home, Trane has energy recovery ventilators and inline ventilators.

These devices bring in a constant supply of fresh air while also exchanging heat and moisture between the incoming and outgoing air, so there's no additional burden on your furnace or air conditioner.

Ventilation systems like Trane’s can be great for older homes, apartments and condos, or any home that could benefit from a regular supply of fresh air.

Trane - About the Company

For more than 100 years, Trane furnaces have delivered warmth and comfort to Canadian homes. The company finds its roots in 1885 in La Crosse, Wisconsin as a plumbing business. By 1913, the company incorporated as The Trane Company thanks to its development of an innovative low-pressure steam heating system.

Trane has established its position as a leader in climate control products. Their range of furnaces offers many industry-leading features to ensure that they can meet the demands of nearly any Canadian homeowner, which means that there is a Trane furnace available for any budget.

One notable story involves a Trane air conditioner that managed to continue running despite being nearly entirely submerged in the floodwaters of Hurricane Floyd, which hit the U.S. in 1999. Consider a Trane Air Conditioner today.

Eager to learn more about Trane’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