Has anyone heard of Rheem Contour Furnace? They claim it has seven stages (whatever that means) and is the best unit in the market.

Arif Motiwala

It is just a Rheem furnace with Contour comfort controller. Stages or ramp controls are a nifty sales point but it all comes down to the end number which is the testing rate of the unit. There are fully modulating units but they are really no better than the one or two stage units. Read links below.

Rheem Prestige 90 and Rheem Classic 90 Furnaces

For more info do a Google search.

This unit is no better than other high efficiency units. They will all eventually break and need expensive repairs. The reason is the more parts you put into a machine the more possibilitys of a problem. This is just the facts of the high efficiency world. The real bad part of this is some homeowners are installing the high efficiency furnaces themselves with nothing more than the factory instruction sheet which they do not follow since they do not have the proper tools to do a proper setup as described in the instructions.

In 1950 you light the pilot light and the furnace always worked except it was 60% efficient if you were lucky. In 2009 you turn the thermostat to the desired heat level and when it does not work you call for service. You saved 299.00 on your gas bill but the repair bill is 500.00. The nice part is the unit is 95% efficient and still costs more than the older unit. LOL Some people will have a hard time accepting this fact but it is pretty much true. There is no free lunch when it comes to high efficiency furnaces because you will pay one way or the other.

There is NO best unit on the market. The best unit is ANY brand that is installed and serviced properly.

All I have to say is... AMEN. Wow hvac1000, you just tell it like it is, thanks.