In December, 2014 we replaced our old furnace with a "high efficiency" Platinum Series furnace manufactured by American Standard (Trane). In less than 5 years this new furnace has failed 3 times, most recently while we were on vacation. The first failure was cause by a defective igniter. The second and third failures were caused by blockages in the condensate drain system. The condensate drain system is prone to blockages from debris that collect in the condensate liquid. Once debris clog the drain lines, which in my opinion are undersized, a vacuum switch will not close and the furnace ignition sequence is unable to complete. This has occurred twice in the past year, requiring costly service calls. Had our grandson not been staying at the house during the most recent failure, water pipes would have frozen and ruptured resulting in catastrophic damage. Now the installation company recommends an annual maintenance agreement at considerable additional cost. Regardless, we have no confidence this furnace will operate dependably while we are away. It would seem the manufacturer could design a more dependable system for condensate removal. We are very unhappy with our decision to install this type of furnace.

For the first 5 years system worked just fine Winter Heat summer a/c, I set up a service place for annual checkups. The Igniters do not last 1 winter season – I have now had the Board replace 2 Stage gas valve the pressure valve replaced, I even keep a stock of igniters so I can replace them usually at midnight when the heat goes out. I am again without heat 5th time in 2 months. The techs come to get it going again for a week and then back to square one. I would never recommend one of these units to anybody

Exhaust blower failed after 6 years due to lack of lubrication in "permanently" lubricated bearings that can't be lubricated. This little motor, just like the one in your bathroom exhaust fan, will cost $700 to replace, and I am without heat for 5 days until the special order arrives. A quality furnace would not have failed after only 6 years, or there would have been oil holes on the bearings so that a few drops of oil could cure the problem. You can't maintain "permanently" lubricated bearings because they are sealed and need to be replaced when the oil runs out, which is only a matter of time. Second gripe is the warranty, which is voided if you don't have an annual maintenance visit that costs $200 around here. The maintenance visits we had earlier consisted of opening the furnace, looking at things and going after 2 minutes, because there is nothing to maintain except changing the filter, which you do yourself. If the motor had oil holes, there would be something that needed maintenance, but there is nothing else to maintain. Would you buy a car that you couldn't add oil to? Previous furnace lasted 27 years with one $50 service call the 21st year.

Our American Standard natural gas furnace was installed in 1994. Only problem since then: an igniter had to be replaced once. Runs quiet, heats just fine. How can I complain about a furnace that has served us perfectly for 24 years? Maybe the quality has changed since 1994. I hope not.

Difficult to tell if a jet is going over our new home or if it's just our American Standard furnace running.