Carrier Infinity 80 (58TN0) Gas Furnace Review

According to Carrier, a well-maintained furnace can last at least 15 to 20 years. “Well-maintained” is the key phrase here. Annual maintenance, timely repairs, and changing the furnace’s filter when recommended can extend its life even longer. 

With this in mind, a furnace’s lifespan is still subjective. When you have to make an expensive repair on a machine that’s over 10 years old, the decision is always dicey. Will the machine last long enough for the repair to make sense? Might it make better sense to invest in a new system?

As a rule of thumb, when your furnace is about 15 years old, it’s a good idea to start looking at new equipment, to be prepared.

Older HVAC systems can be expensive to run—not only do they require more maintenance and repairs, but they aren’t as energy efficient as newer models. And while necessary, we know that upgrading your heating and cooling system may not come at the ideal time, and that cost plays a big role in what you replace it with.

At Fire & Ice, we’ve talked to thousands of homeowners who, when faced with a problematic, aging furnace, have turned to HVAC contractors to help them out. And the worst outcome from that is you feel pressured to buy a unit that doesn’t meet your needs. It’s like buying a lemon of a car.

So as you begin your shopping, let us tell you about the Carrier Infinity 80 58TN gas furnace, its features, and its benefits. It might be the one product that suits your needs perfectly.

Benefits of the Carrier Infinity 80 58TN Gas Furnace

This is a standard-efficiency, two-stage furnace with a variable-speed blower.

Standard efficiency means that it has an AFUE of 80%. AFUE is the acronym for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, and it is the ratio of the furnace’s annual heat output compared to its total annual fossil fuel energy consumed. An 80% furnace converts 80 cents out of every dollar into heat. The other 20 cents is exhausted as waste.

If your furnace is 15 years old or so, it’s probably lost some of its efficiency - perhaps down to 70% AFUE. A new 80% furnace will save you up to 12% per year, or around $300 over a 70% unit.

A two-stage furnace might also save you money. A single-stage furnace operates at either 100% or it’s off. This two-stage gas furnace has an additional stage, a point where the furnace can heat adequately up to 90% of the time. Since the lower setting is sufficient to meet household heating demands most of the time, a two-stage unit runs for longer periods and provides more even heat distribution than a single-stage. It gives quiet, energy-efficient operation.

The variable-speed blower will save you even more money while providing ultimate comfort. The blower can operate at speeds anywhere from around 40% to 100%. It delivers the correct amount of airflow - either heat or cool - to suit your home’s needs. Not only does it provide the correct amount of heat, when coupled with the appropriate air conditioner or heat pump, it can also boost the AC’s SEER efficiency. (SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio; the higher the number, the greater the efficiency.)

What Is a Communicating Gas Furnace?

When the 58TN0 is paired with the right thermostat and heat pump or air conditioner, it is considered to be part of “communicating” HVAC equipment. 

So what does it mean to be communicating, and how does that functionality go beyond the basic options available in all modern HVAC technology?

The first, and probably most important, aspect of a communicating system is that it’s monitoring system performance and output as well as temperatures both inside and outside. From these parameters, it can adapt to your comfort needs in ways that other systems might not. It creates a customized heating and cooling process unique to your home.

So, for example, it can learn how much fuel usage will be needed to take your home from 60 degrees to 72 degrees while staying as efficient as possible. It can then adjust those levels on the fly when the outside temperature changes, or if there is reduced airflow perhaps due to a dirty furnace filter.

Speaking of filtration, communicating equipment can alert you when it’s time to change your filter. With even more advanced filtration options (such as the Trane CleanEffects), the filter itself can communicate particle levels to the thermostat, indicating how dirty it is. 

Is your master bedroom too hot in the summer? Do you have cold spots in the winter in certain areas? A communicating system can be outfitted with sensors throughout your home to ensure even comfort. Multiple sensors are interconnected to the thermostat, the furnace, and the AC so that alterations can be made automatically.

The system can run more consistently (often at a lower setting) while allowing the system’s heating and cooling to spread evenly throughout the home. This can result in better sleep, being able to use your entire home year-round, fewer moments of feeling frozen or sweaty, and all without using more energy than other HVAC systems.

As part of an Infinity communicating system, you can pair this model with a high-efficiency heat pump or air conditioner. When you do, the HVAC system can potentially boost cooling system efficiency and improve summer dehumidification. It can remove up to 400 percent more moisture than standard systems.