Carrier 59SC2 Furnace Review: Benefits and Specifications

Are you on the hunt for an affordable but reliable furnace? Are you looking at buying a model that has reliability, solid performance, and high efficiency? Then the Carrier 59SC2 might just be for you.

The 59SC2 is part of Carrier’s comfort series, designed to bring you performance but keep your budget and efficiency in mind. Regardless of where you live, picking a unit that saves you money upfront and in the future is never a wrong choice, especially if you live in a smaller home or do not require a larger unit to fulfill your needs.

We have installed many of these furnaces inside homes in Columbus, Ohio, and recommend them frequently to budget-conscious customers. Below we will discuss what separates the 59SC2 from other furnaces we install, along with specific features and specifications.

Additionally, we will go over why this unit may or may not be for you when looking for home furnace options.

Carrier 59SC2 Gas Furnace Overview

Here are features that come standard on the 59SC2:

• 4-Way multipoise design for upflow, downflow, or horizontal installation
• Installation flexibility with a 360-degree rotating elbow
• More than twelve different venting options, including optional through-the-cabinet downflow and horizontal venting
• Ideal condensing furnace height 35” cabinet: short enough for taller coils, but still allows enough room for service
• Silicon Nitride Power Heat™ Hot Surface Igniter
• Aluminized-steel primary heat exchanger
• Stainless steel condensing secondary heat exchanger
• High-quality corrosion-resistant prepainted steel cabinet with hemmed edges for safety
• Factory-configured ready for upflow applications
• Direct-vent/sealed combustion, single-pipe venting, or ventilated combustion air
• PSC blower motor, single-speed inducer motor, and single-stage gas valve
• Self-diagnostics with SuperBrite LED
• Approved for Twinning applications (60-14 through 120-20 sizes, only)
• Propane convertible
• Approved for Manufactured Housing/Mobile Home applications with MH accessory kit
• Convenient Air Purifier and Humidifier connections
• Certified to leak 2% or less of nominal air conditioning CFM delivered when pressurized to 1-in. water column with all present air inlets, air outlets, and condensate drain port(s) sealed 

Efficiency and Adaptability

The 59SC2 has an AFUE of just over 92%. AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency, which is a fancy way of measuring efficiency.

In practice, this means that up to 92% of the energy the furnace uses goes directly to heating your home. Stated differently, 92 cents of every dollar you spend to heat your home is being put to good use.

I hear you thinking, what a minute, why isn’t it 100%? Or you might be asking how efficient your current system is.

On the first question, no gas system is 100% efficient, but the best ones can come very close. The energy lost could be from several factors, but there’s always going to be a bit of heat loss that ends up expelled through the flue on your chimney.

To the second question, older furnace systems eventually become less efficient, so you often lose quite a bit of energy compared to a more modern system.

And sometimes, that’s the best-case scenario. Older systems can suffer inefficiencies from lack of upkeep, corroded parts, improper or leaking ductwork, poor filtration, or other problems that are remedied with a properly installed, modern system. Your actual efficiency might be as low as 60-70%.

Communicating Systems: Necessary or Not?

Unlike some of the higher-end models, the 59CS2 is not a communicating system. But what exactly does that mean? Most thermostats will allow you to set timers for various temperature changes, such as when you leave for work in the morning or come home at night, but communicating systems go beyond that. Communicating systems monitor system performance and output and the temperatures inside and outside your home and will adapt to your needs.

So, for example, it can learn how much fuel will be needed to take your home from 60 degrees to 72 degrees when you come home from work while staying as efficient as possible. It can then adjust those levels on the fly when the outside temperature dips or the airflow is more restricted in the system (perhaps due to filtration issues).

But, with an entry-level furnace such as this model, you might not need to pay for those types of features if it isn’t essential to you or your comfort needs. Depending on those and your living situation, you might not need a system that can communicate to get the most out of your HVAC.

Warranty Information for Carrier 59CS2

With this Carrier furnace, you can be confident about your choice as it comes with a ten-year limited warranty upon registration of the product and a 20-year limited heat exchanger warranty. The product has to be registered within 90 days with Carrier or the warranty will be limited to 5 years on parts.

One Stage Gas Valve

Unlike a modulating system, this unit has a one-stage gas valve and a simple “on and off” valve. While a modulating system may help increase the efficiency, that does not mean this furnace is not energy efficient. It also comes in a wide variety of sizes that can be selected to suit your home.

What is the Difference Between Gas and Electric Heating?

A gas furnace is a combustion appliance. You have a gas line (with a gas valve), an igniter, and different systems for capturing, separating, and spreading heat through your home.

Of particular interest is the heat exchanger in a gas furnace. This is one of the core components that allows the unit to extract heat for safe use in your home. Some high-efficiency gas furnaces even have two heat exchangers, which allows them to extract more heat with less byproduct.

Regardless of how many heat exchangers you have, the byproducts of combustion (see also: carbon monoxide) have to be carefully managed. In a traditional furnace, this will be vented out of a chimney flue. In a high-efficiency gas furnace, the exhaust will need to travel out of plastic PVC pipe.

An electric furnace actually consists of an air handler that has heating coils added to it (sometimes called a heat package). Often, an electric furnace will act only as auxiliary heat, with additional heating power coming from the electric heat pump.

Electric furnaces work a bit like a toaster. The heated coils act in much the same way, even glowing a dull red when they’re very hot. If there was an airstream flowing through your toaster, pushing the warm air into your home, you’d have a miniature electric furnace.

The differences end there, though, because there are still numerous moving parts and safety switches installed that monitor and control the unit’s operation.

Both electric and gas units have pressure gauges, airflow gauges (to prevent overheating if the blower fan stops working), and safety valves that will switch the unit off if it’s not functioning properly. Because of the extra steps required to convert gas to heat, there are more steps in the gas process, but in practice, both will provide heat for your home.

Which is Best? Gas or Electric Heating

Now that we’ve explained the difference between gas and electric heating, you’re probably wondering if a gas furnace, such as the 59CS2, can be paired with a heat pump. Generally, heat pumps are best suited to pair with electric furnaces, but this rule can occasionally be broken.

Some homes don’t have a natural gas line and use propane or oil furnaces. These tend to be more expensive due to the cost of the fuel. In those instances, a heat pump can heat for portions of the colder months and supplement a home’s heating with less-expensive electrical heating.

The heat pump can heat more efficiently and still provide heat at lower temperatures than other options, so the comparatively lower cost of electric heat can be a great supplement to a propane or oil furnace. Here in Central Ohio, gas furnaces plus air conditioners are most common, though, and tend to produce the cheapest utilities.

So in these limited cases, equipment matching matters and could mean that the 59CS2 isn’t right for you.

Next Steps: Choosing the Right System for Your Home

At Fire & Ice, we know that choosing a new system that is within your budget and also meets your comfort concerns can be challenging and even confusing. That is why we are committed to helping you with any questions you might have. If you feel ready to take the next step to upgrade your home’s comfort and you live in the Columbus, OH area, check to see if you are in our area by using the zip code map below.

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