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February 2nd, 2024
If your dream furnace is reliable, comfortable and affordable, I’d love to introduce you to the Trane S8X2 furnace.
The Trane S8X2 furnace offers reliable comfort during the winter without breaking the bank. And if you deal with hot and cold spots or uneven temperatures between floors during the winter, the S8X2 may be able to help.
Each year at Fire & Ice, we work with hundreds of Central Ohio residents to customize their HVAC systems.
In this article, we’ll break down the Trane S8X2 furnace, including its core features, price range (with no hidden charges!) and who can benefit from it the most.
By the end of this article, you’ll have a better idea of whether or not the Trane S8X2 furnace is the right fit for you.
Overview of the Trane S8X2 Furnace
The Trane S8X2 combines reliable heating with comfort. The S8X2 can address hot or cold spots that you may experience during the colder months, but it can still be a great choice if you’re on a budget.
Trane designed the S8X2 furnace to:
- Consistently maintain a set temperature throughout your home
- Consume less natural gas
- Operate quietly
Features of the Trane S8X2 Furnace
The Trane S8X2 furnace is a two-stage, fixed-speed gas furnace. If you’re not familiar with HVAC jargon, don’t worry – you’ll have a better understanding of what this means for you and your home by the end of this section.
In this section, we’ll go over the core features of the Trane S8X2 furnace.
Core features of the Trane S8X2 furnace:
- Two-stage gas valve
- Efficient blower motor
- Smaller, insulated cabinet
Two-Stage Gas Valve
The Trane S8X2 furnace’s two-stage gas valve allows it to maintain a consistent temperature throughout your home.
“Two-stage” refers to the S8X2’s heating capacity, or staging. The staging of a furnace determines its heating output.
A two-stage furnace like the S8X2 can operate at two different capacities: 100% and a lower capacity that’s usually around 60-70%.
Your furnace typically only runs at 100% capacity on the coldest day of the year. But on milder days, the S8X2 can run at a lower capacity.
The flexibility to run at a lower capacity has its benefits:
- Longer runtime
- Even heating throughout your home
- Consistent temperature
In this case, a longer runtime is a good thing. The S8X2’s lower capacity setting allows it to run longer without consuming excess fuel. This also means that the S8X2 can evenly heat your home and maintain a set temperature better.
To learn more about furnace staging, check out the video below or this article that breaks down the three types of furnace staging available today.
Efficient Blower Motor
A blower motor is responsible for circulating air throughout your home year-round.
The Trane S8X2 furnace has an ECM blower motor with Trane’s patented blower design.
ECM motors can be over 20% more efficient than PCS motors (a type of blower motor that was commonly used before the U.S. Department of Energy’s newest furnace fan efficiency standard).
And Trane’s Vortica II blower design helps circulate air throughout your home even more efficiently.
HVAC contractors can also program ECM motors – and this can really change your comfort year-round. Depending on the type of climate you live in, your HVAC partner can customize your blower motor’s speed to enhance your air conditioner and furnace’s performance.
Smaller Cabinet
At 34 inches tall, the S8X2 is one of Trane’s shorter furnaces. This can make the S8X2 a great option if you’re tight on space.
However, a smaller cabinet also increases your HVAC system’s static pressure.
Static pressure is like blood pressure, in a way. Just like your body, your HVAC system needs to be under pressure to work correctly. But too much static pressure can make it difficult for conditioned air to move through your system to heat and cool your home.
A good HVAC contractor will be able to adapt the S8X2 to cut down on static pressure.
At Fire & Ice, we follow HVAC industry best practices. This means taking static pressure readings and working to increase airflow for furnaces with smaller cabinets.
Luckily, there are a few options that can help cut down on static pressure for the S8X2.
One option is to place the S8X2 on a platform. This allows for better airflow between the furnace and the filtration system. But if you’re tight on space, this may not be the best option.
If space is an issue, another option is to install a wraparound component to help improve airflow without competing for space.
Be sure to discuss your options thoroughly with your HVAC partner.
Insulated Cabinet
The Trane S8X2’s heavy steel insulated cabinet has two benefits:
- Holds in more of the heat that you pay for
- Decreases operating noise
Because of its heavy steel insulated cabinet, the S8X2 can experience as little as 1% of air leakage. This helps the S8X2 conserve more of the heat it produces.
And while a quiet furnace isn’t a top priority for everyone, it certainly can be a perk. Between its insulated cabinet and its two-stage gas valve, the S8X2 can cut down the noise it makes while it’s running.
How Efficient Is the Trane S8X2 Furnace?
The Trane S8X2 furnace is 80% efficient. You may also hear contractors call the S8X2 a standard efficiency furnace. But what does it mean when a furnace is 80% efficient?
The U.S. Department of Energy requires manufacturers to score the efficiency for HVAC equipment. For furnaces, manufacturers do this using Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ratings.
AFUE ratings describe the percentage of fuel your furnace uses that actually goes towards heating your home.
So an 80% efficient furnace like the S8X2 uses up to 80% of the fuel it consumes to heat your home. The other approximately 20% is exhausted in the form of waste gases.
An easy way to think of this is in terms of money. For every dollar you spend on natural gas, the S8X2 can use up to 80 cents to heat your home. The remainder goes out your flue.
To learn more about AFUE, check out the video below or this article that breaks down AFUE and other efficiency ratings.
Trane S8X2 Furnace
The Trane S8X2 is compatible with both single-stage and two-stage air conditioners, making it a flexible option for many residential HVAC systems. However, it is not designed to support variable-capacity or communicating air conditioning systems.
Because the S8X2 features an ECM blower motor, your HVAC professional can adjust the blower speed to help optimize airflow and improve your air conditioner's overall performance and comfort.
Choosing the Right Size Trane S8X2
The most important factor when selecting a Trane S8X2 furnace is proper sizing. In HVAC, "size" refers to the furnace's heating capacity—not its physical dimensions.
A furnace that is too large may cycle on and off too frequently, while one that is too small may struggle to maintain comfortable temperatures during colder weather.
To determine the correct capacity for your home, your HVAC contractor should perform a professional load calculation. This evaluation considers much more than your home's square footage, including insulation levels, window size and orientation, ceiling height, ductwork, air leakage, and your local climate. Proper sizing helps ensure reliable comfort, efficient operation, and long-term system performance.
To learn more about load calculations, check out this article that breaks down what it takes to properly size your HVAC equipment.
For a comprehensive cost range for furnaces, check out the video below.
Who’s a Good Fit for the Trane S8X2 Furnace?
The Trane S8X2 can be a good fit for homes that experience hot and cold spots during the winter. If you feel cold moving between rooms or floors, then the S8X2 may be able to help.
Your furnace also works with your air conditioner to keep you cool in the summer. The S8X2 can be great if you don’t have many issues keeping cool in the summer.
The S8X2’s two-stage gas valve and heavy steel insulated cabinet also mean that it operates quietly, especially if you currently have a single-stage furnace.
However, the S8X2 was designed to address heating issues, such as:
- Hot and cold spots
- Severe temperature spikes
- Operating noise levels
If you currently have a single-stage furnace and you don’t have significant heating issues, the S8X2 may not change your world. But it can offer a little more comfort. Ask your HVAC partner how the S8X2 can help you during your in-home estimate.
Choosing the Right Furnace for You
If you’ve gotten this far, we hope you love the Trane S8X2 furnace as much as we do. (See additional S8X2 specifications here.)
If you’re not sure that the Trane S8X2 is right for you, check out our guide to Trane gas furnaces. This guide breaks down the features and cost ranges of 12 Trane furnaces to help you decide which furnace is right for you.
If you live in Central Ohio and you’d prefer to speak with a representative to determine all your options, we’d love to meet with you!
At Fire & Ice, we focus on your comfort concerns. We take the time to understand your needs so we can customize your system. After all, when you invest your hard-earned money in your HVAC system, you deserve a system that fits your needs.
To schedule your free in-home estimate with one of our comfort specialists, enter your zip code below. We look forward to speaking with you!
