Lennox vs Trane is closer on price than most people expect: This Old House found Lennox about 3% higher than Trane on equivalent central air, and Consumer Reports lists their gas furnaces at about the same starting price. Where they split is reliability on record and how the warranty works. We repair both, and we install Trane. A furnace and AC we install runs $8,898 to $23,000 by size and efficiency. From about $148 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit.
Own a Lennox that’s acting up? Our Lennox repair page has the codes and every repair price.
Lennox vs Trane, side by side
| Lennox | Trane | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | At or a little above Trane: about 3% higher on equivalent central air (This Old House) | About the same starting price for a gas furnace (Consumer Reports) |
| Top gas furnace | SLP99V, up to 99% AFUE, modulating | 96 Modulating Variable Speed, up to 97.3% AFUE |
| Top heat pump | SL22KLV, up to 21.10 SEER2, heats down to -20°F | 20 TruComfort, up to 22.4 SEER2; Cold Climate model 100% capacity at 5°F |
| Reliability, Consumer Reports 2022 central air | Excellent for owner satisfaction (reliability tier not public) | The only one of 21 brands Excellent for both reliability and satisfaction |
| Parts warranty | 5 years (Signature 10) without registering; 10 (Signature 12) registered within 60 days | 10 years registered within 60 days |
| Who files a warranty claim | A Lennox dealer, never the homeowner | A Trane dealer (we’re one) |
| How it’s sold | Direct from Lennox’s own stores to its dealers | Through distributors (ours is Ferguson) |
| Top-tier controls | SL25KCV and SL22KLV run only on a Lennox thermostat and Lennox indoor unit | TruComfort systems need Trane’s UX360 |
| Lawsuit on record | 2015 settlement over leaking uncoated copper indoor coils (Lennox denied) | 2020 settlement over expansion valve deposits on 2013 to 2014 units (Trane denied) |
Sources: This Old House, Consumer Reports furnace guide, Consumer Reports central air, 2022, and each maker’s warranty documents. Monthly figures: 60mo @ 0% APR on each starting price, the whole price financed, on approved credit. Longer plans lower the payment and cost more in total. The lender sets the final terms.
The system we put in first
Built to take a beating. Put in by our crew.
Heat lamps, snow and rain on one outdoor unit: that’s Trane’s own film. We’re a Trane Comfort Specialist, on Trane’s own dealer locator, and when you pick a Trane, our crew puts it in.
Films: Trane’s own.
Is Lennox a good brand?
Yes. Lennox makes solid equipment, its top Signature furnace is one of the most efficient you can buy, and Consumer Reports rated Lennox Excellent for owner satisfaction in its 2018 and 2020 central air surveys. Its current reliability tier sits behind Consumer Reports’ paywall, so we won’t guess at it.
Why we install Trane
The reliability result that’s public. In Consumer Reports’ 2022 central air survey of 23,997 systems, Trane was the only one of 21 brands rated Excellent for both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.
The warranty works through us. We’re a Trane Comfort Specialist, so on a Trane we put in, we file any claim ourselves, and two years of labor on our installs are ours.
Parts through a distributor. Lennox sells only from its own stores, straight to contractors. Trane comes to us through Ferguson.
Where Lennox has the edge
The efficiency sticker at the very top (99% AFUE against 97.3%), and a base warranty that needs no registration. Its Signature and Elite furnaces carry a limited lifetime heat exchanger for the original owner without registering; on a Trane, the lifetime heat exchanger comes with registration.
The thing both brands do at the top
Lennox’s top air conditioner and heat pump only run with a Lennox thermostat and a Lennox indoor unit; Trane’s TruComfort systems need Trane’s controller. If you want to keep a Nest or an ecobee, the step below the top line is the one to buy, from either brand.
Lennox vs Trane questions people ask us
Is Lennox or Trane better?
Both are good. We install Trane: the only one of 21 brands rated Excellent for both reliability and satisfaction in Consumer Reports’ 2022 central air survey, at about the same price, with a warranty claim we can file ourselves. A furnace and AC we install is $8,898 to $23,000. From about $148 a month at 0% APR for 60 months, the whole price financed, on approved credit.
Is Lennox more expensive than Trane?
A little, or not at all, depending on the source: This Old House found about 3% more on central air, and Consumer Reports lists their gas furnaces at about the same starting price.
Can you fix my Lennox?
Yes, every Lennox line. The diagnostic is $99 and the repair is priced in writing first; a warranty claim on a covered part goes through Lennox’s dealer network. See the Lennox repair page.
Do Lennox coils leak?
Lennox settled a class action in 2015 over leaking uncoated copper indoor coils, while denying the claims. A Lennox that needs refrigerant every summer is leaking somewhere, and the coil is the first place we check.
