The short answer
RunTru, Trane’s lower-priced line, makes three gas furnaces, and in Northern Virginia the pick usually comes down to your venting and your budget. The A952V is the top one: two-stage, with a variable-speed blower and 96% efficiency. The A951X is the plain 95 to 96% furnace, single-stage. The A801X is the 80% furnace for a house vented through a metal flue or a chimney, and its smallest sizes are 14.5 inches wide for a tight closet. All three are built by Trane, with 10 years on parts if you register within 60 days.
The three RunTru furnaces
From RunTru’s furnace page and its sell sheets for the 95 to 96% furnaces and the 80% furnaces:
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| Model | Heat | Blower | Efficiency | Sizes | Install |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A952V | Two-stage | Variable speed | 96% | 40,000 to 120,000 Btu/h | Upflow or downflow |
| A951X | Single-stage | Constant torque | 95 to 96% | 40,000 to 120,000 Btu/h | Upflow or downflow |
| A801X | Single-stage | Constant torque | 80% | 26,000 to 120,000 Btu/h | Any position |
Every one is 34 inches tall and built to move the air for a 2 to 5 ton AC or heat pump. The 95 to 96% models have stainless steel primary and secondary heat exchangers. The A801X has a galvanized steel cabinet and more than one way to vent it, and its 14.5 inch wide sizes help in a closet or a townhouse utility room.
The $67 Heating Check
We check your furnace, heat pump or boiler before winter. Through December 31. See the offer
Two-stage or single-stage
A single-stage furnace runs at full fire every time it comes on. A two-stage furnace like the A952V runs on low most of the winter and goes to high only on the coldest days. Low fire means longer, quieter runs and more even heat between floors, and the variable-speed blower adds to that. If your upstairs runs colder than downstairs, or the rush of air at startup bothers you, two-stage is the step that matters.
For comparison, Trane’s own line goes past two-stage to a modulating furnace that adjusts its flame in small steps (Trane modulating furnace guide). RunTru stops at two-stage.
80% or 95%
An 80% furnace sends about a fifth of its heat up a metal flue or a chimney. A 95% furnace pulls nearly all of it out, vents through plastic pipe, and makes water that needs a drain (what a clogged condensate drain does). If your old furnace is an 80% on a chimney, staying at 80% with an A801X keeps the install simple. Moving to an A951X or an A952V means new plastic venting run outside and a drain, and the visit prices both ways so you can choose.
The warranty
Per RunTru’s warranty page and the sell sheets, every RunTru furnace has a 5 year limited parts warranty, and 10 years on parts if you register it within 60 days of install. It covers parts, not the labor to put them in, so ask the installer what their labor warranty covers.
What breaks on a RunTru furnace
The same parts as on any gas furnace. From our price book: a flame sensor runs $95 to $180, an igniter $240 to $410, a control board $550 to $1,180, and a condensate drain repair on the 95% models $175 to $420. A dirty flame sensor is a common winter no-heat call (flame sensor problems). A diagnostic visit is $99, and you get the problem and the price in writing before any work starts.
Is a RunTru furnace a good pick?
For a rental, a house you’ll sell in a few years, or a tight budget, yes: a furnace built by Trane with 10 years on parts once registered. If comfort is the problem you’re solving, look hard at the A952V before the A951X. For RunTru’s ACs and heat pumps, see RunTru by Trane, and for how the brands rank, see the best HVAC brands. Our heating check is $67 per system, through December 31: furnace, heat pump or boiler.
Pricing a new system
Our estimator shows installed prices for a new system with the $1,500 off already in them. On the visit we price the options side by side, so you see what a step up from single-stage costs before you pick. Already holding a quote? A free second opinion tells you what the system actually needs. Call (703) 997-9757. Rated 5.0 stars across 1,138 reviews on Google, Angi, Yelp, the BBB and Facebook, Virginia Class A license 2705192276.
Questions people ask
Who makes RunTru furnaces?
Trane. RunTru is Trane’s lower-priced line, built by Trane, with parts warranties of 5 years, or 10 if registered within 60 days.
What is the best RunTru furnace?
The A952V: two-stage, with a variable-speed blower and 96% efficiency. It runs on low most of the winter, for more even heat.
What’s the difference between the RunTru A951X and A952V?
Both are 95 to 96% furnaces. The A951X is single-stage with a constant torque blower; the A952V is two-stage with a variable-speed blower.
What is the warranty on a RunTru furnace?
Five years on parts, or 10 years on parts if you register within 60 days of installation. It covers parts, not labor.
Is there a narrow RunTru furnace for a closet?
Yes. The smallest A801X 80% furnaces are 14.5 inches wide and install in any position.
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.
