ACiQ 80000 BTU 96% AFUE Gas Furnace | Variable Speed Two Stage Multi-Positional Communicating | R454B Compliant (G96CTN0801714B)
Check current price on AC Direct →
Key features
- 96% AFUE condensing gas furnace with two-stage burner for part-load efficiency
- Variable-speed ECM blower motor reduces electricity use and operating noise
- Communicating control board integrates with compatible thermostats and outdoor units
- Multi-positional cabinet supports upflow, downflow, and horizontal installation
- 80,000 BTU output sized for mid-to-large homes in moderate to cold climates
- Ships with 12-year parts warranty, no dealer markup required to register
About this system
The ACiQ G96CTN0801714B is an 80,000 BTU, 96% AFUE two-stage variable-speed gas furnace built for homeowners who want near-premium efficiency without the near-premium price tag. At 96% AFUE, almost all of the fuel you pay for becomes usable heat rather than exhaust, putting this unit in the upper tier of residential gas furnace efficiency. Two-stage operation means the burner runs at a lower capacity most of the time and only ramps up to full output on the coldest days, which reduces temperature swings, lowers operating noise, and eases wear on components compared to a single-stage unit cycling on and off repeatedly.
The variable-speed ECM blower motor is the other headline spec. It ramps airflow up and down in small increments rather than slamming on at full speed, which improves comfort distribution, cuts electricity consumption during blower operation, and is noticeably quieter than a standard PSC motor. The communicating control board is designed to integrate cleanly with compatible communicating thermostats and AC or heat-pump outdoor units, enabling coordinated system-level diagnostics. The multi-positional cabinet installs in upflow, downflow, or horizontal configurations, giving contractors flexibility in tight or unconventional equipment rooms. R-454B compliance on this furnace label refers to refrigerant compatibility when this unit is paired with a cooling system, not a factor in the furnace’s own combustion operation.
The ACiQ G96CTN0801714B delivers legitimately competitive specs at a price that undercuts Carrier, Trane, and Lennox equivalents by a meaningful margin. Early owner feedback is encouraging on comfort and quietness, but the brand is new enough that long-term reliability is still an open question, and the direct-sale model means finding a willing, familiar service contractor takes more effort than with a dealer-network brand.
Overall score is the average of the five ratings above.
What we like
- 96% AFUE places it among the most efficient single-fuel furnaces available for residential use
- Variable-speed ECM blower significantly lowers electricity consumption compared to PSC motors
- Two-stage burner reduces temperature swings and extends run cycles for more even heat distribution
- 12-year parts warranty ships standard without requiring a dealer registration premium
- Purchase price undercuts comparable-spec units from major name brands by a notable margin
Trade-offs
- No Consumer Reports reliability ranking yet due to insufficient long-term field data
- Undisclosed manufacturer makes cross-referencing parts, service bulletins, and repair history harder for technicians
- Sold direct rather than through a dealer network, so finding a contractor experienced with ACiQ equipment requires extra legwork
- Brand is relatively new, so the long-term compressor and heat-exchanger track record that established brands carry is simply not available yet
What homeowners and pros say about ACiQ
Early owners of ACiQ furnaces and air handlers frequently mention two things: quieter-than-expected operation once the variable-speed blower finds its steady rhythm, and a support team that responds when something needs sorting out. Consumer Reports has not yet ranked ACiQ because the brand is too new to have accumulated the long-term field data the organization requires, which is an honest gap rather than a red flag in itself. Google reviews at ACiQ dealer touchpoints trend positive, though the sample size is still small relative to brands with decades of installations in the field.
For HVAC technicians, the sticking point is the undisclosed manufacturer. When a Carrier or Trane unit throws a fault code, experienced technicians can often cross-reference known issues, source parts from a local distributor the same day, and find service literature without much digging. With ACiQ, that institutional knowledge is thinner, and parts sourcing can require going through ACiQ directly rather than a local supply house. There are no widely documented patterns of premature capacitor failure, coil leaks, or compressor problems specific to ACiQ at this stage, largely because the brand has not been in enough homes long enough for those patterns to emerge. That ambiguity is the honest trade-off: the price gap is real, and so is the uncertainty about what the long-term service picture looks like.
Sources: Consumer Reports heat pump ratings, HVACDirect on the ACiQ brand, AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance, U.S. DOE appliance and equipment efficiency standards.
How it compares
| Brand | Comparable model | SEER2 | Stage | Price position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACiQ | G96CTN0801714B | N/A (furnace only) | Two-stage | Value pick |
| Carrier | Performance 96 (59TP6) | N/A (furnace only) | Two-stage | Mid to upper range, typically higher than ACiQ |
| Trane | S9V2 (XR96) | N/A (furnace only) | Two-stage | Mid to upper range, typically higher than ACiQ |
| Lennox | ML196V | N/A (furnace only) | Two-stage | Mid to premium range, typically higher than ACiQ |
Competitor rows are comparable single-stage units at similar efficiency; price is relative position, not a quote.
Questions about this system
Who actually manufactures this furnace, and does it matter for parts availability?
ACiQ does not publicly disclose its manufacturing partner, though forum discussion points toward the ICP and Carrier family without confirmation. It matters practically because a technician troubleshooting an unfamiliar brand cannot easily cross-reference service bulletins or confirm parts interchangeability the way they could with a Carrier or Trane unit, so you should confirm your chosen contractor is willing to work on it before you buy.
Does the communicating control board require a specific thermostat, or will a standard 24-volt thermostat work?
The communicating feature works with compatible communicating thermostats to enable full system diagnostics and coordinated control. A standard 24-volt thermostat will operate the furnace, but you will not get the communicating benefits unless the thermostat and any paired outdoor equipment also support the same communication protocol.
How does the 12-year warranty work if the unit is sold direct and not through a dealer?
ACiQ includes the 12-year parts warranty as a standard term without requiring dealer registration or a dealer markup, which is one of the genuine advantages of the direct model. You register the product with ACiQ directly; read the warranty document carefully for labor coverage terms, since parts and labor are often covered separately.
Is 80,000 BTU the right size for my home, or should I go up to a 100,000 BTU unit?
BTU sizing should be based on a Manual J load calculation for your specific home, not square footage rules of thumb. An oversized furnace short-cycles, which wastes energy and accelerates wear, while an undersized one cannot maintain setpoint on the coldest nights. Have a contractor run the calculation before committing to this output.
What does R-454B compliant mean on a gas furnace listing?
R-454B is a refrigerant used in the cooling side of an HVAC system, not in gas combustion. The label indicates this furnace's coil cabinet and blower configuration are compatible with a paired cooling system using R-454B refrigerant, which is the lower-GWP replacement for R-410A now required in new equipment. It has no effect on how the furnace itself heats your home.
Specifications
| Furnace output | 80000 BTU |
| Furnace efficiency | 96% AFUE |
| Refrigerant | R-454B |