Is Carrier 59MN7A060 a modulating furnace?

[CurbYourEnthusiasm]

I would like to install a Carrier furnace: 59MN7A060V17-14.

The product brochure says ‘Fully Modulating Gas Valve — When paired with the Infinity control, this furnace improves comfort by adjusting heating output in 1% increments from 40% to 100% capacity to meet the heating needs of the home.’

'M' in the furnace model number stands for modulating but this 'When paired with the Infinity control' has me 'worried'. Why would they need to mention this. I would have thought it was a given (i.e. each 59MN7A comes with this controller that enables the 'modulating' for the furnace).

Is the furnace modulating only it is installed with this control?

The contractor told me the control would cost extra, the improvement in efficiency would be negligible and the furnace would be still modulating without the respective control.

I would like to confirm it.

[jadnashua]

You'd have to try to download and read the user's manual, usually available on their website and read the theory of operation section. Often, without the smart control, modulating furnaces start at a low-fire level, and after time increase the level (often to max) until the house reaches the setpoint (often just a two-step, low/max). A smart control often 'learns' the house's responses to a call for heat and can set the specific heat outlet level to make the house the most comfortable with the best economy. The extra cost may be in the need for running a new cable from the thermostat to the furnace. It might also take some time to program the thermostat. This is all generic info - you need to get the specifics. My guess is that the installer is not well trained on the furnace and just doesn't understand. Read the installation manual and ensure it is done per that manual if you want the best performance. There are lots of little things that they can omit to save time/money that really do affect your overall satisfaction. One thing is the flexible break between the furnace and the main duct - this is usually specified and decouples noise from the furnace into the ductwork. There are other, similar things.

[jimbo]

Here is the basic install manual for the series: http://www.docs.hvacpartners.com/idc...9mn7a-05si.pdf

but I think you need to contact Carrier for details regarding the V17-14 variant

[CurbYourEnthusiasm]

Thank you for the answers.

I called Carrier (yes, this is how I spend the day after Christmas ) and they confirmed that I would need the control to make the furnace ‘modulate’. The 1st CSR could not answer to my question so I was transferred to a senior CSR who in fact read from the product data that I also had.
However, now after talking to Carrier I know for sure the Infinity control is a thermostat. I had thought before it was something you install on the furnace itself not something that replaces the thermostat (programmable or not) that you put it up the wall.
My idea was to just install the furnace without this control and later on add the control as now I know that the ‘M’ in 59MN7A stands for ‘Can Modulate’ not ‘Modulate’ but the CSR told me to put it this at the beginning as to make sure everything works ok.

I very much liked the guy who proposed Carrier and I would have gone with his company especially after I had read good things about the company and him as well.
He told me that most of his clients go for this furnace. However, I am sure that they have no idea that their furnace is not really modulating as they do not have the controller. And I wish I was like them. The less you know the happier you are .

Now I don’t know to believe about the contractor I was very much inclined to go with.

1. Either he did not know that the 59MN7A… is not modulating without the control so unknowingly he tried to sell me functionality that couldn’t be achieved. I would kind of ‘accept’ it and let it go if this was the case.

2. This was a marketing ploy to buy a more expensive one as in he (i.e. me) would not mind paying $ more than the quoted 2 stage Carrier 59TNA6A for the perceived extra efficiency but I would lose him as a customer if I asked much more money (the controller is around $600 that would be added to the "modulating" furnace).
And in this case I would not want to work with them. Tell me frankly all the options and let me choose but don’t play ‘tricks’ on me.