Who owns Armstrong Air today?
Armstrong Air dates back to 1928, and today it belongs to Allied Air Enterprises, a subsidiary of Lennox International. Allied also builds Ducane, AirEase and Concord. The key difference from the Lennox brand itself is distribution: Lennox sells straight to its own dealers, while Armstrong goes through independent HVAC supply houses like most brands.
For you, that mostly shows up in repairs. Armstrong parts are stocked the same way as most brands' parts, and many components are shared across the Allied brands, so a failed igniter or inducer on an Armstrong furnace is rarely a long wait.
Reading an Armstrong furnace model number
Armstrong makes its current furnace model numbers easy to decode, which helps when you call us. Open the lower panel and find the rating plate:
- The first two digits after the A are the AFUE: 80 means a non-condensing furnace on a metal flue; 93, 96, 97 or 98 means a condensing furnace vented in PVC.
- The next digit is heat stages: 1 for single-stage, 2 for two-stage.
- The next letter is the blower: V for variable-speed, E for a constant-torque motor.
So an A961EK is a 96% single-stage furnace with a constant-torque blower, and an A972VK is a 97% two-stage with a variable-speed blower. The top Pro Series model, the A98MVK, uses M for a modulating burner. Older Armstrong furnaces use different patterns, but the AFUE is usually still in the model number. Our explainer on furnace AFUE ratings covers what those percentages mean on your gas bill.
What causes most no-heat calls on Armstrong furnaces?
Plenty of no-heat calls on any furnace, Armstrong included, come down to airflow. A clogged filter or a return that's too small makes the heat exchanger run hot, the limit switch opens and the burners shut off while the blower keeps running. Swapping the switch without fixing the airflow just means another call. The furnace limit switch post walks through that loop.
On condensing models, we check the usual cold-weather list: pressure switch, inducer motor, condensate trap and drain, and the PVC vent where it leaves the house. Flame sensors and igniters round it out. Blower motors are worth a note. The variable-speed motors in V-model furnaces cost more to replace than the constant-torque motors in E models, and our guide to blower motor replacement cost lays out the difference. On Pro Series systems with a communicating thermostat, we pull the stored fault codes before replacing any board.
Summer calls on Armstrong condensers are mostly capacitors, contactors and fan motors, plus leak checks on older coils before any refrigerant goes in.
How cold can an Armstrong Air Pro Series heat pump keep heating?
Allied Air redesigned the Pro Series around R-454B refrigerant, with a variable-speed air conditioner and heat pump at the top of the line. Allied says the heat pump keeps heating strongly down to 5°F before auxiliary heat turns on. That covers much of a Minnesota winter, but not the coldest weeks, so an Armstrong heat pump here nearly always gets paired with a gas furnace or electric backup. Existing R-410A Armstrong heat pumps are still serviceable, refrigerant included.
Armstrong Air for a replacement, and booking
Armstrong makes sense when you want a solid furnace or air conditioner at a lower price than the premium brands, with parts that stay easy to get. A standard two-stage condensing furnace suits most Minnesota homes on natural gas; the Pro Series is worth the extra when you want modulating heat or a variable-speed heat pump. We size it with a Manual J load calculation, and the published $4,500–$9,500 furnace range applies here like it does for any other brand. Annual maintenance keeps the filter, drain and flame sensor from becoming winter calls, and maintenance plans are available on request.
Read us the model number off the rating plate when you call 612-429-3465; with the decoding above, it tells us most of what we need. We're on the phones every day from 7am to 9pm, and the request form is there if you'd rather write. No-heat calls are booked first. The $79 trip charge is dropped when you say yes to the fix, and the repair price is flat and written down up front.
Armstrong Air questions
Is Armstrong Air made by Lennox?
Armstrong Air is built by Allied Air Enterprises, a subsidiary of Lennox International. Allied also makes Ducane, AirEase and Concord. Unlike the Lennox brand, which Lennox sells directly to its dealers, Armstrong is sold through independent supply houses. The two brands have different designs and price points, but the same parent.
How do I read my Armstrong furnace model number?
On current Armstrong furnaces, the first two digits after the A give the AFUE: 80, 93, 96, 97 or 98. The next digit is the number of heat stages, 1 or 2. Then a V means a variable-speed blower and an E means a constant-torque motor. So an A972VK is a 97% two-stage furnace with a variable-speed blower. An M marks the modulating A98MVK.
Does Armstrong Air require warranty registration?
Armstrong offers its 10-year warranty through product registration, and like most brands the longer term depends on registering within the window in the current terms. Unregistered equipment gets a shorter term. We register equipment on the installs we do, and you can check an existing unit's status with its serial number.
Is an Armstrong furnace worth repairing?
Usually, if it is under about 15 years old and the heat exchanger is sound. Armstrong repair parts are common and move through regular supply houses, so most repairs are affordable. On an older furnace facing a major repair like a heat exchanger or a variable-speed blower, we'll give you prices for both repair and replacement.
Sources
- Armstrong Air official site armstrongair.com