Updated November 2026 · Reviewed by the United HVAC Motors technical team
Rheem at a glance
- Best for: homeowners who want a broad range of tiers from one maker, from a basic 80% AFUE furnace to a 98% modulating unit.
- Installed cost: roughly $2,500 to $7,800 for a gas furnace, depending on the tier (HomeGuide).
- Lines: Classic, Classic Plus and Prestige under the Rheem name; Achiever, Achiever Plus and Ultra under Ruud.
- Warranty: 10-year parts coverage that depends on registration; heat exchanger 20 years to limited lifetime by model.
- Blower angle: United's Rheem catalog covers ECM X13 and ECM 3.0 blower motors; it lists 564 Rheem motors from $329.99.
Rheem builds residential heating and cooling under two nameplates, Rheem and Ruud, and its warranty documents cover both brands together. That makes Rheem one of the easier manufacturers to read: three tiers, the same structure in furnaces, air conditioners and heat pumps. This review sets out what each tier is, what installation costs, what the warranty requires, and where the blower motor fits for anyone who keeps these systems running.
What Homeowners Report
A single Rheem star rating is not very informative. Rheem is also a large water heater manufacturer, and aggregator pages for "Rheem" mix furnace owners with tank and tankless water heater owners. We did not find a neutral, brand-level reliability dataset for Rheem furnaces, so this review assigns no score and quotes no invented ratings.
Two things do separate good outcomes from bad ones on any brand, Rheem included. First, the installing dealer: commissioning, duct static pressure and registration are done by the contractor, not the factory. Second, the paperwork: a system that was registered on time keeps its 10-year parts term, and one that was not drops to a shorter term (see the warranty section). Read local dealer reviews alongside the brand.
Reliability by Product Line
Rheem sorts its residential equipment into three tiers. The furnace models on Rheem's own pages show how they differ.
| Tier | Furnace examples on rheem.com | Heating | Cooling (A/C examples) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | Entry tier; HomeGuide lists 80% to 92% AFUE | Varies by model | RA13NY, 13.4 SEER2 (northern regions only) |
| Classic Plus | R802V at 80% AFUE; R972V at 97% AFUE, two stage | Varies by model | RA16AY, up to 17 SEER2, two stage |
| Prestige | R97MV at 97% and R98MV at 98% AFUE | Modulating | RA19AY, up to 20 SEER2, EcoNet enabled |
Ruud equivalents run in parallel: Achiever for Classic, Achiever Plus for Classic Plus, Ultra for Prestige. The practical reading is that the Prestige tier is where Rheem puts modulating heat and the highest efficiency. On the 80% R802V, Rheem lists a constant CFM blower motor, which is the part this site cares about.
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Rheem Pricing, Installed
| Tier | Installed gas furnace, HomeGuide | Installed gas furnace, HVAC Project Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Classic (Ruud Achiever) | $2,500 to $4,500 | $3,000 to $4,500 (R96V) |
| Classic Plus (Ruud Achiever Plus) | $3,100 to $5,500 | $4,200 to $6,000 (R97V) |
| Prestige (Ruud Ultra) | $3,700 to $7,800 | $5,800 to $8,500 (R98MV) |
The two sources disagree most on the upper tiers, which is normal: furnace size, duct changes, venting, permits and region move a quote more than the nameplate does. Treat these as planning ranges and get at least two local quotes. For comparison, our Carrier review puts installed gas furnaces at $4,000 to $8,000, so Rheem's Classic and Classic Plus tiers sit lower and Prestige overlaps Carrier.
Rheem Warranty Overview
- Parts: 10 years on the furnace models we checked, conditional on registration.
- Heat exchanger: 20 years on some Classic Plus furnaces and limited lifetime on others. The term is set by model, so read the sheet for the exact number.
- Registration window: the Rheem air conditioner sheets we reviewed require registration within 60 days of installation for the conditional 10-year parts term, and show 5 years for units without proper registration or in commercial use.
- Labor: parts warranties generally exclude labor and diagnostics. Rheem also offers a paid Protection Plus extended warranty.
Find the exact terms for a specific unit by model number at rheem.com/warranty. Our blower motor warranty guide explains the claims process and what actually gets denied.
What Fails First on a Rheem Furnace Blower
No public source publishes failure rates by brand, so any "Rheem fails at X" claim should be ignored. What can be said is how the blower works and what stresses it. The motor is the part that runs the longest in a furnace, and Genteq's service literature ties the usual ECM failures to conditions around the motor: static pressure above 0.8 in. w.c. on the variable-speed families, moisture reaching the control, and power surges. Our ECM failure atlas maps each of these to a test.
United's Rheem catalog spans both common families. Part numbers include the 51-101880-00 (ECM X13, 1/2 HP), the 51-101920-00 (ECM X13, 3/4 HP) and the 51-102603-01 (ECM 3.0, 3/4 HP). X13 is a constant-torque motor with speed taps; ECM 3.0 uses a 4-pin control connection, so the two are not interchangeable. Match the OEM number from the label of the motor you are replacing, and confirm the family before ordering.
United carries 564 Rheem motors, from $329.99, in the Rheem blower motor collection. If the board is reporting a fault rather than the motor failing outright, start with the Rheem and Ruud error codes guide. United sells blower motors only: no control boards, inducer motors or loose ECM modules.
How Rheem Stacks Up
- Versus Carrier: Carrier is built around communicating Infinity controls and costs more in the premium tiers. Rheem's top tiers are EcoNet enabled. Read the Carrier review.
- Versus Lennox: Lennox leans on tightly integrated proprietary design, and Rheem's three-tier ladder is simpler to specify. See the Lennox review.
- Versus Trane: Trane sits at a premium price; our Carrier review notes it runs $200 to $500 above Carrier in most markets. See the Trane review.
Final Verdict
Rheem is a sensible choice when you want clear tiers and a price range that starts well below the premium brands. Buy on the dealer first, the tier second: Classic Plus covers most homes, and Prestige makes sense where modulating heat and the highest efficiency justify $3,700 to $7,800 installed. Register the system inside the window, keep dated service invoices, and plan for the blower motor, a wear item on any ECM furnace, to be a likely out-of-warranty expense.
Technician tip: before ordering a Rheem motor, record the OEM part number and the HP and rotation from the label, and measure total external static. A new ECM motor on a restricted duct system will fail early.
FAQs
Is Rheem a good brand for a gas furnace?
Rheem is a mainstream tier-ladder brand with furnaces from 80% to 98% AFUE. Quality of installation and on-time warranty registration affect the result more than the tier does, and no public source publishes reliable failure rates by brand.
How much does a Rheem furnace cost installed?
HomeGuide lists roughly $2,500 to $7,800 installed for Rheem and Ruud gas furnaces: Classic $2,500 to $4,500, Classic Plus $3,100 to $5,500 and Prestige $3,700 to $7,800. Size, ductwork and region move the final quote.
What are the Rheem product lines?
Rheem sells Classic, Classic Plus and Prestige tiers. The Ruud equivalents are Achiever, Achiever Plus and Ultra. Prestige furnaces such as the R98MV and R97MV are modulating.
What does the Rheem warranty cover?
Rheem furnace pages list a 10-year parts warranty that requires registration, with a heat exchanger term of 20 years to limited lifetime depending on the model. Parts warranties generally do not cover labor. Check the model's warranty sheet.
What blower motor does a Rheem furnace use?
United's Rheem catalog lists ECM blower motors in the X13 and ECM 3.0 families. Replace with the same family and OEM part number shown on the motor label.
Where to buy a replacement Rheem blower motor?
United HVAC Motors lists 564 remanufactured Rheem motors from $329.99, with free 1-2 day shipping from Tampa, Florida and a 2-Year Replacement Warranty.
