Goodman vs Amana: same factory, different warranty is the accurate summary, with one update most comparison pages have missed. Both brands belong to Daikin and come off the same lines in Texas, and on the current model pages we checked on October 1, 2026 the difference is the unit-replacement term: 10 years on the Amana furnaces, 5 years on the matching Goodman furnaces. Parts (10 years) and heat exchanger (20 years) are listed the same on both. Pay the Amana premium only when the certificate for the exact model quoted shows the longer term and you will keep up the annual maintenance it requires.
The Same Furnace Under Two Badges
Daikin bought Goodman in 2012 and builds Goodman, Amana and Daikin-branded furnaces at its plant outside Houston. The Amana name on heating and cooling equipment is separate from the Amana on a refrigerator, which is a different company's licence. On furnaces, the model numbers differ by the first letter only.
- Goodman GR9S96 and Amana AR9S96: single-stage, multi-speed ECM blower.
- Goodman GR9T96 and Amana AR9T96: two-stage, multi-speed ECM blower.
- Goodman GRVT96 and Amana ARVT96: two-stage, variable-speed blower.
- Goodman GRVM97 and Amana ARVM97: modulating, variable-speed blower.
- Earlier generation, still in many basements: Goodman GMVC96 and Amana AMVC96, the two-stage variable-speed pair.
Each pair shares its cabinet, heat exchanger, gas valve and control board. Daikin publishes one installation and service manual for both, with a placeholder where the brand letter goes. That is why parts cross between them and why a technician reads the same fault codes on either. For the choice between Goodman's own tiers, see Goodman GM9S96 vs GMVC96.
What the Warranty Pages Say Today
The published difference on current furnaces is five years of unit-replacement coverage. We read the manufacturer's page for each model listed below.
- Amana ARVM97, ARVT96, AR9T96 and AR9S96: 10-Year Unit Replacement Limited Warranty, 10-Year Parts Limited Warranty, 20-Year Heat Exchanger Limited Warranty.
- Goodman GRVT96, GR9T96 and GR9S96: 5-Year Unit Replacement Limited Warranty, 10-Year Parts Limited Warranty, 20-Year Heat Exchanger Limited Warranty.
- Both brands: online registration within 60 days of installation is required to receive those terms.
- Both brands: the unit-replacement warranty carries additional annual-maintenance requirements.
Goodman's warranty page names the places where coverage cannot be made conditional on registration, and Quebec is the only province on that list. In Ontario, registration decides which terms you get. Manufacturers revise these pages, so treat the certificate packed with your furnace as the final word.
The Lifetime Warranty Amana Buyers Remember
Amana built its reputation on a Lifetime Unit Replacement Limited Warranty, and that is the claim still repeated in most Goodman-versus-Amana articles. It was attached to select earlier models such as the AMVC96, while the Goodman GMVC96 beside it carried a 10-year unit-replacement term. If one of those is in your basement and was registered, your certificate still governs.
For a furnace quoted today, do not assume the lifetime term. The current model pages we read list 10 years. If a salesperson tells you the new Amana has lifetime replacement, ask to see it on the certificate for that model number before it becomes the reason you pay more.
What Unit Replacement Covers, and What It Leaves You Paying
Unit replacement means that if the heat exchanger fails within the term, the manufacturer supplies a comparable furnace instead of a replacement heat exchanger. It applies to the original registered owner in the original home. It does not pay for the installation.
Free quotes, written pricing.
- Covered: the replacement furnace itself.
- Not covered: labour to remove and install, any permit the job needs, venting or sheet-metal changes if the new cabinet differs, and the diagnostic visit ($90–$150).
- Conditions: registration inside 60 days and proof of annual maintenance for the unit-replacement term.
The maintenance condition is where claims are lost. A furnace tune-up runs $120–$250, and the invoices are your evidence. Keep them with the registration confirmation; our answer on whether you have to register a furnace warranty covers the paperwork.
Parts and Service Are the Same for Both in the GTA
Neither badge has an edge when something breaks. Flame sensors, igniters, pressure switches, inducer motors and gas valves for these furnaces are counter stock at wholesalers in Mississauga, Hamilton and Toronto, and a Goodman-numbered part will often satisfy an Amana call. The items worth confirming before a repair are control boards and ECM blower modules, where revisions changed between model years.
That shared supply is also why the dealer network matters less than it sounds. Any TSSA-licensed technician who works on one brand can work on the other, so you are not tied to the company that sold the furnace. A warranty part still has to be claimed through a contractor, and the labour to fit it is billed unless a labour warranty says otherwise.
How to Apply This to a Quote
Decide with the model numbers and the price gap in front of you, not the badge.
- Get the full model number of both options. GRVT96 against ARVT96 is a fair comparison; GR9S96 against ARVT96 is two different furnaces.
- Read the certificate for each and write down the unit-replacement years.
- Price the gap. Five extra years of heat exchanger replacement coverage on a furnace with a 20-year heat exchanger parts warranty is worth something, but not a large premium.
- Ask each installer for the labour warranty term in writing. Labour is the cost you face on most repairs in the first ten years, and no manufacturer certificate covers it.
- Confirm who registers the furnace and get the confirmation email.
If the Amana premium is a few hundred dollars and you plan to stay in the house, it is reasonable. If it is much more than that, the money does more good spent on the next tier up or on a longer labour warranty. The difference between the two is explained in labour warranty vs parts warranty.
What Either One Costs Installed in the GTA
Both brands sit toward the value end of the $4,300–$7,000 range a new high-efficiency furnace lands in across the GTA. Tier moves the price more than badge: a modulating GRVM97 costs more than a single-stage AR9S96, whichever name is on the door.
Verdict: Buy the Installer, Then the Warranty, Then the Badge
- Choose Goodman if the price gap is large, you may sell within ten years, or the installer's labour warranty is the stronger part of the offer.
- Choose Amana if the certificate for the model quoted shows the longer unit-replacement term, the premium is small, and you will book the yearly maintenance and keep the invoices.
- Choose neither on badge alone. A well-installed Goodman with a combustion test and a proper heat-loss calculation will outlast a poorly installed Amana.
ZK Mechanical services both brands and reads the certificate with you before you sign. Our furnace installation service lists the model number and warranty terms on every quote, and you can request one in writing to compare against the offer you already have.
Frequently asked questions
Are Goodman and Amana furnaces really the same?
Mechanically, yes. Daikin owns both brands, builds them in the same Texas plant and publishes one service manual covering each matching pair. The cabinet, heat exchanger, burners and control board are shared, and model numbers differ by the first letter. The differences are the badge, the dealer network and the warranty terms attached to each model.
What happens if I miss the 60-day registration?
In Ontario you should expect the shorter base warranty in place of the registered terms. The registration window is counted from the installation date. If you have just passed it, try anyway and keep a record, but plan on the base term. When buying a house with a recent furnace, ask the seller for the registration confirmation before closing.
Does the Amana warranty transfer when I sell my house?
The unit-replacement coverage is written for the original registered owner in the original residence, so it generally ends with the sale, and parts coverage for a later owner is usually reduced. Terms differ by model and year. Read the certificate for your furnace, and do not advertise a transferable warranty to a buyer unless the document says so.
Is Amana quieter or more efficient than Goodman?
No. A matching pair has the same burner, the same blower and the same AFUE rating, so sound and gas use are identical. What changes comfort and noise is the tier: two-stage and modulating models with variable-speed blowers are quieter than single-stage models in either brand. Compare model against model, never badge against badge.