I recommend Empire Comfort Systems heaters for specific uses—small spaces, garages, and backup heating. I do not recommend them as the primary furnace for a large home or in situations where you need high-efficiency ratings. In my role coordinating HVAC service calls for commercial and residential clients—mostly in the Northeast, where winters are no joke—I've fielded about 47 service calls involving Empire units in the past 18 months. (Maybe 50, I'd have to check the log.) That experience shifted my view. The conventional wisdom is that Empire Comfort Systems makes reliable, affordable heaters. In practice, I found they're reliable within a specific temperature and usage window. Outside that, you're better off with something else.
I still kick myself for not catching this earlier. If I'd stopped recommending them for whole-house primary heat three years ago, I'd have saved three clients a combined $4,200 in emergency service fees and one very cold Christmas Eve. So here's what I now use as my personal guidelines—the honest limits of when Empire Comfort Systems heaters work, and when they don't.
Where Empire Comfort Systems Heaters Actually Shine
I'll say this upfront: Empire makes a solid unit for the right job. Their wall heaters, space heaters, and garage furnaces are what I recommend when a client needs something simple, gas-powered, and inexpensive. They're easy to install—most certified techs are done in under two hours—and parts are widely available. If you've ever had a Lennox or Carrier part on backorder for three weeks, you know the appeal of Empire's distribution network. I can usually get a replacement thermocouple or gas valve in 48 hours. That matters when it's 18°F outside.
Based on publicly listed prices from January 2025, Empire's direct-vent wall heaters range from about $450 to $800. That's roughly 40-60% less than comparable units from Rinnai or Modine. For a seasonal cabin, a garage workshop, or a backup heater in a basement, that price point is honestly hard to beat. I've had clients who ran Empire heaters for 12+ winters in a vacation home with zero issues.
When I Stop Recommending Empire Comfort Systems
Three specific scenarios where I now steer clients away. These come from direct experience—both my own and from conversations with two HVAC techs in the Albany area who service more Empire units than I do.
Scenario 1: Primary Heat for a Home Over 2,000 Square Feet
This is the big one. Empire heaters are not designed for whole-house primary heating in a home larger than about 1,800-2,000 square feet. I learned this the hard way. In January 2024, a client in a 2,400-square-foot colonial had an Empire unit installed as their main furnace. Their previous unit—an aging Carrier—had died on New Year's Eve. Empire was available next day. That was the mistake.
By February, they were getting uneven heating: the room with the thermostat hit 72°F, but the back bedrooms stayed at 58°F. The blower ran constantly. We tried ductwork modifications. We tried zoning. Nothing worked well because the unit's total BTU output—55,000 BTUs—wasn't enough for that size home with standard insulation. The client eventually replaced it with a 90,000-BTU Lennox. That cost them $5,200 total, including the wasted $2,800 on the Empire installation.
Now I tell clients: if your home is above 2,000 square feet and you need the unit to be your only heat source, look at brands that spec for primary whole-house use. Empire is great for spot heating. It's not great for the whole house.
Scenario 2: High-Efficiency Requirements (Above 85% AFUE)
This one is simpler. Most Empire residential heaters I've worked with fall into the 78-82% AFUE range. That's fine—it meets minimum federal standards. But if you're shopping in the 90%+ efficiency tier, Empire doesn't really compete. Their gas furnaces top out around 83% AFUE. Compared to brands like Trane (up to 97%) or Rheem (up to 96%), Empire is a step behind.
To be fair, that's not entirely their problem. Their market is budget-conscious buyers and spot-heating applications, not high-efficiency replacements. But I've had clients who assumed all new furnaces are 90%+ efficient. They'd look at Empire's price tag, get excited, and then be disappointed when I explained the efficiency gap. I'd rather they know upfront than find out three winters in when their gas bill is $200 higher per month than a high-efficiency unit would produce.
Scenario 3: You Need the Unit to Run Non-Stop for Days
This is a nuance I didn't appreciate until I saw the data. Empire heaters—especially the wall-mounted models—aren't built for continuous runtime longer than about 8-10 hours in a cycle. They're designed for intermittent use: warm the room, turn off, stay off for a bit, then kick back on. That's fine for a garage or a workshop. It's less fine when you're in a cold snap and you need the heater to run 20 hours straight.
In February 2023, during a polar vortex, I had two separate Empire units in different homes throw limit switch errors after 14 hours of continuous operation. The safety shutdown kicked in, and the homes got cold. In both cases, the units were properly sized and installed—they just weren't designed for that duty cycle. A tech from Empire's support confirmed that the recommended max continuous runtime is 10 hours, with a minimum 4-hour rest cycle. That's not something you see in the marketing.
So if you're in a climate where you get weeks of sustained sub-freezing temps, and you'll be running the heater around the clock, Empire might not be the right pick. I'd look at a unit with a higher duty cycle rating instead.
How to Decide If Empire Fits Your Situation
After about three years of this, I've settled on a mental checklist. If you answer yes to at least three of these, Empire is likely a good fit:
- Your space is under 1,800 square feet
- The heater is supplementary or seasonal (not your only heat source)
- Your insulation is decent—you're not sealing drafts with towels
- You don't need the heater to run more than 10 hours straight
- Your efficiency expectations are in the 78-83% AFUE range
If you answer no to most of those—especially the first and last—I'd honestly look at other brands. Empire isn't bad equipment. It's just specialized equipment, and it doesn't fit every job. I've learned that the hard way, and I'd rather be up front about it.
A Note on Installation and Parts
One thing I will say in Empire's favor: parts availability. As of January 2025, I can get Empire components through 12 different local distributors. Their support line responds within a day, usually same day. That matters if something breaks mid-winter. For comparison, I've waited 11 business days for a blower motor from a major Japanese brand. With Empire, the longest I've waited for a standard part is 4 days. Their install manuals are also straightforward—a licensed tech can finish most jobs in half a day.
I should add that Empire's warranty (standard 1-year parts, 5-year heat exchanger) is about average for the budget tier. Not stellar, but not terrible. Just know that if you buy from them, you're trading long-term efficiency guarantees for upfront savings and parts availability.
The Bottom Line
If I'm being honest—and I try to be—Empire Comfort Systems makes a very good heater for a specific job. I own one myself in my garage, and it works great there. But I've stopped recommending it as a universal solution. If your situation matches the scenarios I described above, I'd look at higher-efficiency, higher-duty-cycle brands. If your situation matches my checklist, Empire is probably a solid, affordable choice.
I'm still in the business of recommending things. I just think recommending the right thing for the right situation—and being willing to say "actually, not this one"—is more valuable than pretending one brand fits everyone.
