Carrier Extends Warranty Coverage for High-Efficiency Furnaces

FARMINGTON, Conn., Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Carrier Corp., a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) , is enhancing the warranties on its 90 percent+ efficient gas furnaces. Carrier will provide an industry leading 20-year parts and labor warranty for the secondary heat exchanger.

The enhancements respond to a recent class-action lawsuit by a small number of U.S. and Canadian consumers claiming premature failure on the secondary heat exchanger found in Carrier, Bryant, Payne and Day & Night high-efficiency condensing gas furnaces that are 90 percent AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) or greater and were produced after Jan. 1, 1989. (Day & Night furnaces sold after January 2007 are not affected.)

Carrier firmly denies these claims and maintains that it acted lawfully and properly. The company stands behind its products, and believes that the patented material used to construct the secondary heat exchanger is superior.

To resolve the issue and provide peace of mind for its customers, Carrier has agreed to a proposed settlement that provides enhanced warranty coverage in the unlikely event of a failure of the secondary heat exchangers on its 90 percent AFUE or greater high-efficiency gas furnaces.

While the company has seen an extraordinarily low national warranty rate, the settlement proposal provides customers an industry-leading 20-year parts and labor warranty for the secondary heat exchanger. In the event of a failure, customers could opt for coverage of the parts and labor for the replacement of the secondary heat exchanger, or a credit toward the purchase of a new, more energy-efficient system that can provide greater comfort and energy savings. Customers who have already been required to replace their secondary heat exchanger would receive monetary compensation from Carrier.

Customers interested in learning more are advised to call 1-877-574-0173 for more information.

About Carrier Corp.

Carrier Corp., headquartered in Farmington, Conn., is the world's largest provider of heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions. With 2006 revenues of $13.5 billion, Carrier has approximately 41,000 employees worldwide and operations in more than 170 countries. Carrier is part of United Technologies Corp., a Hartford, Connecticut-based provider of products and services to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. Visit www.carrier.com for more information.