Goodman Air Conditioners - Anyone Has Experience/Opinion (install, condo, leaking)

[texdav]

No I am not getting them mixed up'coleman and goodman are known for having constant leaks in the system. Look at the different threads on home builders in different staes and you will see the problems.Goodman is built near to where I live and they are known to be poor units with alot of problem calls. Nbody wants to constantly be caling the repair man constantly with air conditioning problems ;here anyway.

[BigJon3475]

Originally Posted by texdav

No I am not getting them mixed up'coleman and goodman are known for having constant leaks in the system. Look at the different threads on home builders in different staes and you will see the problems.Goodman is built near to where I live and they are known to be poor units with alot of problem calls. Nbody wants to constantly be caling the repair man constantly with air conditioning problems ;here anyway.

This is a Chevy vs Ford argument.


You need a good mechanic not a salesman. Goodman is now #1 sales......kinda hard to keep calling them out on quality if they are outselling everyone else......must be the 10 year warranty the others won't/can't provide.

[scammed1]

Whatever you do make sure you get a top notch state home inspector to go through your place if you have not done so. Your state should have a website with names.

[Threerun]

I just yanked out two old gas furnaces and A/C units (all Carrier and both furnace units had cracked clam shells) and had installed 2 Goodman heat pumps with a NG back-up. The system runs heat pump until the temp drops to about 38deg, then gas kicks in.

Had my ductwork completely re-done on the top floor and both units sized and installed professionally. Total house sq. ft is about 2,500, a 2 story brick and alum sided colonial built in 1970.

In February 2008 my gas bill (on the old Carriers) was about $380. In March with the new Goodmans installed it dropped to $120. My electric only went up $30 that month. I'm estimating I'll break even on the cost of replacement in about 6 years. Maybe less if NG keeps climbing.

In our installation, the comfort level of the home went up dramatically. The heat pumps actually provide comfort. That's a far cry from my last house, where the 2 Heils we had seemed anemic.

There are a lot of Goodmans installed where we live, and the folks that installed them are well respected. I'm totally satisified right now.

[faithfulFrank]

I have read that much of the negative opinions about goodman products come from authorized HVAC people who are dealers of competitors.

Goodman will sell their products to handymen, DIY'ers, builders, etc.

You can only buy a Trane from a Trane dealer. You can only buy a Carrier from a Carrier dealer.

The cost of a Trane and many other well known brands is higher because of this, and because of their advertising budget......

I am not putting them down, they are good units. I'm only pointing out that perhaps buying a higher end Goodman from a installer you know and trust to do good work may get you the most bang for your buck.

For a related example, Trane makes a "clean effects" filter system, sold only by Trane dealers for a very high price. They have nice TV commercials on them.
American Standard makes the EXACT unit.....they make them for Trane...they are just different labels on them. I can buy the American Standard unit from my local plumbing supply for hundreds less and install it myself......(yes, I have the skills).

For those who cannot do this themselves, please, support your Trane dealer and buy the clean effects and enjoy it. To those who can do their own work, do the research and save.

Frank D.

[car54]

To the OP: don't worry about those Goodmans!

faithFulfrank is absolutely, totally correct. Goodman's perceived bad rep is due completely to years of badmouthing by competing HVAC companies.

Goodman "upset the applecart" by selling quality equipment to anyone and the HVAC cartel doesn't like it. TOO BAD!

[BigJon3475]

let's keep some facts straight though:

Goodman doesn't condone the sale of HVAC equipment to people who are unqualified to install it.
Goodman will not back any warranty for items bought off the internet.
Goodman distributes to whole sellers who then sell straight to the public. If you have a warranty claim and you installed the equipment you have to remove the part that is defective and send it to them so they can then file the warranty claim. It the one way around internet buys. The bad part is from stories it seems to take anywhere from 3 to 10 times as long for the part to come in as opposed to going straight through a contractor.

Also another thing to remeber if you buy the equipment online and then start calling companies to install it....don't expect many to give you discounts. Some may even raise their fee and have it in writing....and they may also may tell you that though they stand behind their work they make no warranty claims since you bought the items through the net.

If you can look past all those and still feel strongly enough that you can do the job more power to you. It's just the facts....I'd hate to see anyone go straight out and buy their own equipment then be stuck with it not knowing how to install it or have the proper tools to do it.

[southernnaturelover]

My Goodman unit (sold under Kenmore name) was installed in 1996 and has only been down once because of a bad capacitor(?).

[faithfulFrank]

Originally Posted by BigJon3475

let's keep some facts straight though:

Goodman doesn't condone the sale of HVAC equipment to people who are unqualified to install it.
Goodman will not back any warranty for items bought off the internet.
Goodman distributes to whole sellers who then sell straight to the public. If you have a warranty claim and you installed the equipment you have to remove the part that is defective and send it to them so they can then file the warranty claim. It the one way around internet buys. The bad part is from stories it seems to take anywhere from 3 to 10 times as long for the part to come in as opposed to going straight through a contractor.

Also another thing to remeber if you buy the equipment online and then start calling companies to install it....don't expect many to give you discounts. Some may even raise their fee and have it in writing....and they may also may tell you that though they stand behind their work they make no warranty claims since you bought the items through the net.

If you can look past all those and still feel strongly enough that you can do the job more power to you. It's just the facts....I'd hate to see anyone go straight out and buy their own equipment then be stuck with it not knowing how to install it or have the proper tools to do it.

Thanks BigJon for clearing that up.
I know what you said there is correct...I hope I did not infer otherwise.

I also understand what you say about people buying things online, then expecting other companies to do the install.....kind of like bringing your own eggs to the diner and asking them to cook you breakfast.

In my case, my youngest son, (19 yrs old) is currently in college earning his degree for HVAC. He has his union card and currently works for an air balancing company. He recently passed his test to buy/use freon and R410a.

I can do the tinwork, gas, electrical and water lines, etc......he can do the charging, etc. (I gotta get something for all that tuition I am paying)

When I designed and built my own house a few years ago, and for years before that, I developed a good relationship and have accounts with many plumbing, HVAC, lumber and electrical suppliers in my area. While not a full time contractor myself, for years I've done enough business with those places to have a good buying relationship with them.

Treating others with respect, paying your bills on time every time, and having a good reputation for doing quality work goes a long way, and helps you play well with others.

I would had replaced my own system that I spoke about earlier here in my Florida home, but when you are only there a couple of times a year, and when your son, contacts, tools, etc are still in NY, you are forced to hire it out, as I did.

Still, being an informed consumer helped. Also, taking care of the people who take care of you goes a long way.

Frank D.

[BigJon3475]

No everything was good. I just wanted to make it very clear what type of situations you may find when going that route.

Like I said if you can do it save yourself some money. But there is a lot more to it than it just blows cold air but I'm sure most know that. Just mentioning it....always stinks to spend a lot of money then feel stuck.

And I agree totally....I sent you an message your son might enjoy the sight....it's addictive....and a great tool. You have to build up your skin and make sure he joins the pro forum......it's very worth it to listen to other folks directly in the HVAC/R industry.....with 30+ years Exp. business owners and techs....commercial and residential.