Help please- choosing central air conditioning brand

[BigJon3475]

Anyone pushing a brand that is better or has any claims that ones is better stay away from.

Look for the folks that can make any machine work

they all pass the same standards and some better than others....I think you'll find the one everyone seems to dislike the most in here as the one having the best warranty and one of the better performances from ARI.

AHRI Directory Terms & Conditions
Find model numbers and compare performance of the ones you were quoted on.

make sure the companies include labor warranties along with service agreement where if anything goes wrong it will be covered without any out of pocket expenses....make sure you say that specifically.

The best HVAC tech can install the so called "worst" equipment and make it perform well......the worst hack can install the so called "best" equipment and make it fail.

If you truly don't want to worry about if the systems is designed correctly and will perform correctly you need to find a contractor that goes by ACCA standards and does not jip you on a professional install....after all... all of the HVAC co's I know charge over $100/hr.....why not get one that actually knows the physics of it and follows the standards.

Manual J Residential Load Calculation (8th Edition - Full)
Manual D - Residential Duct Systems
Manual S - Residential Equipment Selection


You might pay more for you to know it's done correctly. However you have no idea what it will cost you when it's done incorrectly.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by BigJon3475

History of the Industry Brands

History of industry brands for anyone interested in who owns who.

Thanks BigJon... you almost need a scorecard to keep track of all the mergers and acquisitions...

[vette-dude]

Originally Posted by Mikieo415

I am an HVAC tech. Your best unit out there is a Carrier. However, there is no difference whatsoever between Bryant and Carrier other than the label. The basic 80%, 90%, Heat pumps and condensing units from Carrier and Bryant are the same as Payne. That is the best family of heating and cooling machines out there.

Generally, Kennmore uses mostly Tempstar to make their units, and they are ok. They are not superior, but they are ok. Rheem and Ruud are also identical. I am not a huge fan of them, but they are also ok. (When I see a Rheem I think I will scream!)

Goodman and Amana are inexpensive. The quality control is not there. They are ten year units. Ducane is owned by Lennox, but it is also a 10 year unit, not available everywhere. Lennox is not much better than Ducane. They used to make a solid furnace years ago, but their products are inferior for the price. Just an FYI- A Carrier control board for a furnace is well over $150, contractor cost. A similar furnace by lennox has a board that cost $39.95, my cost. What does that tell you? No wonder why I replaced so many of them.

Trane and American Standard are identical also. They are good and reliable. Just beware, their repair parts are usually much more expensive.

York is an expensive name and generally is identical to and manufactured by the same people that make Luxaire, a more inexpensive model. They are good units, but I wouldn't pay the extra cash for the York name. They do the job, more reliable than Lennox/Ducane in my opinion.

Just a comment on an earlier post... a water overflow can happen to any machine. It has nothing to do with the brand at all. It has everything to do with a clogged condensate drain. That is a maintenance issue and nothing more. There are drain lines on an a/c coil and they do frequently clog.

Hope this helps!

Well, by what you stated here and this is your field of 'expertise' I will be going with the Bryant instead of the Goodman. I was told by my contractor that the Bryant is only $100.00 more , otherwise very close to same unit as the Goodman.. You are stating otherwise, good..

[BigJon3475]

You should ask them (Mikieo415) what brand they sell. Also ask which has the longest warranty and if the contractor you use has labor warranties or just parts. Free parts are cool when something breaks but $100-$120/hr is still usually a shock to most people when the contractor is done.

Goodman has one of the highest quality factories around. A quality just isn't there comment sounds more like a biased outlook to me. No one that works on them very often needs to put any other brands down or claim they're of poor quality. It's not like 30 years ago when that was true. Mfg techniques on all brands have greatly improved and after that it's all about the install.