Help please- choosing central air conditioning brand (floor, furnace, Lowes)

[mandyS]

Hi all ! Last week I got 4 estimates for central air conditioning. All pushing different brands. I am on a budget and am of course looking at lower end units. My house is 1200 sq ft and still, AC will run $3000+ One guy said that for the most part all AC parts are manufactured in the same place, and just have different shells, he sold all brands, recommended Goodman. He had overall best price. Other brands people gave me prices on were- ( starting from lowest to highest) Goodman, Payne, Bryant, Carrier. I want something reliable at the lowest price possible. I am getting the new coolant and looking at 13seer. I would appreciate any and all input on this. I live in colorado. Thanks!

[DanBev]

When I lived in Colorado we used swamp cooler.Was excellent for our 2200 sq ft ranch home.Not practical for other type homes.

[teatime]

My previous home had a Goodman system and I was NOT pleased. It broke down a lot even though I had it cleaned every year and changed the filters often. At one point, it backed up and flooded the adjacent walk-in closet, dressing area, and bathroom. Insurance covered everything but it was a huge pain and I lost a lot of important papers and files I had stored in that closet.

My current home has a Ruud system. It works GREAT and I see a huge difference between this CAH and the Goodman. One drawback is it's not very energy-efficient. But as far as performance and reliability, the Ruud is a winner.

[pepe1]

I would personally stay away from Goodman and all of its spin off companies (Janitrol, Amana). They are low priced units for a reason.

I'm not familiar with Payne units, Carrier and Bryant should be decent units.

[goodbyehollywood]

I have Carrier. I recently had the unit spring cleaned, and the service guy said it holds up the best. He services all brands, so I thought that was encouraging. Ten years and no problems.

[TKramar]

Originally Posted by mandyS

Hi all ! Last week I got 4 estimates for central air conditioning. All pushing different brands. I am on a budget and am of course looking at lower end units. My house is 1200 sq ft and still, AC will run $3000+ One guy said that for the most part all AC parts are manufactured in the same place, and just have different shells, he sold all brands, recommended Goodman. He had overall best price. Other brands people gave me prices on were- ( starting from lowest to highest) Goodman, Payne, Bryant, Carrier. I want something reliable at the lowest price possible. I am getting the new coolant and looking at 13seer. I would appreciate any and all input on this. I live in colorado. Thanks!

I've only heard of Carrier and Rheem.

[southernnaturelover]

I have a Goodman (aka Kenmore) in my house, my grandfather had it installed before he passed away. He had it installed by Sears and got ripped off on the price. Thankfully it has only broke down once since 1996.

I think Carrier and Payne are made by the same company, and Carrier is the most popular brand in my area. Trane and York are good brands, but expensive.

[Ultrarunner]

I've only installed Tempstar units for family...

Features I like are multi-position, two stage burners and variable speed blower... and a very high SEER rating.

So far, the oldest 7 years old and not a single problem...

Most were attic installs to save on floor space and I really like the variable speed blower because it runs very quiet on the lower speeds which is almost always.

[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!

[BigJon3475]

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