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You hear a lot about Carrier, Trane and other companies, but don't see any consumer reports type of rankings and ratings between all the different brands.
can anyone provide their thoughts on perceived quality differences and specific experiences with the different brands?
I've had experience with both brands you mention. Trane really runs like a train. Carrier, in my opinion, is low grade junk. I've also been impressed with Lennox.
I'd recommend focusing less on the brand and more on finding a very-well-qualified installer.
+1! unfortunately you are gonna be hard pressed to determine who is reputable and affordable. Poor installation of trane (traditionally a strong point of trane due to their required training in order to sell) can and has cut life time by 50% (to 7 from 15 years). Their are a ton of variables such as line set size, plenum config that installers can and will skip to save $. Unlike other systems where consumer reports, etc. Can make a difference, most people simply do not even understand what makes a good install. Paying $8k for a new system that saves $50/month over a $7500 install on a system with a 15 year life is rarely going to be understood or explained.
Get as educated as possible, or get an unbiased party involved to specify the work in detail, and inspect the results.
Ask him how many Manual J calculations he has performed in the past two years.
I read the other day that the hvac industry acknowledges that 50% of the systems installed are significantly oversized by 1/2 ton or more, resulting in
- wasted up front equipment cost
- short cycling of on/off = decreased lifetime, more expensive operation
The HVAC contractor I've used for 12+yrs uses Carrier. I generally spec their Puron line. But they carry other lines also. And I agree about the installation part- whether it a $3k job or a $20k job, if it's not installed correctly, or the right components are not installed- it's not worth crap!
Here's a good site to do some homework:
OK - so I took your advice and only went with top notch contractors. Please assume they are all really, really good and have done their homework.
Price and hardware are almost all exact (will spare you the details). The only real issue is size, my home with BTU considerations sits between needing 3.0 Ton (2 contractors are suggesting) and 3.5 Tons (2 contractors are suggesting). These systems both have 2 stage furnaces with variable blowers and a multi-zone switch (dampers that shift air between 2nd and 3rd floor bonus room).
Question - which size should I go with?
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