Looking to update new AC unit. We have an old Lennox system that is coming to the end of its life. House is not big, about 1100 sq feet. I know what some of the major brands are: Lennox, Trane, Carrier, etc. Anyone have knowledge of which brand is best? Thanks.
coke/pepsi. All you mentioned are good, thrown in York as well. Look at SEER ratings on each unit. Operating cost is key.
Concentrate on hooking up with a reputable contractor. A reputable contractor should do a heat load calculation of your home and make recommendations on the size and brand(s) of unit best for your situation ... in other words, he should give you options. Note that most contractors sell and install more than one brand.
My friend does AC work and I believe he said Lennox used proprietary parts -- so they cost more to service and are generally a pain to deal with (from the contractor's POV).
FWIW, Trane residential units are made in Tyler, TX. Keep your money in-state if everything else is the same. The Link
My previous unit was a Lennox, and it was total garbage. When it failed, my A/C contractor (local company with an excellent rep and a lot of experience) surveyed the house, did has calculations, and upgraded me to a larger Trane unit. It has worked flawlessly so far and with the higher efficiency, my electric bill went down over $200/month. And the house is much more comfortable now. HHD
My Carrier is only 4 years old, installed when the house was built. I've had to have it serviced (usually for leaks) at least one every single year I've had it. Last month, the compressor blew, and I had to have it completely replaced. It was covered under warranty, but warranty doesn't cover labor, which was $500. My service tech is a good guy, and says he recommends nothing but Trane.
Trane makes very good units. These are also available under the American Standard brand for a lower price. If you're in Austin, check with Million-aire AC and Heating for an excellent price on American Standard. They did two units for me last year and the price, workmanship and service was outstanding.
I bought my first Trane unit 3 years ago and had been happy with it until this spring when the coil in the outside unit got a major leak in it and had to be replaced. The technician found no gouge marks in the coil. The thing just failed. The part was covered under manufacturers warranty, but the labor and the freon that was lost was not. It ended up costing me $1500 to get the repair done. The fact that Trane would not compensate me for the freon that I lost due to their failed part made me more than a little upset. I heard good opinions from lots of satisfied Trane customers before buyng my unit and overall they are probably good, they are just not as infalable as some people believe they are.
I have a Trane XL10 heat pump at home and it has worked flawlessly since its installation in 1999 with the only maintenance being keeping grass off of it and changing the filters very very often. My parents installed a Trane XL19i that has trouble keeping their house at 71 degrees during the heat of the day. It can only maintain 74-75 or so which is perfectly acceptable but if you like siberia you might not like this one. My sister just installed a Lennox XC14, which is actually a 15 SEER (strange). It is virtually silent, runs on 410A, and seems excellent so far. The jury is still out long - term though. I think a proper installation is more important than brand...go with only the most reputable of installers. If friends have had great experiences, see if you can request the same installers who did their home.
American Standard Rheem Ruud... In that order. Hank was in a meeting & couldn't talk long, but said that Consumer Reports is pretty much spot on with their list (I don't have access to it). He said Goodman is probably at or near the bottom of the list. I had every intention of asking him what components make up a good unit vs. a bad one but he didn't have time (I'm expecting it's something like bearings or hose fittings, but don't know).
I know some A/C guys that say that Goodman is the best bang for the buck. They installed them in their houses. I also believe that the proper installation and sizing are just as, if not more, important than the brand.
Oops, typo. Here's the info from the American Standard dealer listing: Million-Air A/C and Heating 3034 John Wilson Ln Round Rock, TX 78664 512.740.4818 They cover all of Austin even though they're in RR. Pretty much a one man operation except during especially busy times. Even then you'll probably get the owner for installations so you know exactly who will be doing the work. He's very detailed-oriented, honest, and conscientious from my experience. Re: "My parents installed a Trane XL19i that has trouble keeping their house at 71 degrees during the heat of the day. It can only maintain 74-75 or so which is perfectly acceptable but if you like siberia you might not like this one." This is probably not the fault of the unit assuming it's in proper working order. It's important to make sure that an AC unit is properly sized to the house. Many contractors use old school rules of thumb. However, you really should have a heat load analysis done by a HVAC engineer. It's well worth the relatively small fee. If you pick too small of a unit it won't cool adequately which may be the problem above. Pick too large a unit and it won't run long enough to dehumidify properly and you'll still be uncomfortable. When I replaced my two units last year I had a heat load analysis done and it turns out the original units were not properly sized. (Actually looks like the upstairs and downstairs units were accidently swapped.) The new American Standard variable speed units are doing a much better job.
