Which brand central air unit to buy?

[General Lee]

So, you basically got a Trane. I sold them for yrs, but hated them due their spine fin aluminum coils.If your happy that's all that counts. I only sold them because that's the only unit some people would buy. Trane had a great marketing campaign .. ''It's hard to stop a Trane'' ! I have seen many a Trane stopped in my 35 yrs of selling installing units

Yea I suppose. I don't know if i'm happy yet lol, install won't happen until later this week. I am comfortable with the HVAC company though and if it gives me issues I'll have them out here as much as it takes to make it right.

 

[lexluther]

Brand is a secondary factor to finding a good company to put it in. Find a guy who will guarantee an installation of 1 ton of cooling per 1,000 sqft or more, and you will have found a guy who can maximize the use of the equipment and address your building as well.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

In my experience, the installer is more important than the brand. My Janitrol heat pump has been running for 22 years and I have had it serviced twice, once to clean the heat exchanger coils, which the guy said it didn't need, and once to replace the compressor fan starting cap.

 

[sixdogs]

In my experience, the installer is more important than the brand. My Janitrol heat pump has been running for 22 years and I have had it serviced twice, once to clean the heat exchanger coils, which the guy said it didn't need, and once to replace the compressor fan starting cap.

That's what finally swayed me. Lennox is probably good enough but the local company that installs them--and did the house when we built it 15 years earlier--has an excellent reputation. I never heard a bad word. So that's who I went with.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I still believe the stuff they built 20 years ago was heavier duty compared to today's units.

 

[TractorGuy]

Probably coming due for replacement myself. My house was fitted with a 3 ton Goodman package unit when it was built in 93. The compressor went out just under the 5 year warranty. When the repair guy opened the panel on it the book I was never given fell out. Inside it had an offer extending the compressor warranty to include all parts and labor for $20. I told the contrator I should only have to pay the 20 since I wasn't given the opportunity to get the extended plan at install. He agreed and got Goodman to honor it.

At 10 or 12 years it died again so I replaced it myself. Had a guy at work with an HVAC contractors license and he brokered the purchase for $200. I went with a 3-1/2 ton Goodman since it had the same amperage, wire size, and duct requirements. Have had to replace the capacitor twice and the condenser fan once. It struggles on a 95 plus day but keeps the house livable.

 

[kenmac]

Probably coming due for replacement myself. My house was fitted with a 3 ton Goodman package unit when it was built in 93. The compressor went out just under the 5 year warranty. When the repair guy opened the panel on it the book I was never given fell out. Inside it had an offer extending the compressor warranty to include all parts and labor for $20. I told the contrator I should only have to pay the 20 since I wasn't given the opportunity to get the extended plan at install. He agreed and got Goodman to honor it.

At 10 or 12 years it died again so I replaced it myself. Had a guy at work with an HVAC contractors license and he brokered the purchase for $200. I went with a 3-1/2 ton Goodman since it had the same amperage, wire size, and duct requirements. Have had to replace the capacitor twice and the condenser fan once. It struggles on a 95 plus day but keeps the house livable.

The guy you know bought a new 3.5 ton unit for $200.00, or just a new compressor ?
If it struggles cooling, take it apart and clean the condenser coils. When they get dirty, it's hard for the unit / refrigerant to dissipate the heat at the condenser coils

 

[kenmac]

Probably coming due for replacement myself. My house was fitted with a 3 ton Goodman package unit when it was built in 93. The compressor went out just under the 5 year warranty. When the repair guy opened the panel on it the book I was never given fell out. Inside it had an offer extending the compressor warranty to include all parts and labor for $20. I told the contrator I should only have to pay the 20 since I wasn't given the opportunity to get the extended plan at install. He agreed and got Goodman to honor it.

At 10 or 12 years it died again so I replaced it myself. Had a guy at work with an HVAC contractors license and he brokered the purchase for $200. I went with a 3-1/2 ton Goodman since it had the same amperage, wire size, and duct requirements. Have had to replace the capacitor twice and the condenser fan once. It struggles on a 95 plus day but keeps the house livable.

The guy you know bought a new 3.5 ton unit for $200.00, or just a new compressor ?
If it struggles cooling, take it apart and clean the condenser coils. When they get dirty, it's hard for the unit / refrigerant to dissipate the heat at the condenser coils

 

[Charlesaf3]

Brand is a secondary factor to finding a good company to put it in. Find a guy who will guarantee an installation of 1 ton of cooling per 1,000 sqft or more, and you will have found a guy who can maximize the use of the equipment and address your building as well.

This is pretty good advice. There are a bunch of good brands, but the dirt cheap ones tend to have problems. Goodman for example. But much more important than brand is installation, design, and maintenance. People who are religious about changing the oil ignore their AC completely... And you'd think manual D and manual J don't exist given that 95% of AC people don't use them.

Basic rules - have someone do the ductwork with a computer program, and make sure all lines are brazed with nitrogen in the lines.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

and make sure all lines are brazed with nitrogen in the lines.

This as much as anything is important. If they don't put it in the quote, or offer to do it, then find another installer. And, watch them like a hawk, because they are in a hurry to get to the next customer.

I do some tig welding at work. I always try to purge any tubing with argon before welding. If you could see the insides of tubes that are not purged while being welded, you would hardly believe it.