Looks like I'm going to have to replace the AC unit in the house this year. It still has the 15-year-old builder unit that's definitely running on borrowed time.

I'm going to replace everything -- condenser unit, attic coil, furnace, etc. I'm leaning toward buying one of the higher-end two-speed units that come with a 10-year parts & labor warranty -- that way I shouldn't have any unexpected repair bills to deal with for the next decade.

Any of you guys deal with this over the past few years and have advice.....???

 

My home bought new in 93 had two Rheem heat pumps SER 10. They had numerous problems that required me calling out the repairman. I finally got tired of getting them repaired and had two new Goodman units SER 13 installed, the entire system with the new type refrigerant. That was in 2008. So far no problems have occurred. Knock on wood. The Goodman units were the 3rd most popular at that time behind Carrier and Trane. I got them installed for 2/3s of what everybody else wanted for the other brands.

One thing I was careful about when I purchased the Goodman units was that I made sure they had the scroll compressors. Their cheapest units have cheaper compressors. You want scroll compressors or at least that was the best in 2008. Things could change over time. I was told that Trane makes their own compressors. I thought about the higher efficiency units but it took a long time for payback and since they are more complex, I went with the basic units. Goodman has a factory in Texas.

 

I hear people say goodman is no good, but I put one in a rent house in 2008, no problems.

i just purchased a 20 ton diakin (they own goodman) and the price was about 20% cheaper than a carrier.

I have litteraly owned every brand and can say none have been lemmons. the installation is more important than anything. to me. Seem like trane gets this premium brand thing but the one i had was no better or worse than the rudd, lennox, carrier, paynes, york or goodmans i have owned. 12 to 15 years...replace.

if you are replacing furnace and getting 10 year warranty I have to think you are north of $10k for a 5 ton unit.

 

For my house I figure a two-speed unit with a 10-year parts and labor warranty should come in at right around $10 grand.

If I drop down to a mid-grade unit it would likely only have one speed and carry a 10-year warranty that covers only parts. I'm guessing a unit like this would probably fall in the $6-$7 grand range.

Can't decide if the extra efficiency and better warranty of the higher grade unit is worth the higher cost up front. The unit I have now (Amanda/Goodman) has been a bit of a lemon and has required quite a few repairs over the years

 

I've heard there are newer systems with humidity management built in, that are "independent" of the AC operation

Don't have any experience with those, so don't have much else to say

 

Yes -- those are the two-speeds. They run at high speed to cool the temperature down, but then drop to low speed to pull more humidity out of the air. They claim you can set the thermostat considerably higher because the lower humidity of the air makes it feel cooler.

 

Trane and American Standard are US made in the same factory in Tyler Texas. They use the exact same parts. That would be my choice of brands. Avoid Carrier and Lennox as they are having issues with leaking coils. Goodman is well known for using cheap Chinese made parts and it's a toss up about you getting a good one or clunker. There's a reason a Goodman is cheap. The A/C tech is also extremely important in the brand you buy. Doesn't make much difference on the warranty if the company goes bust in 5 years. So get prices from an old reliable installer.

 

Yes -- the builder put Goodman (Amana) units in our neighborhood -- mine has been a lemon from Day 1 while my neighbors unit has been bullet proof -- just my luck.....

 

I've been having a Trane unit in my house for 9 yrs. A few years ago the evaporator unit had leaks and was replaced under warranty. Since then the system has worked great. Our previous house also had a Trane system and the only thing that stopped that Trane was Hurricane Katrina. Goodman units are also highly recommended by the AC techs I know. South Louisiana is tough on AC units so repairs and replacing are common.