What Is The Best Air Conditioner Brand To Buy
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We at the This Old House Home Reviews Team have thoroughly researched the best air conditioner brands, reviewing warranties, product specifications, and average AC costs. Here are our top recommendations.
Founded in 1913, Trane is an excellent option if you want a secure investment. It includes a 12-year compressor and a 10-year parts and labor warranty, which is more comprehensive than other brands. Its XV20i TruComfort Variable Speed air conditioner uses variable speed technology to continuously communicate with other air conditioning system parts and a Trane thermostat for optimal efficiency.
Frigidaire has become a common household name over the last 100+ years due to its quality refrigerators and freezers. The company brings the same quality to its AC units. Frigidaire offers built-in and portable air conditioners but stands out for its window-mounted ACs. Some options include technology typically reserved for large ACs, such as Wi-Fi connectivity, mobile app control, and inverters that optimize energy efficiency and air circulation.
Goodman began in 1975 manufacturing flexible air ducts, then expanded to air conditioners seven years later. Though known in the past for relatively standard AC units, its products have improved in quality and durability since Daikin Industries acquired the company in 2012. Its ACs are built to last, with features including special, dirt-blocking filters and rail guards to protect the coils from weather and debris. Goodman backs its ACs with a 10-year limited warranty on parts, a 10-year limited warranty for entire unit replacement, and a lifetime compressor warranty.
The type of air conditioner influences its price, too. For example, a full-size central air conditioner costs more than a smaller option, such as a ductless air conditioning system, also called a split AC unit.
Warranties help secure your AC investment. Most companies offer a five-year limited warranty for parts but will commonly increase this to 10 years if you register their products online. We encourage you to register your AC unit with its brand to get the most out of your investment.
Central air conditioning systems that merge your HVAC systems into one unit with a heat pump may cost more up-front. You can save money by opting for a split system, which separates your HVAC system into a furnace for heating and an air conditioner for cooling. However, unified systems with a heat pump are more efficient during summer and lead to lower energy bills, saving you money long-term.
Pay attention to how much customer support is available. A good AC brand should offer various forms of communication, such as an online submission form and direct phone line. Also, take note of whether the company provides certified installers, either in-house or through a network of dealers.
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make when shopping for air conditioners is not obtaining multiple quotes from installers. We recommend getting at least three quotes from different brands to compare costs, warranties, and additional features.
Various factors determine your required air conditioner size. We recommend hiring a professional to properly calculate the right AC size for your home. Information used to calculate your required AC size includes the following:
What we like: Lennox partners with Energy Star to create high-efficiency air conditioners. It offers units with high seasonal energy efficiency ratios (SEER) up to 28, including small mini-split and large full-size models.
An AC with Energy Star certification meets federally mandated guidelines regarding energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Star requires all of its certified central air conditioners and heat pumps to have a SEER rating of at least 15.
The best air conditioner brand depends on your preferences, budget, and home layout. We find Lennox to be one of the best AC brands due to its high SEER ratings, smart home capabilities, and SunSource technology. However, Carrier offers more intelligent cooling options, and York builds some of the most durable and quietest ACs.
We recommend getting at least three quotes from different AC brands to compare costs, warranties, and additional features. Use our tool below to request free quotes from reputable HVAC installers near you.
Yes, HVAC brand matters for a few reasons, namely due to warranties. Some brands also charge a premium because of their name and reputation while lesser-known brands might offer a similar product at a more affordable rate.
The company makes our list with a Consumer Affairs rating of four stars and budget-friendly pricing. Compact footprint, single, two-stage and variable speed capacity air conditioners are available with noise ratings as low 53 dB(A), 10-year limited parts warranties, smart thermostat compatibility and remote access.
York, graded A+ at the BBB, is another Johnson Controls-owned company and is next on our list. As a company, York has existed since 1874. Their air conditioners are still priced nicely despite their senior role as the oldest company in our reviews.
The higher the SEER number, the higher its energy efficiency. All air conditioners sold domestically must have a SEER rating of 13 or above. Units with SEER ratings above 20 are considered very efficient.
About 15 to 20 years is an acceptable air conditioner lifespan. This is provided that the whole system is diligently maintained and professionally inspected and serviced each year. Longevity will suffer for a number of reasons like these:
An average 2,000-square-foot home will require a 3.5-ton air conditioner depending on a few factors such as the number and quality of windows and the R-value of its insulation. Modern SEER ratings for central air conditioners range from 13 SEER to about 25. Lower SEER rated equipment is priced less but costs more on your energy bill than a higher SEER rated product.
Air conditioners receive an efficiency rating called a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). This measures the ratio of a system's cooling output over a typical cooling season, divided by the energy it uses in watt-hours. An air conditioner must have a SEER of at least 14 to receive the U.S. government's Energy Star certification.
Central air conditioners need to be replaced periodically, especially as they get older and repair costs begin to add up. You also might want to replace your unit with a more efficient one even if it still works. A central AC system can cost anywhere from about $3,000 to $10,000. Certain variables will affect your final cost.
That said, don't just consider cost when choosing a central air conditioner. Other important factors include the climate where you live, the size of your home, and your preferred temperature range. You want to be comfortable in your home, so skimping on installation costs may not be worth it in the long run.
Using the information provided by our members, we calculated ratings for both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction. Of the 25 brands captured in our survey, only Mitsubishi, a maker of ductless mini-split systems, earned an excellent mark on both measures. Seven, including mini-split brand Fujitsu, earned an excellent rating in one.
To calculate predicted reliability, we used our survey data to estimate how likely a system is to break or cease to sufficiently cool a home by the end of the eighth year. Only two brands of conventional AC systems, Armstrong and Ducane, earned an excellent reliability rating. Five brands earned a very good rating; and eleven brands, including Fujitsu, earned a midlevel rating.
So what breaks most often on a central AC system According to our survey, the evaporator coil, which resides in the indoor unit, is the part most likely to break, affecting 4 percent of owners on average. The three brands affiliated with Johnson Controls (Coleman, Luxaire, and York) stand out for having evaporator coils that are comparatively more problematic than other brands, with a problem rate of 11 percent. Armstrong, Ducane, and Payne have a better than average record for their evaporator coils.
At the brand level, Mitsubishi stands out for comfort, quietness and keeping each room consistently at the same temperature. Fujitsu owners also were happy about the low level of noise. Trane also stands out for quietness, while members also gave props to American Standard for even cooling.
Brand loyalty: Only 15 percent of our members said that buying an AC system of the same brand is very important to them, but 27 percent of Trane owners and 23 percent of Mitsubishi ductless mini-split owners indicated that it was key for them. 59ce067264