AC brands--need recommendations as soon as possible!

[MNNHFLTX]

The AC at our house is having issues and rather than repair the old Trane units, we've decided to replace them and the air handlers. I've received bids from three contractors and they all use different brands, so I was hoping to get some opinions based on personal experiences with each of these brands.

Contractor One--American Standard, Lennox
Contractor Two--Carrier, Trane
Contractor Three--Amana

We are weighing our decision on cost, contractor reputation/service and AC brand. The Amana system is very tempting, as they offer lifetime warranties on both the condenser and heat exchanger (and will replace the entire unit to the original owner if either of these components fail within ten years). We need to make a decision in the next day or two so any recommendations are appreciated!

[AgentC]

We replaced our builder grade A/C unit with a used Carrier unit and have been very happy with it. I can't remember who the original a/c was by but we had to replace coils in it which was very expensive.

My mom had a Trane which has lasted for over 20 years, however our AC guy has said that Trane today is not nearly as good as Trane was years ago.

I know nothing about Amana but the warranty sounds really good. Does the condenser cover the coil? If it does I think it might be too good to pass up since that is usually one of the pieces most likely to fail.

Good luck. I hate dealing with AC issues!

[MNNHFLTX]

Thanks for the reply, Cindy. I didn't have a good feeling for the company offering the Amana system (and reviews stating it was sometimes difficult to get Amana replacement parts or that the warranty excluded certain things), so we decided to go with the Trane system. Our old system is currently a Trane and it is 20 years old and has really performed well, for the time that we've lived here anyway. The warranty is decent too, with 10 years parts/labor/compressor and 20 years on the heat exchanger. Another deciding factor was that the AC company offered a competitive written detailed quote up front, has been very receptive to our questions, has great reviews online and an A+ BBB rating. That was probably the most important thing!

[PopPhan]

I'm rather partial to YORK Air Conditioning equipment. They also make Luxaire and Coleman-Evcon equipment.

I guess I SHOULD be since I work for the parent company!! :D

[AgentC]

I'm sure you will be happy with the Trane. My AC guy still really likes them. I agree the company reputation is really important and the availability of parts too. When we had our no name system, it took a week to get one of the parts. Not a whole lot of fun in FL in the middle of the summer! We both live in places where cool is important. :thumbsup:

[MNNHFLTX]

I'm rather partial to YORK Air Conditioning equipment. They also make Luxaire and Coleman-Evcon equipment.

I guess I SHOULD be since I work for the parent company!! :D
I have never even heard of those brands. I'm guessing they're more common in the Northeast than down here in Texas?

[DVC2004]

We had to replace an 8 year old unit (ridiculous!) a few years ago which I can't remember the brand but it was not a well known name. It was a cheapo base model the builders chose. Replaced with a Carrier and it works wonderfully for us. And we use it alot too.

Our 8 year old unit died suddenly on us in the middle of a 98 degree heat wave. Then our homeowners association needed to "approve" the new unit to make sure it looked asthetically pleasing- took them 2 days while we sweated away. Grrr. :mad:

Anyway, new Carrier is great.

[MstngDrvnDsnyLvr]

Trane, Carrier, and Lennox are the only brands I would ever consider.

Amana is way to expensive for what it is and the parts are equally expensive and aren't carried in stock by parts stores.

Good luck with the new Trane unit.

[PopPhan]

I have never even heard of those brands. I'm guessing they're more common in the Northeast than down here in Texas?

Don't know about that....Our Residential Group Headquarters is in Norman, OK.

No, probably more to the point is the lack of promotion/marketing of YORK product. It's been one of my pet peeves with the company for the past 20 years.

[Ed]

We had our home's original off-brand unit, which was 23 years old, replaced with a Trane about six years ago. It has performed flawlessly despite running approximately 80% of the year. And energy consumption dropped appreciably when it was installed.

Beth, you might want to check with your local utility company; you might be eligible for a rebate if the new unit meets certain energy efficiency standards.

[MNNHFLTX]

Beth, you might want to check with your local utility company; you might be eligible for a rebate if the new unit meets certain energy efficiency standards.
I did, Ed--no rebates from the utility company and the government rebates all expired on December 31, 2011. :( But if it saves on our electric bill it will still be worth it.

[Ed]

Cooled off yet ?
:fan:
:freeze:

[princessgirls]

Honestly, all of the units you mentioned are good. Carrier rates high for me. However, I don't think you could go wrong with that Amana unit and the warranty.

Good Luck, and stay cool!

Julie:mickey:

[MNNHFLTX]

Cooled off yet ?
:fan:
:freeze:
:clappy: Yes!!!! :clappy:

[brivers222]

we just replaced a lennox that was about as old as the first ac unit ever installed lol we got the house 3 years ago but it was a resident there LONG BEFORE.

our furnance was a Amana so we had Home Depot come out and give us a quote... we went over all the options, and decided on getting a Amana unit to go along with our amana furnance. comes with 10year service, parts and labor as well as a 2 years 100% money back guarantee.... which is more than enough as we only expect to be in that house maybe 8 more years tops.

i will say, it was a breath of cold air when that baby kicked on... so quiet though compared to the dinosaur we had. but now temps have dropped from 97's down to 70's since we had it replaced.... however next week is supposed to be upper 90's again so then we can stretch its legs :)