Trane vs Goodman HVAC Unit

12 years ago

My 2250 sq ft single story house has a 5 ton Tempstar combination gas furnace and electric AC unit that has 12 summers of use on it. The unit runs fine and is regularly maintained, but several of my neighbors with similar aged units have replaced theirs due to failure and purchased Trane XL20i units (which to me is probably overkill). Trane seems to be very popular in my neighborhood and throughout the metro Phoenix area. Hence, I have contacted three "Trane Comfort Specialists" who received excellent reviews to come out and give me a free estimate on a new 5 ton system. So far one has come out to give me an estimate and here are the details and options.

Trane Equipment:

XV80i: TUD2C080B9V4

XB13: 4TTB3060D1, SEER: 13.75, EER: 11

All Aluminum Cased Coil: 4TXCD063BC3

XL Comfort Controls: TCONT600AF11MA

Option 1: Trane XB13 SERIES 13 plus Seer $5327.00

Option 2: Trane XB14 SERIES 16 Seer / 13 Seer $6420.00

Option 3: Trane XL20i SERIES 17 Seer dual stage htg / clg. $9882.00

We will furnish and install a Trane; 5 ton split system, furnace / coil / condenser, new safety electric disconnect with fuses,

programable thermostat, condensate drain connections, and new filters.

Will connect to the existing electric power, copper refrigerant lines, control wiring, supply and return duct work,

condensate pan, primary and secondary drain lines. Project for you includes all material, labor, supplies, equipment and

tax. We will also remove of the existing equipment and dispose of it properly, according to all EPA conformity and

regulations.

I spent a few hours doing research on Trane units and while people are generally satisfied with them, I keep reading repeatedly that Trane is high priced due to advertising budgets and that the most important part of an HVAC system is the quality of the install. Thus, people have stated that a lower priced unit such as a Goodman can provide comparable performance as a major brand such as Trane if installed properly and that Goodman receives an unfair negative reputation because of units failing likely due to poor installation and their image before they purchased Amana. I haven't contacted any very small, indepndent "one man shop" type HVAC companies for a quote, but if I did, would there be significant savings in purchasing a Goodman unit vs a Trane? Does a Trane give a house better resale value because people know the name? If you have recently purchased a new HVAC system, I'd be curious to know what you purchased and why.

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Comments (6)

mike_home
12 years ago
Most home buyers will not notice what brand of equipment is in the house. They are more interested in the age and how well it works.

I bought Carrier equipment nearly 3 years ago because the Carrier equipment I hade lasted 25 years with very few problems.

You are correct that the installation is critical. However you should not completely ignore the equipment itself. Do a search on Goodman in this forum and read about problems people have had. Then search for Trane, Carrier, and Rheem and compare the number of problems which have been posted.

Where did you read Trane is high priced due to advertising budgets? When was the last time you saw a Trane TV commercial or and ad in a magazine?
tigerdunes
12 years ago
happs

I will assume you are sized correctly but that is alot of firepower on the AC side and of course that furnace is only 80% efficient.

I would prefer an upgrade price to the XR13, a nicer condenser than the XB series.

And you might want to look at the XR15 in a 5 ton model. I believe the 5 ton comes with two stg and certainly would be a less expensive alternative to the XL20i condenser.Verify with dealer.

The thermostat will work but it will not give you full two stg functionality. I would want a true two stg thermostat for that furnace.

You get all kind of opinions of Goodman Brand. Better than they use to be in the higher end mdls. Low end stay away from. I personally would not have it for my home unless strictly budget driving my decision.

I would want to know how long you intend to be in home.

IMO
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ChapmanAIR
12 years ago
All valid input. How comfortable do you want to be? Whats the efficiency of the units? How much will you be saving in the long run with whatever unit you purchase. Sometimes its a matter of pay now or pay later and its awesome that you are doing your homework. Most homeowners just look at the price tag and say give me that one, I can afford that one.

Have you thought on the XL16i? Your cost/efficiency will be so much better than the XB's, and would cost you less out of pocket than than the XL20i
heatseeker
12 years ago
I assure you that a trane is far superior than a goodman. period dot exclamation point.
totsuka
12 years ago
I went with Trane XR-13 in our last home and loved it. (South Florida). I bought the "matched unit) air handler with new outside unit. But we replaced the copper too. The installer said it should always be replaced. My neighbors all had Goodman/Amana and they are loud. Our current home has an XR-13 and it's 6 years old with only one switch failure in the air handler. When looking for a new HVAC in the previous home I called ten different HVAC contractors. The prices were about 2-4k difference. You might look at getting your air ducts cleaned if you can get a decent price to do it before you change out the hvac. Just a thought...
gsistore
10 years ago
In general Trane is a better brand and their unit is better built most of the time compare to Goodman.

Trane vs Goodman HVAC Unit

Comments (6)

mike_home

tigerdunes

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