HELP: Need your advice on which brand of air conditioner to buy

pradip

17 years ago

I live in San Jose, California and am looking for a 13 seer 4 ton A/C.

The following makes and model have been adviced to me by the installer, but I am

confused as to which brand to choose.

Your advice would be greatly appreciated..

Here are the makes:

AMANA -- GSC048

Rheem - UAN048

Westinghouse FS5BD048

Carrier 24ABR3048

Trane 2TTB3048

I would really appreciate if you could please help me choose a brand from the above.

The first three costs the same, but the last two (Carrier and Trane) would cost me around

$300 more. That's fine -- but I am looking for reliability and performance.

I would certainly appreciate your advice.

Regards-

Pradip

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Comments (8)

v1rt
17 years ago
Forget about the brand, get the best installer similar to the advice that folks here suggested to me. :)
baldloonie
17 years ago
Let's look at the products...

Amana GSC is the low end line, same as a Goodman branded unit. 10 year all parts warranty is a plus. If you like the Amana dealer, ask about the ASC13 instead. Much nicer built unit.

Rheem/Ruud UAND-048 is probably the nicest unit and my choice. If the JAZ version, high & low pressure protection and compressor start assist. 10 year compressor warranty, 5 year parts.

Westinghouse FS5BD is a nice unit as well. Probably the quietest of the bunch with a "swept wing" fan blade. 10 year compressor warranty, 8 year parts, 5 year quality pledge which gets you a new unit if the compressor dies plus some labor for the swap.

The Carrier quoted is the low end of their line too. It and the Amana should be the lowest price based on the equipment. 5 year parts warranty.

The Trane is the cheaper of their 2 13 SEER units. It will be big, possibly a bit noisier than most. The rest have Copeland scroll compressors which is the state of the art. The Trane will have the old reciprocating design made in Mexico. Only 5 year compressor & parts warranty.

There's a summary of the equipment. But the previous post on quality of the job is very important as well. Too many dealers don't properly size (they oversize) and don't always set up the equipment well. So pick a great unit but make sure you feel you are getting the best dealer too.
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blacknumber1
17 years ago
I would go with either the Rheem or the better quality Amana/Goodman unit. You want to go with a scroll compressor for sure, and the hi/low pressure controls on the Rheem would make it my first choice.
bama_dude
17 years ago
pradip,for only $300. more I would get the Trane.Much better quality than any other unit made.The climatuff compressor is the most durable compressor made.It is manufactured in tyler texas.Never forget about brand quality.You want it to last a long time.
bobhvac
17 years ago
Find a NATE certified installer - go to NATEx.org

Here is a link that might be useful: NATE website
pradip
Original Author
17 years ago
Thank you so much for all your useful advice.
I really appreciate your pointers.
tigerdunes
17 years ago
pradip

I assume you are pairing this AC condenser with a furnace. What size and brand? Keep in mind you will require a matching evap coil to get your rated SEER.

Good Luck!
pradip
Original Author
17 years ago
The furnace is a Rheem -- a 80,000 BTU one.

HELP: Need your advice on which brand of air conditioner to buy

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v1rt

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