Hello Briamira, I live is Tx too(Dallas) and find myself in the same situation as you were in April. I have been quoted exactly the models you were quoted. My qoutes and prices are as follows: Option 1: Trane 3 Ton XR16 Air conditioner with 2 stage compressor, XV 80 2 stage gas furnace with variable speed fan, high efficiency comfort coil with TXV, and TCONT803 touchscreen control with dehumidification feature. System rated for 16 SEER and 13 EER. $6500 Option 2: Trane 3 Ton XR 15 Air conditioner, XV80 2 stage gas furnace with VS fan, cased comfort coil with TXV, and TCONT803 $5700 My question is which system do you choose and how do you like its perfomance ? By the way how big is the space you are cooling? Trying get my confusion cleared too. Thanks

Trane and American Standard are the same products with different labels on them. Both are comparable with Carrier. You can't go wrong with any of these brands as long as you stay away from the low end equipment. Don't just pick a brand. The installation is equally important.

We live 20 miles south of Houston. Our home is 45 years old, Brick with 2,345 square feet living area. We are all electric, no gas on the property. Our A/C is a 4 ton with electric heat strips that was installed in 1992. We have done everything the utility company recommends to make out home energy efficient. We still get over $800 electric bills. I have a bid from Trane dealer. (Home Depot) The salesman said our current A/C was a 10 SEER when installed and loses 4% per year. So using his figures I a running at about a 4 SEER. He proposes to install either a TRANE XL14i for $8,123.45 or an XL16i for $9,775.00. Also an air handler to match with 20 kWh of heat strips. All the above is with the ten year parts and labor extended warranty from Trane. They also want to service the new unit twice a year for $149 per year. We are currently paying .155 per kWh. Two questings. How much can I realistically expect to save on my electric bill with either of these two units and is the price reasonable.

Probably too late for your specific question, but I wanted to add a reply to help others who may be looking at either brand - Trane and Americans Standard. 1st - as you may have found out, the companies are the same. Am Std. is the "economy" brand for Trane. They manufacture both lines in similar factories. American Standard is their economy brand. It is essentially the same main components, but with fewer features, bells&whistles. Similar to you, I was evaluating both options when replacing my system last year. In the end, I needed a few features that were available only on the Trane models, the Am Srd installer quoted me a higher price than the equivalent Trane model (which instantly told me he was gouging on the install price) and the Trane installer has an impeccable reputation. The net - I chose Trane. Unfortunately Trane and Am Std are having problems with their design, even after identifying the problem back in 2014. Here's what happened In 2014, compressor companies began adding a "rust-inhibitor" additive. This additive separates from the compressor oil and begins to clog the TXV valves. I did a lot of research on this while I was preparing to replace my AC last year. A lot of companies were hit with the same problem since many of them buy the same compressors from 1-2 companies. Copeland compressors were the worst offender. As mentioned, I waited an entire year to replace my system, hoping Trane would have time to fix the bad design and sell through all their old units with the additive problem. I didn't wait long enough. My system lost 30% of it's cooling power in less than 1 year. I called my dealer who quickly came out today (July 27, 2016) and replaced the TXV. They told me they have replaced 100s of TXVs on units they installed in 2015! And the problem could happen again - to delay the problem, the installers add a product called AC-Renew to help the additives remix with the compressor oil. Studies show this does reduce TXV clogging, but for how long, and by how much!?? It's anyone's guess how long before our systems go down again. Even more troubling, the "fix" is still not 100% - my measurements show it's operating about 85% of what it was brand new. My Trane air conditioner is 15% less efficient than what it was new - just 1 year ago !! That means I am paying 15% more for any electricity used by my AC. Now I'm not sure which brands have switched compressors/additives in their new units, but this would definitely give me a reason to wait another year to replace my AC with either a TRane or Am Std. btw - there is a class action suit for Trane owners. Just use a google search for Trane TXV lawsuit One more note for anyone installing a new AC. ASK your installers these 3 questions: 1 - Do you vacuum the line set? (copper piping between the outdoor and indoor units) 2 - Do you nitrogen braze the copper piping? 3 - Do you flush the copper piping with coolant before charging? RUN away from any installers that hesitate, answer "no" to any question, or tries to tell you why they are not important. These are the most important steps to ensure the coolant lines stay clean while installing. Missing these steps are the most common reason air conditioners fail within a few years. A "very good" installer will take all 3 steps to ensure nothing remains in the coolant line that will plug the AC (note - it doesn't happen right away and can take years for the effects to stop an AC -- most people blame the AC manufacturer, but generally its a plugged line due to poor installation)