Heating & Air Conditioning Smaller Homes

Heil heat pump vs. Mitsubishi/American Standard/Trane equivalent?

10 months ago

Hi all,

We're doing a major renovation to our small 750-ish sqare foot rowhouse and are planning to have a heat pump HVAC system installed. Our contractor (and his HVAC sub) are trying to sell us on a Heil 2-ton 16 Seer heat pump, and while we want to give them the benefit of the doubt since they're the professionals, the relatively small amount of consumer-facing info/reviews on Heil and other brands has left us a little skeptical about whether it's the best choice for us especially with regard to performance and reliability/longevity. Does anyone have any words of wisdom or sources of more info on Heil and how it stacks up to equivalent units from Mitsubishi, American Standard, and/or Trane?

From what we were able to find, Consumer Reports has Heil fairly low in their rankings for reliability and owner satisfaction). Mitsubishi doesn’t show up at all in the Consumer Reports ratings, but American Standard and Trane are at the top of their list, and it’s our understanding that they’re all the same brand:

Wirecutter doesn’t make recommendations but does positively mention Mistubishi/Trane and doesn’t mention Heil (and Mitsubishi is one of their picks for best mini-split). AirConditionerLab doesn’t compare Heil and Mitsubishi directly, but it does seem to have a more favorable view of Mitsubishi than Heil.

Our HVAC sub gave us the following feedback when we asked his thoughts: "Heil has a good /better/best, we contracted this project on the Best, that is their premium line, the warranty is phenomenal, we have been using Heil for 15 years, we stock all repair parts so there is no wait time if there was a issue, being a dealer we can up all warranty’s by 5 additional years from manufacture due to our factory approved training on proper installation. All I can say for Mitsubishi is that they have a lot of break downs and challenging warranty issues from my 23 years experience working in the industry. But we will gladly install anything the customer requests."

Appreciate any thoughts, feedback, or resources!

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Comments (4)

sktn77a
10 months ago
last modified: 10 months ago
Most HVAC manufacturing companies are comparable, reliability wise. Issues arise mostly from poor installation. It sounds like your installer has covered most of the issues you are likely to face. I wouldn't worry about the Consumer Reports data - I've had Rheem systems for 35 years and have been extremely happy with them. Strangely, the don't include data on the largest HVAC company - Dakin/Goodman/Amana.

I would question the two ton sizing though. Unless you have very poor insulation/sealing, that a lot of heating/cooling for 750 sq ft. Where are you located? Humid region?
wdccruise
10 months ago
last modified: 10 months ago
These are all the same:*
- Heil H4H7T Ion 17 Two-Stage Heat Pump
- Carrier 25TPA7 Performance™ 17 Heat Pump
- Bryant 227T PREFERRED 2-STAGE HEAT PUMP
- Comfortmaker C4H7T Ion 17 Two-Stage Heat Pump
- Tempstar T4H7T Ion 17 Two-Stage Heat Pump
- Day & Night C4H7T Ion 17 Two-Stage Heat Pump
I have and recommend a two-stage heat pump which can operate in stage one most of the time, using a slower blower speed and quieter (less "whoosh") operation.
- Dakin, Goodman, and Amana are the same*
- Trane and American Standard are the same*
*Some units are unique to a brand
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Austin Air Companie
10 months ago
What gives the heat pump the ability to heat or cool?

The refrigerant. The refrigerant we use now (right now) is on the cusp of being phased out (2025). This will effect any and all brands the same. Now maybe your company is going to swallow those refrigerant costs should you spring a leak and need a replacement coil. You will this isn't about if, just a matter of when.

If the refrigerant goes to $1000 a jug? How about $1500 a jug? How about if the HVAC industry adopts a new refrigerant recycle jug program that increases costs on top of that? If anyone tells you they know *exactly* what will happen? uh no.

Warranties are written long in advance before bad stuff that was never thought of occurs. ( We're buying this because it apears we getting a good deal and what appears to be the best. How many times you think I heard that in 30 years of doing HVAC?)

This elongated comment is outside the idea of putting a 2 ton system on a 750 sq foot tiny home.

With all this being said what is about to happen to HVAC, isn't the end all be all --- so waiting if you're in that position to be able to isn't going to change much because the new mildly flammable refrigerants that are due to replace R410a have problems and do not meet the requirements of the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol as time passes --- in 2035/2036 new phase out is likely to begin for something else because of that.

I currently have a roughly 2.5 hour (5 part series) on my YouTube channel discussing this refrigerant phase out topic in detail that is almost a certainty to be the rage here in about another year or so. It will mostly likely lead to phrases like how dare you? how could you lie to us? How could you recommend something as good to the environment when the refrigerant in it is over 2000 times worse for the environment when the equipment leaks than the carbon dioxide you are trying to curtail?

The manufacturers? none of them will cover the cost of refrigerant. Regardless what you want to believe Freon leaks have always been a large problem to all brands regardless of make, model, configuration etc. Where did the phrase come from? I think all I need is a little Freon?

Today a Freon leak is the last thing you want -- it spells the draining of your wallet on repeat. Buying the best because we say it is, rather than buying equipment for what it does / how it does it? Name brands are here one day / changed the next. There is no such thing as "perfect HVAC equipment". -- Service is the ingredient that rectifies the trouble when it comes. Most are in this business to sell and do it anyway they can... stretch the truth to outright lies. Your mileage will vary.

I service the Katy, Texas area.
dadoes
10 months ago
All refrigerant-based climate control systems are junk. Unstable due to constantly changing refrigerant protocols. Overpriced by manufacturers pushing to the limit and beyond of what the market will bear. All brands are the same on those factors so the consumers' best choice is the cheapest they can afford. It all ends in failure, usually sooner than later, so why spend more?

Heil heat pump vs. Mitsubishi/American Standard/Trane equivalent?

Comments (4)

sktn77a

wdccruise

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