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What brand of heat pump do you prefer?

NighthawkNighthawk Member Posts: 12,022 ✭✭✭
edited June 2007 in General Discussion
I just paid the contractor for replacing a heat pomp for us, our downstairs unit bit the bullet. We had another Trane unit put in because these are about 13yrs old and have done well with routine maintenance. I can forget that lever action .308 now, first the washer now one of the heat pumps, put a hole in our budget. What brand of heat pumps do you use? I wonder because of the price of the Trane we just replaced.

Comments

  • Mr. GunzMr. Gunz Member Posts: 1,621 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Trane sucks...get a Rheem
  • iluvgunsiluvguns Member Posts: 5,351
    edited November -1
    We have a Rheem. No problems in the 5 years we've had it. FIL has a Trane and has major major problems in the 8 years he has had it.
  • festusfestus Member Posts: 1,008 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    work on them all, I have a goodman myself. I can't really say one is better than the other. If you keep the filter changed and the condenser clean any of them should give good service if they are installed properly.
  • kimberkidkimberkid Member Posts: 8,857 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    We've got a Lennox ... installed new in 1977

    Since then, according to records, it had a compressor replaced about 18 years ago and when we bought the house the expansion tank had blown out and needed replacing.

    We did a bit of research before deciding to repair or replace. We talked to both of our neighbors who had replaced their units for new, more efficient units (a sear 12 and the other a sear 15) and asked them what their bills had run for the last year ... all 3 houses are built by the same builder, the same age, and about the same size. In the year prior to our expansion tank blowing, there wasn't $15 dollars difference between any of our heat/cooling bills and we were usually right in the middle.

    The thing I found most interesting was, when the repair man came out, he said our unit was made before sear ratings ... if it were to be rated now, it would be about a sear 3 or 4 ...

    I know our heat pump will need to be replaced one of these days and we're on borrowed time now ... I just hope our next one is as good as this one has been!
    If you really desire something, you'll find a way ?
    ? otherwise, you'll find an excuse.
  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member, Moderator Posts: 9,961 ******
    edited November -1
    BRYANT/CARRIER HAS THE BEST CONTROL SYSTEM ON THE MARKET (COMMUNICATING THERMOSTAT) AND ALSO SOME OF THE HIGHEST SEER/EER RATINGS. LENNOX IS A 'HAS BEEN' AND EVERY ONE ELSE IS TRYING TO CATCH UP.
  • kimberkidkimberkid Member Posts: 8,857 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the info Mike ... we still haven't decided "who" to go with when ours finally dies ... I don't think we'll fix it again, after all it is 30 years old!

    When we were trying to decide to "repair or replace" it seemed like every manufacturer had its draw backs. I don't remember why but we had decided not to go back with Lennox.
    If you really desire something, you'll find a way ?
    ? otherwise, you'll find an excuse.
  • jltrentjltrent Member Posts: 9,195 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had a Janitrol that lasted 16 years before the compressor went bad and then replaced it with a Goodman which is the company that bought out Janitrol. The new 3 ton unit burns a lot less juice than the old 3 ton and also cools better. After about 10 years it almost pays to replace the old one because it will be so much more energy efficient.
  • BHAVINBHAVIN Member Posts: 3,490 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I sold Goodman/Janitrol wholesale. Bad customer service and flakey. Hard to work with them as a company. They build some good units and have pretty good warranties but just not great on the wholsale end.
  • SperrySperry Member Posts: 5,006 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Carrier.

    The inventor of modern air conditioning.

    HNA624 w/ Infinity fan coil and t-stat would do my house perfectly [it's a small house].
  • select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,453 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a High effenciecy Goodman on the new home. Electtic bills are super low..I also use Janitrol/ Goodman on all rentals. Great warranty service if something does break.
  • Marc1301Marc1301 Member Posts: 31,897 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have been in this trade for 25 years, and in business for myself for 15.
    Most systems are virtually the same SEER to SEER.
    Trane and American Standard,.......same company, manufacture their own compressors.
    All the others either use Copeland, Tecumseh, or Bristol,.......Bristol is a POS, in my opinion. Fan motors are all either Emerson, GE, AO Smith, etc.
    The biggest difference is the coils, and the cabinets, and the quality of the paint. You get what you pay for in that respect.
    Goodman is ok, they work, but the above is horrible, the unit will look 20 years old in 5 or 6 often.
    Heil and Comfortmaker, is a good median range product.
    Stay away from pAyne, which is Carriers low end product, to compete with Goodman.
    Look for warranty, and price, and then decide how important the looks are to you, as time passes.
    I have an American Standard myself, but you will pay for them.
    The previous unit I had was a Rheem that I installed when my house was built 15 years ago. It was still running when replaced. I wanted to bump the SEER rating.
    "Beam me up Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here." - William Shatner
  • ObiWanObiWan Member Posts: 1,054 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    http://www.goodmanmfg.com/Home/TaxSavings/tabid/187/Default.aspx

    Wow. Tax write off for buying energy efficient until the end of this year.
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