MrFixitCT
VSOM
Premium,VIP,ExMod 2001-06
join:2000-12-01
Guilford, CT
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| [INFO] Central air brands?
My father-in-law is looking for opinion on central air brands. Consumer reports isn't much help as it does not have a comparison as it does for window units.. Any input is appreciated 
TIA |
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sirchief
Premium
join:2001-12-14
Cromwell, CT
| said by MrFixitCT  :My father-in-law is looking for opinion on central air brands. Consumer reports isn't much help as it does not have a comparison as it does for window units.. Any input is appreciated TIA Going through this now.....
From what I hear Trane is the best, pretty much top of the line.
There's a brand called Payne. It's actually made by Carrier, without the Carrier tag/price.
Also, from what I've been told, the difference between a high end brand like Trane and a lesser brand, like a Goodman(builders grade) is about $500. This price difference is based on a 2.5 ton unit.
One thing look for that seems to drive the price is the warranty on the compressor and air handler.
Hope this helps.
-Steve |
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Dell User
Premium
join:2002-01-21
Waterford, CT
| reply to MrFixitCT
We replaced ours with a Trane a little over a year ago. I don't know if it's the best or not but it came highly recommended by the company we've been dealing with for over 20 years.
One of the things he's going to find out is there will be a price difference even within brands depending on the "SEER" rating of the unit he chooses.
We went with the top of the line a 19 "SEER" and our electric bill is about $100 to $125 a month less than it was with the twenty year old Carrier unit that was replaced.
There is (in Connecticut anyway) a rebate from the energy company of $650 for the higher efficiency units. |
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orion940
A PITA for over 50 years
Premium
join:2001-12-23
Windsor, CT
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edit:
May 13th, @10:28PM
| reply to MrFixitCT
When I was in Texas, Trane's were very popular.
»www.furnacecompare.com/air-condi···reviews/
there's links off that url to various things.
another: »www.learnaboutairconditioning.co···ews.html
O.
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In Windsor CT, Home of The Decorative Zamboni |
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pandora
Premium
join:2001-06-01
Outland
·Comcast
|  reply to MrFixitCT
Trane is supposed to be one of the best, but there are other brands. When confronting the choice of a unit a few years ago, I found the following forum very helpful - »ths.gardenweb.com/forums/hvac/
Happy hunting!
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"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." |
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Glenn
I'D Rather Be Skiing
Premium
join:2000-10-05
Wallingford, CT
| reply to MrFixitCT
We're going through this now. Just pulled the trigger on a Rheem system...waiting for the install date.
I went with about 5 or 6 estimates. A bit of a comedy of errors. A few places didn't get back to me right away, so I called a few more...well, then the first few got back.
Anyways, look at the Seer ratings. The higher the seer, the higher the cost, but more energy efficient. You'll have to see if the savings justify the cost. Also, some electric companies offer rebates for a higher seer rating.
As far as brand, name brands are all pretty good IMHO. Warranties seem to be pretty similar across the board. One of the guys who came out said Trane makes a good product, but the parts to fix can be expensive. I also think Trane makes the stuff for another brand. I had two estimates, one for Trane and one for another brand. The part numbers were very very similar; same prefixes.
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Legal ATVing in Connecticut? |
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Phantom 2
All Gave Some..Some Gave All
Premium
join:2002-05-13
| I live in Florida and I have a 6 year old Trane.It runs 12 months a year and I've never had a problem.When I lived in Connecticut I had a Rheem unit and I had quite a few problems with it.Whatever you decide on,make sure you get a service contract.
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Welcome home Vietnam Vets."We were soldiers once...and young" |
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Edit This
Premium,MVM
join:2001-05-08 | reply to MrFixitCT
I have used Carrier for 11 years for my house and it's been as smooth as silk. |
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crzychrisj
join:2002-03-04
Watertown, CT
| I'm happier now with my new Carrier system than I ever was with the builder's Lennox system. Not sure what area this work will be done in, but I used Good Hill out of Woodbury and they were fantastic from the initial consult to the installation, and even to a follow up visit I requested. |
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