Home Improvement → Re: Heater / Central Air recommendations

Thanks all,
First, please forgive the lapse in answering as I suffered a network outage here.
The heater is a natural gas, forced air unit with duct-work in the attic. The heater will definitely need replacing as it is a 50+ y.o. unit and can not accommodate A/C.

I live in So Calif where "we only need A/C a week or two during August / Sept", but lately the heat-days have been on the increase.
I know there are many variables like the possibility of asbestos around the duct-work, the necessity of additional insulation, etc. I'm just looking for opinions on which manufacturer would be the best buy for the money based on reliability, cost of operation, etc.

I thank you in advance, -W

You might get better results if you also consider adding insulation to the house. In the 1960's the cost of fuel so low most builders did not spend much on insulation. By adding insulation you might also be able to install a smaller HVAC System which will have a lower initial and operating cost.

Check with your local power company to see if they offer free home energy audits. If they do, they can provide you with a comprehensive list of changes you can make to lower energy cost. You might also check with the auditor about tax incentives and rebates from the power company and or the state. Also find out if the local POCO offers incentives to install a radiant barrier.

For comparing products of the same type, look for the SEER, AFUE, COP, EER, and/or HSPF. These are all measures of actual or relative efficiency of the unit. The higher the number, the more efficient they are but the equipment costs will generally be higher as well.

Every major brand will have comparable main line of equipment with almost identical features as most if not all other brands. There may be a few niche features that are proprietary to a brand but they aren't usually "essential" features. Warranties and reliability are also likely to be similar across the board. You will find people that have their [insert brand] unit run flawlessly for 25 years and you'll find others that say their [same brand] unit failed as soon as the installer left.

Just a few major companies sell many of the units that you'd recognize the brand names of. Carrier/Bryant, Trane/American-Standard, Goodman/Amana. The list goes on. In some cases identical units are sold with just a different sticker slapped on the front. Some manufacturers may also make other manufacturers components, and some of internal components may only come from just a couple major suppliers (e.g. heat pump and AC compressors).
Here are some of the relationships over the years.

What matters just as much if not more then the brand of a unit is the installer who installs it and backs it. A hack that installs a top of the line unit improperly or sized wrong is far worse then a great dealer that sells just a middle of the road unit that's sized right. Call around to several different reputable contractors in your area and get separate detailed quotes. Don't just get a rough estimate over the phone. The contractors that want your business will likely be about the same price range as the others for the same grade of equipment and warranty. Seriously scrutinize any offers that seem significantly lower, and the ones that high ball you either don't want your business, screwing you in some manner, or just don't want to be competitive.