[rif]

So I'll be replacing my 25-30 year old natural gas furnace and AC units and have started getting estimates.

I know very little about which brands are considered top of the line, middle, bottom for reputation, reliability, etc.  For example, I've been told that Trane is very good, Carrier somewhere in the middle. No clue on York or Lennox.

Any thoughts you have are appreciated.

[mcgsxr]

I had to buy new AC and Furnace last year.  Right in the middle of finishing my basement too!

We went with Keeprite.  4 inch filter, high efficiency etc.  Required the addition of a fresh air intake through the foundation, but has been excellent for us this very cold winter.

The AC was very good in the summer too.

Good luck, it is a murky water situation trying to sort through all the brands.  We ended up going with a guy that numerous neighbors have used, and with the gear he carries.

I am sure there are better units out there, but for the size of my home, these were price competitive with excellent warrantee.

[kenreau]

I've heard Lennox is about the best quality, with Trane and Carrier somewhat less.  Just check out what is used on local spec. built homes and track housing vs. what you see on higher end custom homes.

In soliciting and comparing estimates, check to see they are apples-to-apples in terms of unit capacity.  Based on your homes size, exposure, windows, region, etc. there is probably an ideal size (tons, cfms, etc.) of units you should have.  As part of the modernization upgrades,  I suggest you have your ductwork checked (for leaks) and internally cleaned.  I would also get the latest in thermostat controls (remote smart phone, cloud access, etc.).  I imagine the new units are significantly more efficient than your old system, so you should see some savings on the monthly utility bills.  In fact, check with your local Natl Gas and Power companies - they may offer a discount, or credits towards your replacement systems.

Kenreau

[jcotner]

I put in a Rudd(Rheem) heat pump 14 years ago.
It has to work hard in the Texas heat. The only
thing I've ever had to do to it is change out the
blower motor capacitor.
I'm so happy with it that I was going to replace the
other real old unit in the house with another Rudd.
They are a mid-tier to my thinking, so should be less
money than a Carrier or Trane.
Whatever you get I would make sure it has a scroll
compressor. They are very tough.

[benguin]

Rif- we did an incredible amount of research back when we replaced our system.  There are a couple of HVAC forums that might be of interest to you- lots of info is out there on brands, and after reading a while you'll find there are only a few tiers. 

We've been very happy with our high efficiency set up.  If you are in a cold weather climate, the variable speed units really help the overall comfort.

The one thing that seems to matter the most is the installation.  You'll want to weed out installers that just want to toss in the same sized equipment as you had without doing a review of your ducts (supply and return) and at least do a rudimentary heating/cooling needs analysis (a Manual J, ideally).  This will help to ensure you get the proper equipment.  I'd recommend asking around for references- you might have a local wholesale HVAC supplier that might give you some leads on the good crews.

The best advice I read is that it's better to have a good install of moderate equipment over an iffy install of the top tier.  Take your time and shop for your needs. 

[macrojack]

I just had a new HVAC installed in one of my rental houses in November. After much research, investigation and bid seeking, I bought American Standard which I think is Lenox's lower priced but nearly identical offering. Anyway it's the brand recommended by the installer I decided to trust. So far, so good.

The advice above about manual J, duct cleaning and sealing, and forum research all square with the best advice I was able to find by reading what plumbers, designers and installers had to say. You'll find strong proponents for nearly every brand and heated debates about cabling and tubes vs. solid state. I chose to put more stock in advice from people in a climate something like mine.

Also be careful about upgrades like modulating blowers and off site controls. For the former you may not live long enough to recoup the up charge in monthly savings, and for the latter because there may be a $10 or $20 per month connection fee.

I've got so damn much money in that rental I may wind up living there.

[rif]

Anyone hear of Daikin? The salesman said they were big outside of North America, maybe Asia?

www.daikincomfort.com

[rif]

Found an installer I am comfortable with. They use Trane, which has a very good reputation. Should be installing next week. Thanks for all the advice!

-david

[thunderbrick]

Good comments all, especially about ranking installer skills over the equipment.  I'm close to signing a contract on a Carrier air-to-air heat pump, 20+ SEER.  I've worked with installer on other projects and trust him completely.  He did a thorough analysis including adding more ducts to balance things.  And he LISTENED to what I wanted to do and designed accordingly.

Scott F. is an HVAC man, and he endorsed the plan.   And that's plenty good enough for me!