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Started By
Message
Which AC unit to go with
Posted on 3/2/23 at 10:48 am
Posted on 3/2/23 at 10:48 am
My home is a 2500sq ft one story. I am looking at a few 5 ton units to replace my 22 year old Trane.
1. 16 seer Trane (10 year parts, 1 year labor)
2. 14 seer Amana (10 year parts, 10 year labor)
3. 15 seer Amana (10 year parts, 10 year labor)
The 15 seer Amana is $1200 more than the 14 seer Amana. The 16 seer Trane is about the same as the 14 seer Amana.
Both companies seem to be very good but have a different approach on the return air portion. I currently have one return air that is 24x24. One company wants to expand the return air to 24x30 (Trane). The other wants to expand the return air to 30x30 and build the return air box to come out of my upright heater on both sides (currently comes out on one side).
Would it be worth it going from a 14 to a 15 for $1200? Would it be worth it going to the 16 seer Trane with only a 1 year labor warranty?
Thanks in advance.
1. 16 seer Trane (10 year parts, 1 year labor)
2. 14 seer Amana (10 year parts, 10 year labor)
3. 15 seer Amana (10 year parts, 10 year labor)
The 15 seer Amana is $1200 more than the 14 seer Amana. The 16 seer Trane is about the same as the 14 seer Amana.
Both companies seem to be very good but have a different approach on the return air portion. I currently have one return air that is 24x24. One company wants to expand the return air to 24x30 (Trane). The other wants to expand the return air to 30x30 and build the return air box to come out of my upright heater on both sides (currently comes out on one side).
Would it be worth it going from a 14 to a 15 for $1200? Would it be worth it going to the 16 seer Trane with only a 1 year labor warranty?
Thanks in advance.
10
Posted on 3/2/23 at 10:54 am to ManUFan
I dont know much about them but at my last house I paid a bunch for a super high SEER variable unit...I hated it. Never could get the humidity as low as I would like. It was quiet as hell though.
Posted on 3/2/23 at 11:06 am to ManUFan
Where are you located? Exploring Trane installers in the BR area & interested in company feedback.
Posted on 3/2/23 at 11:08 am to magiLSU
I am in Mandeville. The Trane company is Three Rivers.
Posted on 3/2/23 at 11:08 am to tigerfoot
quote:
dont know much about them but at my last house I paid a bunch for a super high SEER variable unit.. Never could get the humidity as low as I would like. It was quiet as hell though.
That’s not a seer issue, that’s a too much tonnage issue.
This post was edited on 3/2/23 at 11:17 am
Posted on 3/2/23 at 11:11 am to ManUFan
Here is a graphic from consumer reports. It is the reliability and owner satisfaction ratings based on their Subscriber Surveys in 2018 & 2020.
I have had a Trane in my last two houses with 0 problems with the unit itself.
I have always found Amana to be overpriced.
I have had a Trane in my last two houses with 0 problems with the unit itself.
I have always found Amana to be overpriced.
Posted on 3/2/23 at 12:36 pm to poochie
quote:I never had that issue prior with the same size unit.
That’s not a seer issue, that’s a too much tonnage issue.
Posted on 3/2/23 at 1:19 pm to ManUFan
I had Rheem installed in the fall, this will be my first summer with it (haven't run the AC part yet).
Posted on 3/2/23 at 2:19 pm to ManUFan
Is your current system a 5-ton or smaller? I have a 4 ton for a 2500 sq ft house and it cools just fine, and it is sized properly according to a manual J analysis. My house was built in 1993, but is fairly tight as determined by a blower door analysis?
How long to you plan to be in the house? The Amana systems are made by Daikan, and their 10 year labor warranty, backed by the manufacturer, is among the best in the HVAC business.
You do need an additional return or additional return air, 24 x 24 is not large enough for either a 5 ton or 4 ton system. But I’d request that an additional return be added in another part of the house, if possible, rather than enlarging the exiting return.
FWIW, last week I had a 16 SEER Trane single stage system (4 ton) installed in my house. I also had them add an additional return vent in addition to my existing 24 x 24 return vent. You can take the $1200 savings and put into a HVAC repair fund for down the road, should you go Trane.
To the poster looking for a Trane dealer in BR, I had Southern AC, Heating & Plumbing install my Trane unit - I was happy with their work.
How long to you plan to be in the house? The Amana systems are made by Daikan, and their 10 year labor warranty, backed by the manufacturer, is among the best in the HVAC business.
You do need an additional return or additional return air, 24 x 24 is not large enough for either a 5 ton or 4 ton system. But I’d request that an additional return be added in another part of the house, if possible, rather than enlarging the exiting return.
FWIW, last week I had a 16 SEER Trane single stage system (4 ton) installed in my house. I also had them add an additional return vent in addition to my existing 24 x 24 return vent. You can take the $1200 savings and put into a HVAC repair fund for down the road, should you go Trane.
To the poster looking for a Trane dealer in BR, I had Southern AC, Heating & Plumbing install my Trane unit - I was happy with their work.
This post was edited on 3/2/23 at 10:28 pm
Posted on 3/2/23 at 3:55 pm to CrawDude
My current system is a 5 ton and all the contractors that came by said it was correct. I plan to be in it around 10 years.
I think I am going to go with the Amana 15.3 seer because of quality (over the 14.3) and potential tax rebates. I have an email out to my state Senator and state Rep to see where Louisiana is on the amount the tax break will be for year 2023.
I spoke to my cousin who has an HVAC business across the state. He does Trane and Amana and recommended Amana based on that labor warranty. The 10 year labor warranty is on special at the HVAC company I am going with for $395. It is really hard to pass on that warranty.
I will also have them expand my current return air to a 24x30 and put in a new 12x12 in another room. This will get me really close to what I need. If that is not working we will put a 3rd (12x12) across the house.
Thanks for all the input I received.
I think I am going to go with the Amana 15.3 seer because of quality (over the 14.3) and potential tax rebates. I have an email out to my state Senator and state Rep to see where Louisiana is on the amount the tax break will be for year 2023.
I spoke to my cousin who has an HVAC business across the state. He does Trane and Amana and recommended Amana based on that labor warranty. The 10 year labor warranty is on special at the HVAC company I am going with for $395. It is really hard to pass on that warranty.
I will also have them expand my current return air to a 24x30 and put in a new 12x12 in another room. This will get me really close to what I need. If that is not working we will put a 3rd (12x12) across the house.
Thanks for all the input I received.
Posted on 3/2/23 at 4:36 pm to ManUFan
quote:
I think I am going to go with the Amana 15.3 seer because of quality (over the 14.3) and potential tax rebates.
That’s a good decision particularly with the 10 year labor warranty backed by the manufacturer.
Posted on 3/2/23 at 6:24 pm to CrawDude
quote:
That’s a good decision particularly with the 10 year labor warranty backed by the manufacturer.
They don’t pay for Freon. I learned that lesson….multiple times….
Posted on 3/2/23 at 7:02 pm to CrawDude
Thank you for the recommendation.
Posted on 3/2/23 at 7:21 pm to ManUFan
quote:
I plan to be in it around 10 years.
This is all we need to know. Go with the cheaper unit and all will be good. If you were in for the long haul, Trane is not your answer.
Posted on 3/2/23 at 10:25 pm to BigPerm30
quote:
They don’t pay for Freon. I learned that lesson….multiple times….
Parts and labor - refrigerant is not a part - no company I’m aware of covers the cost of Freon in an extended warranty unless they buggered up the install from the get go.
Posted on 3/3/23 at 2:17 am to ManUFan
Most all have the same basic parts- many manufactured in Mexico. The only difference is the coils!
Posted on 3/3/23 at 8:51 am to ManUFan
We built in Broussard last year. The AC was a big decision. The HVAC contractor our builder used tried like hell to sell me on an Amana. ($2500 less than Lennox for a 3 and 3.5 ton sytem). The Amana warranty is much better.
I built with Goodman in the 90's and bought a home in 2018 with a new Goodman system. Both had issues ($$$) in the first 3 years.Amana is made by Goodman. That is all I needed to hear to decide no Amana for me.
We went with Lennox for $2500 more. (14 seer). We have 2900 sft with 2 systems 3.5 ton and 3 ton. Our electric bills never get over $120 per month. Last month it was $81. (We do have gas heat)
I would pick Trane 99 times out of 100 if it were my decision. I assume I would be sick or crazy once and may pick Amana by accident.
I built with Goodman in the 90's and bought a home in 2018 with a new Goodman system. Both had issues ($$$) in the first 3 years.Amana is made by Goodman. That is all I needed to hear to decide no Amana for me.
We went with Lennox for $2500 more. (14 seer). We have 2900 sft with 2 systems 3.5 ton and 3 ton. Our electric bills never get over $120 per month. Last month it was $81. (We do have gas heat)
I would pick Trane 99 times out of 100 if it were my decision. I assume I would be sick or crazy once and may pick Amana by accident.
Posted on 3/3/23 at 9:00 am to CrawDude
quote:
Parts and labor - refrigerant is not a part - no company I’m aware of covers the cost of Freon in an extended warranty unless they buggered up the install from the get go.
Yep... Our 2 year old Goodman (Ugly cousin to Amana) had an evap core failure and needed to be replaced... I was so glad it was under warranty until I learned it would cost me $1500 for labor and freon. The evap core part cost $400.00.
Posted on 3/3/23 at 6:55 pm to ManUFan
My experience is you get what you pay for. With the brutal extreme summers we have I go for higher quality. Although more pricey up front, I find better quality pays off in the long run with lower maintenance costs and less breakdowns.
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