Trane vs. Carrier HVAC Equip

Which HVAC Equip?

  • Trane

    Votes: 30 73.2%

  • Carrier

    Votes: 11 26.8%
  • Total voters
    41
  • Poll closed .
A/C

I was the mechanical superintendent at Burgstrom AFB before I retired and we used Trane (this was in the '77-'80) and always had good results. One thing about A/C is the new units are way more efficient. If you have a thirty year old unit the new one will probably be 2 to 3 times more efficient. My contractor installed unit at my house was a 6 Seer ('74) the second was a 10 Seer and my electrical bill dropped 50% ('86) When I upgraded my furnace ('99) I decided to replace my A/C which was still running well with a 13 seer and my electrical bill dropped again. I have had no problem with the A/C but the furnace has had two repairs over the years. We have 18 Seer A/c at the shop and I hear there are new units that are rated at 24 Seer which should really be efficient. As you might guess I like Trane.
SWCA892
 
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Please note that just because one installed a certain brand 20 or 25 years ago in no way guarantees that the new version of that brand is the same! Most units back then were made in the USA and now many are made over seas. Most units back then were also made with better and stronger materials - so do your diligence before opening up your wallet.

I'd go online and do a review search of the two units you are contemplating. That might help you make your choice.
 
I have a ten year warranty , two year old Carrier Infinity furnace , AC and air cleaner . When a fan motor board failed , after one and a half years , $675 , the installer tried to bill me eighty some dollars because I did not have an annual service done . I said "I would pay this extortion , but I will be contacting the Company". The charge was then dropped . I contacted Carrier was told the dealer can refuse to honer the warranty if the annual rip off services are not done . Any money saved with super high efficiency units are used up by the exorbitantly high priced air filters and service . I would bypass Carrier-Bryant and check out the local dealer reviews with skepticism .
 
All things being equal I would go with Trane. I don't use either
on because I think they are over priced. I have been using
Temp Star. I would say they are at the top before you get into
Cadillac units like Trane & Carriet.
 
Son has two Tranes. One had an issue. The owner of the service told him the part should be warranty. But Trane will not supply a new part. The owner did the repair for half of the part cost. He gave him the labor. My understanding is if you need a Trane part you go to them and pay their prices. I have an old one and when it goes I'll have something different.
 
I just wanted to throw another ingredient into the mix. My current house was built in 2005 and the contractor installed a Ruud HVAC system. So far I can only remember one service call in all that time, and I really can't remember what it was for, so I guess it wasn't anything monumental. The outside unit has survived burial in a few blizzards but has kept right on working.
 
doublesharp said:
Ask about Goodman.
Click to expand...

Goodman is the lowest cost available to dealers and so caries the lowest mark up. It does what others do but rarely has the same parts used from year to year as the bids go out. That means that a dealer may not have the exact parts they need in their shop or trucks though a warehouse should. Only you can decide how important that is to you at -20 or +100 Fahrenheit.
 
Collects said:
I just installed a Mitsubishi mini-split air conditioner. It is terrific!
Click to expand...

In new construction, a multi-zone split like the Mitsubishi City-Multi would be the way to go. Several evap coils all run off of a central condensing unit. Everything is variable speed and they are incredibly quiet and efficient with SEERs approaching 20+. Unless your ductwork is in poor condition(biggest efficiency killer by far), it wouldn't be cost effective to make a change like that in anything short of a complete remodel. The little single zone mini splits are nice little units, but you're going to pay $2K or more with install for what amounts to a fancy window unit.
All of the manufacturers are proprietary to some extent, especially with their electronics, but most components, even in a Lennox can be replaced with parts from most supply houses. The aftermarket parts business in the A/C trade has come a long way. A variable speed speed evap motor in a Trane 18XL air handler that used to cost $750 wholesale can now be replaced with an Evergreen VS motor for like $180 wholesale.
I've never done any residential work, other than friends and family, but I'll tell you the Lennox commercial line of rooftop units are some of the best built and easiest to work on of all the makes. The quality of the materials and build quality that go into the cabinet are top notch, and that's what you're really paying for because the components are mostly third party and similar between the various manufacturers. The only manufacturer that I would put above Lennox for build quality and ease of maintenance and repair would be AAON.
 
Thanks everyone again for your thoughts, the Trane contract was signed!:cool:
Installation could be in about a week! ;)
 
mtgianni said:
Goodman is the lowest cost available to dealers and so caries the lowest mark up. It does what others do but rarely has the same parts used from year to year as the bids go out. That means that a dealer may not have the exact parts they need in their shop or trucks though a warehouse should. Only you can decide how important that is to you at -20 or +100 Fahrenheit.
Click to expand...

That was then - this is now. :)

Still a low cost leader but quality sets new standards.

Why American HVAC

The new facility , currently the largest HVAC building in the U.S.A., was designed from the ground up to provide the best Goodman products and services for our customers. The facility encourages team collaboration and innovation for optimal:

Product Availability and Capacity
Expanded capacity and flexibility to better respond to customer demand
Product Development
Commitment to the U.S.A. and the Goodman® brand
Teamwork and innovation produce efficient, reliable products for homeowners
Product Reliability and Quality
Dojo training rooms boost the commitment to international standards of quality
Collaboration with Daikin Industries, Ltd., one of the world's largest air conditioning and heating manufacturers
Production and Technology
Over $100M investment in state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and innovative assembly line technology
 
yaktamer said:
Anybody have any experience with Goettl?
Click to expand...

Me and two acquaintences. ALL BAD.

Guy at work got charged $300 for a contactor replacement. Threatened them with a visit from the local consumer TV show to get the bill halved.

Declared a family's furnace as unsafe (leaking CO into the house) and quoted $15k for replacement. They had already taken them for $1400 for a control board. Another guy found nothing wrong with the equipment.

They charged me over $650 to declare my upstairs R-22 unit dead. Much of that was from pumping in 2 lbs of R-22 which immediately leaked out of the corroded king valve. You search for leaks using Nitrogen.:mad: Then they quoted me $12k for a replacement unit that One-Hour did for $7200. Another good sized Vegas firm quoted $6300. Their prices are insane.
 
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