AboutJim Barnhart Expertise Fifty + years in Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning, Sheet Metal Manufacturing.
Semi retired since 1995,
Experience Answer questions about , residential and commercial.
Answer questions about sheet metal fabrication.
Fifty years plus experience.
No answers for oil equipment, No answers for kitchen appliances, No answers for laundry appliances.
Question QUESTION: Our 10-year-old air conditioning condenser just blew, and it looks like we have to replace the whole system. Very expensive for our 2200-square foot ranch house. We have a 4 ton condenser and have gotten bids for the job ranging from $6,900 for a Luxaire system to $9900 for a Carrier system. It's like comparing apples and oranges because the Carrier reps talk trash about Luxaire, while the only one suggesting Luxaire is a good system is the one who's selling it. I am concerned about reliability, noise level, and of course proper cooling. I've heard that Luxaire is a "builders' brand" and that we'll be unhappy with it. So the question is this: Can you tell us how much brand will matter in this very expensive decision?
ANSWER: Andrea,
Carrier is no better or no worse then Luxaire and vice versa.
Carrier is the same as Bryent and Payne and maybe a couple of different brand names, all made on the same assembly line except painted a different color and with a higher price tag.
Same thing applies to Luxaire it's one of a family of different brand names.
If you compare apples to apples you won't find any difference in all the different brands.
A fan motor brand or a compressor brand can be found on a hundred or so different brand units.
If you shop same size, same SEER just get the best price plus the best company.
Steer away from sales people who give another brand a bad report, you can't belive anything they say.
I don't know where you live or what all your job entails but I think you can do better then $6,900.
I wouldn't even belive you can't fix the existing?
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: We live in Rye, New York. Can't seem to find better than that price, which actually is $7,900. A couple of people have mentioned that Luxaire is noisier than Carrier. And I don't know if there's a difference in the length of the warranty that they're offering. Would those be factors to consider?
Answer Andrea,
Noise from a condensing unit is largely from the way it's installed and the installers know how.
When a condensing unit is shipped the compressor and other parts are tied down with shipping straps that are supposed to be removed but never are.
Just about anything that you by that has moving parts is subject to some degree of noise, you could line up 100 unit's of the same specification and find a 100 different degrees of noise.
The only thing moving in a condensing unit is the fan motor and the compressor.
I suppose you could drive around town to some apartment complexes where they have a bunch of condenser units in a row, check the make and listen to the noise, if you look enough I'm sure you'll find both brands.
Warranty after the first year can be tricky and you really need to read and understand the wording, a manufacture may warranty a unit for life but it may cost more to get it installed then a new one.
