Friday, June 27, 2008

Manufacture (or Brand) of Air Conditioning and Heating Equipment Doesn’t Mean Much.

Central air conditioning and heating systems are not “plug and play” appliances ( like a window mounted air conditioner). They have to be sized and matched properly ( outdoor unit, indoor cooling coil, indoor heating section with correct size blower and temperature controls ), they have to be installed with the proper air tight ductwork, natural gas piping, electrical wiring (24, 120 and 240 volts), leak free refrigerant piping and condensate piping. If anyone of these systems are not sized and installed properly the homeowner will pay higher utility bills than necessary, have a shorter equipment life and possibly be in an unsafe environment.

Consumer Reports does not rate central heating and air conditioning systems for the fact that so much of the success of the system depends on the installation and continued maintenance of the system. Very little – maybe 25% is the manufacturer.

When a homeowner has a problem with their system they don’t call the manufacturer – they call the company that installed the system or a local service company. I would hate to think of trying to get a hold of anyone at a manufacturer that could solve their problems.

We like to look at all the manufacturers product offerings and do business with local distributors that provide good service ( after 5:00 we can get a hold of someone). Also we sell brands that have an emphasis on quality since we are providing the warranty service for what we install.

Some manufacturers are taking their manufacturing out of the United States to Mexico (Lennox) which the HVAC negatively views.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I understand what you're saying about the service company making the difference. I have to say though that I installed a Lennox two years ago because I thought they were a proven brand. I even bought the top model they offered. It is very loud and they advertised this Lennox unit as one of the quietest on the market. I'm very disappointed. Are all the brands poorly made like this?

Steve Burbridge said...

Dear Anonymous,
I am sorry to "hear" that you have a noisy unit. It is unusual for a top end unit to be noisy regardless of the brand. There are many areas a technician would check - most of which are related to the installation, but not all. It could be the unit itself. Here are some things it could be..... compressor noise do to improper charge, refrigerant piping rubbing on the exterior wall of the home, unlevel unit, a fan blade that is bent, unsupported refrigerant piping and many other possibilities.
If you live in the Kansas City area, we would be happy to check it out and make it quiet.
Steve Burbridge
Comfort Expert

MSJOANIE said...

HI
SOME OF THE MOST WORRY PROBLEMS WE FACE IS BUYING ANY THING NEW.
WILL IT HOLD UP IS IT MADE IN THE USA ARE THE PARTS MADE IN THE USA IS THE SERVICE TECH-INSTALLER USA CITIZENS HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET SERVICE.JOANIE CARTER