An air conditioner is a large investment, and finding the right brand for your home or office can be a major decision. The right air conditioner can provide comfort for many years and add value to your house. Finding the best air conditioner can be tricky, though. You’ll have to keep your needs and requirements in mind when choosing air conditioning units.
- 1 How to Picking the Right Air Conditioner
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Top 10 Air Conditioner Brands:
- 2.1 American Standard Air Conditioners Brand
- 2.2 Carrier Air Conditioners Brand
- 2.3 Goodman Air Conditioners Brand
- 2.4 Lennox Brand
- 2.5 Mitsubishi Air Conditioners Brand
- 2.6 Trane Air Conditioners Brand
- 2.7 Bryant Air Conditioners Brand
- 2.8 Rheem Air Conditioners Brand
- 2.9 York Air Conditioners Brand
- 2.10 Amana Air Conditioners Brand
How to Picking the Right Air Conditioner
For most people, the first thing they look at in central ACs is how well it cools a room and how fast. Naturally, since an air conditioner’s main purpose is to provide comfort by cooling your room, it makes sense to take this vital factor into account. But other features of ACs are also important to consider. For one thing, you want to make sure that your AC is the right size to turn your house into a smart home – larger ACs are made for larger areas, so installing a powerful AC system in a small room would not be very energy efficient. Similarly, a small AC would not be suitable for a larger room.
Energy efficiency doesn’t just stop at area and size, but you must also consider how much energy the system takes to cool your room. Some AC units are more efficient than others, and you will find that they consume less electricity to provide the same level of comfort. This can be measured through the system’s SEER ratings.
Another important factor for many people is the price factor. While you must remember that price and value are not the same, quite often, people on a budget will consider ACs lower in price than others. This might mean sacrificing some features. While the unit’s price is an important consideration, it is best to look at the expenditure as a whole compared to the unit itself. For example, if an air conditioning system is less pricey but comes with high installation and recurring maintenance costs, it is better to spend a larger amount on a system and save on the variable costs that come along.
Top 10 Air Conditioner Brands:
With all of the above-explained factors in mind and extensive research, we came up with the best air conditioner brands list, ranked according to their quality, features, technologies, and the benefits they offer. If you want to buy an AC but aren’t sure which brand to choose, we’ve got your back. Use this list of the best AC brands to make a good buying decision.
American Standard Air Conditioners Brand
American Standard Air Conditioners
American Standard air conditioners are easily one of the best in the industry. They classify their AC systems in Platinum, Gold, and Silver levels based on the unit’s efficiency, comfort, and cooling stages, so you can pick what level suits you best depending on your home structure. The unit’s energy efficiency will also depend on the system you pick and can have a SEER rating of between 13 and 22. The unit itself is very reliable and comes with low maintenance costs, as the company gets much fewer repair calls than other companies in the same industry. While the installation cost starts from $3500, it justified the value offered by this premium unit.
Carrier Air Conditioners Brand
Next on the list is Carrier, and there is a good reason Carrier is considered such a top-quality brand. They follow strict quality standards, so their air conditioners provide the best level of comfort. Carrier also has the most options to choose from, so you are more likely to find the best AC system for your house that caters specifically to your needs. Carrier air conditioning systems have a SEER rating from 13 to 22, so you can be sure that your unit will be energy efficient.
The installation of these AC units is costly, but the repair costs are reasonable than most other brands in the industry. Carrier also has highly qualified installers, so you can rest assured that the unit you get will be installed correctly. The company also offers a comprehensive and long-lasting warranty, as well as very impressive customer service. All of these, in addition to the high value of the units, make the slightly higher initial cost of the unit worth it.
Goodman Air Conditioners Brand
Goodman air conditioners are among the favorite of most homeowners, thanks to their low pricing that makes them much affordable. While higher prices are often associated with premium quality, Goodman proves to be just as great as other HVAC brands while still being less pricey. Not only are the installation costs quite low, but the units themselves are also heavy-duty and come with multiple useful features. The company also offers many warranty programs that you can opt for, which means you’re getting good value at a much lower price. The SEER ratings of these units are between 13 and 18, which is a fairly reliable range.
Lennox Brand
Of all the air conditioner brands available, Lennox is the one best known for its energy efficiency. Some models have a SEER rating as high as 26. There is also a decent variety of models to pick from, featuring different compressor types to help cool your home more precisely. They also have impressively low sound, so your AC can run without making too much noise.
Lennox has been around for quite a while and is known to be a reliable and trustworthy brand. The different parts of the unit come with a five-year warranty, while some models have a 10-year warranty. Though the price may be a bit high, you can be sure that you are getting a valuable and worthy product.
Mitsubishi Air Conditioners Brand
Mitsubishi is a Japanese brand famous for several electronic items. This AC brand is also the favorite of most Americans. Their HVAC systems have been on the market since the 1980s, and they are known for being one of the most reliable and efficient systems available. Mitsubishi compressors come with a 12-year warranty and have a number of models for indoor units.
While Mitsubishi units have very high SEER ratings that can go up to 30, making them extremely energy efficient, they only provide air conditioners with ductless systems, which can be costly to install if you are setting up more than one of them in your house. However, if you want to install only one unit, this can be a good and reasonable choice.
Trane Air Conditioners Brand
Another top-of-the-line brand for HVAC systems, Trane offers various models, from single-stage ones to those with variable capacity, for you to pick the one that best suits your home or office. They have a standard 10-year warranty and are also rated as the second most reliable brand for ACs.
Trane builds its own compressors to make sure their air conditioning units provide maximum comfort. The units themselves have sleek designs, making them look great on your wall. Trane units have an efficiency rating between 14.5 and 22, making the slightly higher price worth the value. But, if you live in a cooler area, it may not be best suited for you since it is designed to run longer at lower speeds to keep hot areas from getting too humid.
Bryant Air Conditioners Brand
Bryant is another brand of air conditioners that you should consider when choosing an AC system. Bryant offers more than just air conditioning units and has flexibility in their systems, from rooftop to the standard central cooling. They have units with a noise level as low as 68 decibels and have a high-tech thermostat that lets you remote control the cooling with precision and also allows you to schedule cooling.
Their units are priced reasonably, making them more affordable than some of the other brands on the list. Bryant air conditioners are often made using the same quality parts as some pricier brands such as Carrier, making Bryant a good quality option while also being much more affordable. The units are energy efficient, with SEER ratings of 13 to 20.5. Though installation costs can vary between units and models, it is quick and easy to carry out, and the units themselves are very durable for their price, which can let them last much longer.
Rheem Air Conditioners Brand
Rheem’s products are marketed under the promise of providing “a new degree of comfort.” The company produces air conditioning units that are known for their two-stage function. By allowing the user to interact with the system, they can set it according to their needs and customize their comfort levels. While Rheem AC systems may not be suitable for people who prefer their ACs to automate their functions, Rheem is one of the brands that provide good air conditioning within a smaller budget and lower installation costs than others.
Rheem may not be considered a premium brand, but it is a good option for homeowners looking for a lower-cost solution for their air conditioning needs. The units are also quite durable, and repairs are not needed as frequently. Rheem air conditioners also have good energy efficiency, with a rating of 13 to 20 SEER. You can choose a rating that meets your needs and rest assured that your air conditioning needs will be met. All in all, they are definitely a good option to consider, especially at the price at which they are available.
York Air Conditioners Brand
While looking for reliable ACs, you’re sure to find York HVAC systems on most good air conditioner brands list. That is because they provide great value for their prices. Their units are priced lower than most others and have reasonable installation costs as well. Some of the models have greater SEER ratings (ranging between 13 and 18) and might be more costly. York’s air conditioner parts are easy to find, and they have long warranties on all of them, which makes them an attractive choice for those looking to cut costs even further.
However, some of these models are rather high-tech, making them a less popular option for homeowners who would like to have their AC systems automated. Others might prefer to have units that can be pre-programmed to cool their houses for days or weeks. York systems are also known to be noiseless, which is a great plus, and further add to their value.
Amana Air Conditioners Brand
Amana air conditioners are another great brand for premium HVAC units and are considered rather popular to homeowners looking for units. Their products are quite energy-efficient, with a good SEER rating (between 14 and 25). Residential buyers will often not need a SEER rating of more than 16, so this brand offers just the right number. Amana has some of the industry’s best warranty options, with many of their models having lifetime warranties for replacements.
Amana ACs also have some of the best compressors, and these units are available for reasonable prices. Their installation costs will depend on the model you select but are generally quite reasonable, making them a good investment. Though Amana is a much better option than several of the brands on this list, it is ranked in the last place because the equipment they use in their AC systems is very similar to the equipment Goodman uses for theirs, despite Amana being a much costlier choice.
Conclusion
Different homeowners (and homes, for that matter) have different requirements when it comes to buying ACs. Most residential buyers will generally prefer to have a basic setup that doesn’t need much programming, but industrial or commercial buyers might have different needs. Sizes and compressors are important considerations, but they matter when there are limitations in the installation options.
Before you make a purchase, make sure to talk to your HVAC installer about what kind of machinery works best for you, instead of just buying a unit from a top brand without understanding your needs. You can use this list of the top air conditioner brands as a guide to making a good decision.