If I had a penny for every time I got asked this question, I probably wouldn't have to work anymore. Ok that's a slight exaggeration but you get the point. I will attempt to explain what sets the different brands of heating equipment apart and hopefully put this age old question to bed.
Technicians will absolutely be biased if asked what the best brand is. If asked, they will either tell you whatever brand their current company installs and/or the brand they are most comfortable working on. This makes sense as there are so many manufacturers out there and each one is uniquely designed with differences that can make it a challenge for techs to service and repair especially if they don't see a particular brand very often. This is not to discredit your tech's view especially since that tech will likely be the one servicing your equipment, you will certainly want something they are comfortable and confident with.
Advertising has a huge impact on the "best brand". We all hear about Trane and Carrier as they probably spend more money on branding than any other manufacturer. The fact that we as consumers are familiar with these, we immediately associate them with quality. Not to say that the quality isn't there, but just being able to recognize a name doesn't mean it's a great product. We inherently want to convince ourselves that since we know that one, it must be good. Afterall, we ourselves can't be wrong; right?
All manufacturers of heating and cooling equipment have their issues and all were designed to be abused and continue to work in harsh conditions. As a matter of fact, you may be surprised to hear that 80% of the domestically produced HVAC equipment manufacturers in the United States all use the same compressor manufacturer. The compressor being the heart and soul of the unit as well as a very expensive component to replace. So, if many of them are using similar parts, similar, controls/design, what makes any one better than the other?
The biggest factor in the quality/reliability is going to be the manner in which the equipment was installed. Would you be surprised if I told you that up to 90% of people installing heating and air equipment have NEVER read the installation manuals for the equipment they are installing? More so than ever in the history of our industry this is an imperative step especially since equipment produced now has more integrated controls as well as critical installation requirements. There are specific standards and steps that must be adhered to in the installation manuals that are designed to protect your investment. One example of this is brazing practices.
Go back 30 years in this trade and the act of brazing was a simple as lighting a torch and welding copper. There's a bit more to it these days. No manufacturer will ever recommend brazing without flowing nitrogen through the refrigerant lines as a means to prevent oxidation and carbon depositing inside the lines. This oxidation process creates carbon deposits that will be freed after the refrigerant is released, and while the system operates it will flow through the system clogging filters, metering devices, even lead to compressor damage/failure. This is only one example of an installation practice necessary to the longevity of an HVAC system. There are many many more that I can't cover in this article. I recommend taking an installation manual one day and just scanning through it, you will be amazed at the number of do's and don'ts you see!
Another major factor is equipment sizing. When a system is over or under sized, there are a number of issues that typically take a year of so to become a noticeable problem. These range from higher than expected energy bills, premature parts/equipment failure, noisy system operation, and high indoor humidity. The system often becomes the blame in a situation like this when the system can only do what it's told to do, which is turn on or turn off. A proper load calculation in accordance with the ACCA manual J is the only way to ensure that equipment is appropriately sized for an application. Then and only then can the equipment perform the way it was designed.
The next factor that eludes to the quality is that application. If you or someone you know has had an improperly installed unit, you likely blamed the brand; while unknown to you it was likely a poorly installed or implemented HVAC system. The ACCA manual S is an engineering manual designed for HVAC professionals to use as a guide to select the correct equipment for an application. It should be noted here that a proper load calculation is required before implementing the manual S. In the manual S we may be surprised to find that not every manufacturer produces the perfect equipment for every application.
To build on the manual S and application, appropriate duct sizing and layout is equally important to the application. If the duct system is not adequate, you will never get the appropriate distribution of air. This can lead to a number of issues to include (but not limited too) noisy operation, hot/cold rooms, high energy bills, premature compressor failure, and premature blower motor failures. Without proper air distribution, the equipment never had a chance to be "good", and there's no fancy fix for this. I've heard of people saying that a variable speed blower motor will fix these issues... I challenge you to find 1 true industry expert to agree with that statement. You won't!
Up to this point, I haven't really talked about quality differences between brands for a reason. That's because I've installed the "highest quality" and the "lowest", and seen both perform great and poorly. It all depends on who is putting in the equipment, how the equipment was installed, and lastly how well the equipment is maintained. The manufacturers have no control over any of these aspects. Environment has a major impact on the life of the equipment which is why maintenance is key even after a properly designed and installed unit is commissioned.
Kenneth Casebier
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