RUUD vs. Weather King...RIPOFF??

[scrubs]

This is my 1st post on the fourm and need your advice/input on an a/c issue.

I'm currently having a home built that is 3 weeks away from completion. It's a 2500 sq ft, 2 story home that will have two 13 seer units. The R rating for the attic insulation is 30, and I've added radiant barrier to the underside of the roof in the attic. The builder stated in the contract that the home (as well as all of the other homes in the subdivision) will get 13 seer RUUD units. Today they installed the a/c units and put 2 Weather King systems instead of RUUD.
I searched online for info. on weather king but all I could find is that they're made by Rheem, which also makes RUUD.

My question is whether you guys think I'm getting ripped off by getting weather king units?
How do the 2 compare in terms of quality, reliability, warranty, etc.?

I'm going to complain to the builder and demand that they replace the 2 units with RUUD units but am afraid they'll come back and say that weather king is technically considered a RUUD system being how they're both built by Rheem...?

Also, I walked around to several of the other houses in the subdivision and found that some have weather king units, and some have RUUD units; HOWEVER, the RUUD units look identical to the weather king units...the only difference is that they seem to be placing a plastic RUUD emblems/plaques over the space where the weather king sticker should be found...? Is this a deceptive practice utilized by some builders..?

I would appreciate any help you guys can offer on the ordeal.

This is a pic I took of the house next to mine that also got a Weather King unit instead of a RUUD. As I mentioned, the few RUUD systems in the subdivision look identical to this one, except they have a RUDD cover over the weather king sticker you see in the photo.


http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx106/orscrubs1/IMG_2866.jpg

[servicetech90]

Weatherking you show in picture is identical to a similer ruud unit. Same quality. Not sure about warrantys.

[2old2rock]

That unit seems to be a bit close to the wall, don't ya think.
Ask your installer to leave a little room from the wall.

[sktn77a]

The WeatherKing units are identical to the bottom-of-the-line Rheem and Ruud units. The warranties are the same also.

[wisconsinapp]

Wouldnt make too big of a deal about it. If you demand they rip out the Weatherking units, chances are they are going to throw them in the truck and drive around the corner to put a Ruud sticker on it. Same unit, same packaging, everything is the same, except at the supply house, if you order a Rheem or Ruud, they take a Weatherking off the shelf and slap a different sticker on it. This is just on the lower end stuff. So if its a 13 seer unit, this is probably the case.

[scrubs]

Thanks for the responses guys.
So then there's really no difference between a Weather King 13 seer and Ruud 13 seer? No difference whatsoever in terms of price? quality? reliability etc? If that's the case, why then the effort on behalf of the builder to give the impression that each house will come with a Ruud when they're in fact installing weather kings if they're identical units?

I guess what I'm bothered by is that the builder might be charging me, assuming a Ruud 13 seer costs somewhat more than a 13 seer Weather king, for a Ruud yet they're paying the distributor less for the weatherking and pocketing the difference.

[Airmechanical]

as stated, the unit is too close to the wall



.

[JWB]

did someone spill their thread seal all over the LL service caps? Scrubs-proper install (the guys were trying to tell you what is wrong-too close to wall) is way more important then anything you can see. Different branding is just a way the manufacturers can have more dealers in small areas. One sells WK, one sells Ruud, one sells Rheem. On a basic 13 seer sys, no major diff's. Trane/American Standard. Carrier/Bryant--they all do it.

[BaldLoonie]

Did you get a model #?

They boys are right, the cubes are the same under all 3 brands. Rheem & Ruud get a deluxe model, they are rectangular. But if you were promised a Rheem or Ruud with no model # and got one with a WeatherKing sticker, no biggie. I have Rheem plates that go right over the King sticker.

[Twilly]

Twilli says if the dealer is a Rheem/Ruud top contractor they are allowed to label those units Rheem. There are two holes in the WK tag that it pushes into.

http://actionmechanical.rheemteam.net/

[cobitech]

WeatherKings are great units, same as RUUD. Your problem would be the unit being to close to the outside wall of your house. clearance is necessary so that your condenser can do it's job.

[scrubs]

Thanks for all the valuable input guys. I went by the house today and measured the distance from the 2 units from the wall and its about 20 inches...is this enough?
The unit in the picture I posted is from the house next to mine, I'll post some pics of my units tomorrow.

[cobitech]

Yes.....20" is adequate clearance.
Stop worrying and enjoy your new home and A/C equipment.:yes:

[simplyrollin]

Yeah, its the same unit.

[docholiday]

As Twilli said, if you feel where the crowns are, you will notice there are two holes behind them. To make it a Ruud, poke those holes out of the WK label and snap the Ruud label on it.