Professional Member*
Trane
I guess this post is to vent a little bit and to see if anyone else shares my experience with Trane.
Recently I had a large Trane unit lose (2) compressors due to acid (though I have recommended oil analysis for years on these compressors) and this unit also had (1) compressor which was locked and my customer didn't want to replace. Well it hit the fan and one day I went from (3) compressor operational compressor to (1) which wouldn't operate due to the wonderful Trane control scheme. So I had a 140 ton rooftop with no cooling, or I guess you could say one big a$$ fan. I call Trane to get the compressors. They had (2) of the (3) in stock. I go to pick them up and one has a crushed liquid line connection. I take this one to try to reform it, didn't work. I ordered the last compressor and have it expedited, its suppose to be in on a Monday. The third compressor shows up on a Wednesday and it is destroyed, both pipe connections are smashed and the electrical box is ripped off the compressor, I realize this is the shipping companies fault and not Trane's. The salesman was more then helpful and credited me the shipping cost and expedited another compressor for me, suppose to be in the following Monday. Again it shows up on a Wednesday. I pick it up and try to reform the other damaged compressor. This doesn't go well so I order another one and its 3-4 weeks out
Other things I encountered during this ordeal, my local Trane does not stock the POE oil recommended for this compressor and it take a week to ship in. My local Trane does not stock the recommended contactors, auxillary switches, motor protectors, or restrictor kits recommended. All take 7-10 days to get unless I pay a ridiculous amout of shipping.
How does a company like this stay in business!
I call the parts counter and it takes upwards of 20 minutes to talk to someone, I'm looking for a simple part and it takes a week to get it, I need a simple question answered but I recieve no tech support because I don't sell Trane junk.
Am I the only one who consistently has problems dealing with Trane?
Professional Member
No your not and unfortunately I think they take their slogan to literally. Hard to stop a Trane?
So they dont stock parts at the parts shops because they don't think their equipment will break down? A little sarcasm.
But yes ive had to wait 5 business days in February for a ventor motor on a 3 year old unit for a rooftop. Typical situations with a/c parts. Plus their prices are an arm and a leg higher than any other parts shop.
So no your not.
Good luck!
Professional Member
I know just how you feel we just replaced a condenser coil in a trane rtu. simple job due to easy access unlike a carrier unit. we got everything put together run a pressure test on it and it went to whistling. it had a hole in the utube reciver port. i dont know if this happened at the factory or in shipping but there was no other damage. i dont think trane quality is what it once was.
Professional Member*
"Its hard to stop a Trane" but even harder to start one
Professional Member*
haha...i really like the design of smaller trane rtu. i like all of tranes residential.
we replace a condensor coil on a trane 30ton package unit that sat on the ground.....easy access...woohoo..
it had 144 joints where the 2 coils meet and probably 10 other joints we had to do. we did a pressure test and the we had only 1 leak from us and 2 leaks in the brand new coils braze joints.
Professional Member
Danfoss/Maneurop compressors are the best replacement for Tranes, they are cheaper and better.
Professional Member*
they are junk. i have replaced more of those compressors then the copelands.
Professional Member*
Maybe they are the same ones.....Originally Posted by valdelocc
Professional Member*
Please don't bash pos trane equipment. You may get someone here all upset.
Oh! Did I say trane is a POS?
Yes, I did.
What trane should do is "buy a L-series package unit from Lennox and put it in front of their head quarter lobby. So that everyday, everyone can walk by and learn how to design a unit like that".
I never buy a trane compressor if it is out of warranty. Go Danfoss and out bid other competitor.
Professional Member
I believe Trane makes its scroll compressors in Mexico, Danfoss bought Maneurop and the patent to make Trane compressors, Danfoss scrolls are more durable than Trane OEM, I have replace many greens with blue and so far so good.
Professional Member
The Lennox L series are problematic too, compressors and txv failures being the norm.
AOP Committee/Professional Member*
My boss ordered a Trane compressor a few weeks ago, and they sent him a Copeland. They didn't even say they were sending anything but the same type that was in the unit. They just took it upon themselves to send out a compressor that we could have gotten for half the Trane price at United.
I'd say they have issues if they want to save their reputation. The combustion motor fiasco did NOT help that cause.
[Avatar photo from a Florida training accident. Everyone walked away.]
2 Tim 3:16-17
RSES CMS, HVAC Electrical Specialist
Member, IAEI
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AOP Committee/Professional Member*
I feel fortunate that I have not had an L series with a really bad txv. One that's bad enough that the customer loses colling, and is willing to pay for it. I recommend the borderline valves, and the stores ignore the recommendation. I guess it's a roll of the dice in their mind, and really, it is not their money if they are wrong.
[Avatar photo from a Florida training accident. Everyone walked away.]
2 Tim 3:16-17
RSES CMS, HVAC Electrical Specialist
Member, IAEI
AOP Forum Rules:
Professional Member*
That's news to me and surely others too.
TXV on L-series is normally 15 minutes replacement job (complete job). Still better than those orifices from pos trane.
Just kidding guys.
I love them pos trane and PO junk light commercial carrier package unit. They keep my wallet fat and pay my boys through college and they won't have to deal with these pos and poj in their futures.
Keep it up trane and carrier.
Professional Member
We have put Danfoss compressors in place of the trane scrolls a couple times, works fine. Also we might have tossed an 06E in an old intellipak..
Professional Member*
I would go Danfoss, I typically do, but these compressors are under warranty, the unit is only 4 years old. I believe that Danfoss manufactures Tranes compressors and VFD's? It dropped 3 compressors in the first year, before I took over this building, and the other identical unit dropped 2 compressor in the first year. Once I got onsite I found Trane installed 35 ton TXV's on 70 ton circuits! They didn't catch this through 5 compressor, so I expect to lose more. Whoever did the start up was really good at making up values apparently. They also installed these replacements like $hit, hints the acid in the system. Another circuit dropped all 273lbs of refer because the tech forgot the suction line filter dryer gasket, but he swears it held pressure and a vaccum.
Other things wrong with these units I have found. Incorrect burner controls from the factory. Standard motors mounted on the evaporation condensers. Resistors installed for the saturated condenser sensors. I know theres more but I can't remember it all.
You'd expect better quality on units that cause hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Professional Member*
Trane Ipaks are in a class of their own. I don't even try to compare these units to anything else on the market. Those 3D scroll compressors are only as good as their crankcase heater. As soon as that heater goes, so will the compressor.
Regular Guest
Trane what to say. The compressors they put in there are junk. I changed 2 today in an RTU, the next unit over needs 2, thats probably Tuesday. And we had an Intellipak do the same thing this week, lost 2. Most of these Trane units are 6-7 years old. On the splits, I have repaired leaks on every Condensing unit we take care of, maybe 40, lol.
I suggest going Copeland when replacing the Trane OEM compressors. Its like for like, as I did today, its so easy to change them out.
Professional Member
We have a building with a whole bunch of 50 ton Trane RTU. Air is so bad in the building in a month you have to collect filters off the evap. If they go a month and a half we have a lot of compressors to change. They just don't stand up to abuse like they use to. In tandem compressors oil levels are never close to equal and the one with the lowest is of course the first to junk. Also getting tired of plugged orifice headers in smaller RTUs. We put a lot of txv kits in now instead of headers.
As bad as Trane can get. They can still make most of their competition look like a joke. We have two very critical RTACs that have had no unplanned downtime in six years of operation. Of course they are checked over heavily but it is a high bar that is set none the less that the other brands we sell have trouble reaching.
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