Weatherking or Philco

[bill4]

Couple years ago several of you helped me out in making sense of all the brands and which components were desirable while I was helping my mother have a new system installed. I decided on a rheem because of its exchanger, ignitor, scroll and reliability.

Now I need to begin replacing the systems in some 2 BR apartment units. Both contractors I know do good work and I trust but one uses weatherking and the other Philco in their economy models. I'll need a 45k btu 80% single stage gas furnace and I believe the weatherking in that size is very similar to that of the rheem with maybe the same exchanger and ignitor? The Philco all I know of is that Nordyne makes them.

For AC I am looking at the Weatherking 10AJA2501 2 ton 10 seer. Now I believe this just uses a recip compressor and not a scroll (or do all small condensors use recips?). Are there other component differences between a 10 seer rheem and weatherking? Is it similarly reiable? With the Philco AC again I can find little info on their components and quality. Any advise and guidance would be much appreciated.

[Jultzya]

Weatherking is Rheem while Rhilco is Nordyne... Nordyne is big on the manufactured housing end.

10 Seer Builder units are normally recip, but most manufactures have a step up series that offer a scroll compressor.

As you likely remember the installer is the key to your system reliability and longevity. Along with a proper load calculation.

BTW, welcome to HVAC TALK and how'd your mother make out? Any problems?

[BaldLoonie]

The King is a little Bristol recip, nice & quiet. The cabinet on the King is heavily built. Not familiar with Nordyne stuff around here. Going to a Rheem or Ruud gets you a Copeland scroll and the shorter, rectangular cabinet. Makes it easier for service too. But for a low buck unit, hard to beat the Kings as long as they don't have the Bristol Inertia compressor.

[redhawk]

http://www.nordyne.com/Philco.htm

This site should answer any questions that you may have on Philco.

[airworx]

weatherking.

[redhawk]

Philco is a very reliable unit. I sell them here in southeastern Ohio, and have had no problems with them. The Philco is not a builders unit and does have Copeland compressors in them.

jultzya you are correct that Nordyne is big on the manufacuted housing, but that is there Miller brand.

Nordyne's top of the line is their Frigidire units which are very nice. I am installing one in my home in a couple of weeks. After all, if you wouldn't put what you are selling in your own home, how then can you sell to a customer?

[hvac hero]

My vote would be weatherking, I am a fan of Rheem. Weatherkings start using scrolls in the 3 1/2 ton a/cs. I also noticed that the new 3 1/2 ton Weatherkings have a 3/4 suction line. Thought that was kinda strange.

[smadave]

Having been a Ruud Dealer for a long time, I have installed many weatherkings and I will tell you that I have had alot of problems with them. My advice is to stay away from the weatherking product, I do like Ruud very much, but a Ruud/Rheem is not the same as Weatherking! Please dont be fooled by people who will try to imply otherwise. I am not familiar with Philco but I am not a fan of Nordyne either. Perhaps you could get a third or fourth estimate. If your looking for builders grade stuff, I recommend Payne, which is a Carrier Product...they offer a nice product. I wouldnt get too hung up on what kind of compressor a unit has. Recips have been around for a long long time and are very reliable when installed properly.

Dave in NJ

[edward301]

I like Rheem, and Weatherking, have almost no problems
with either one, and any problems are simple, and easy
to fix.

In fact have never had a problem with Weatherking.

[bill4]

Thanks for the replies. You especially covered the condensor question so should I assume that the weatherking 80 is near the same as a rheem. From what I've read it has the same exchanger but I am not sure if it has a carbide or the better spark ignitor?

BL, Bit confused on the Bristols. So the 10 seer kings can come with either recip or inertia and I need to check with the installer to ensure which one he has for that particular unit or does the inertia just come in specific seers or ton sizes?

Yea, the install went well at my mother's. They had a job, taking out a huge 150k btu with a big cast iron exchanger and 2 large blowers (had an water cooled indoor compressor). I think the new system she finds the airflow from the faster fan to be a little annoying (2 stage 90% Rheem) but overall she is happy and its much more efficient than the tank they took out (especially the AC- cooling a condensor with 1 inch pipe results in a big water bill.)

[BaldLoonie]

Some of the 12 SEER Kings used the Inertia, an extremely noisy compressor. The 10 SEER units don't and are rather quiet.

[rsmith46]

Philco has a better warranty.