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Trane vs. American Standard
I am in the market to replace my central air and gas furnace. I am a value shopper (will not buy bottom of the line or builder's grade and not sure that I see the benefit to the very top of the line). With that said, I am looking for educated opinions.
I believe that the Trane brand is manufactured by the American Standard corporation.
Are there differences (price, quality, other) between Trane and American Standard equipment with the same AFUE and SEER ratings?
What other brands (Carrier, Rheem, Lennox?) should I be considering?
Must equipment be matched by brand? Or can thermostats, furnaces, heat pump or central air, coils, and air cleaners be mixed to get the "best" system for reasonable price?
Hopefully I did not ask for too much in one post...........
Professional Member
Trane used to be part of American Standard. Trane was sold off as a separate company and was recently purchased by Ingersol Rand. American Standard is a brand made by Trane. Equipment is basically the same except for a few cosmetics. Trane sometimes has longer warranty on certain models. Trane makes American Standard brand so they can sell to other dealers that do not sell Trane. It allows them to gain market share. Both Trane and American Standard are very good equipment lines.
Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.
Global Moderator
What has to be matched is the indoor coil to the outdoor unit. Beyond that, matching isn't required. If you want to get a specific SEER on higher end equipment, you do then need that brand's matching variable speed furnace. Or if you want all controlled together by a system like Carrier's Infinity or Bryant's evolution.
We sold many a system in the 90s with 1 brand of A/C & coil and another furnace. Each had their benefits and we felt we gave the customer a nice setup. This was back in the 10 SEER days too.
Yes, another American company leaves us. Ingersoll Rand is a Bermuda company.
Regular Guest
Time for a tour of their main officesOriginally Posted by BaldLoonie
Professional Member
If it were my house, I'd definitely take the AS over the Trane. And if you're looking into something like Lennox, I'd say you would be well-advised to consider Armstrong or Ducane.
Why? They're basically the same units, only cheaper. The parts are more "standard" and easy to replace. And in my opinion, more bells & whistles = more things that can go wrong.
Regular Guest
Thanks for the input!
No mention of Carrier\Bryant. Thoughts out there or is AS or another secondary brand the way to go?
Professional Member*
Trane's XLi matched systems have a 10-year parts warranty on ALL parts, which is better than what American Standard provides.
Professional Member*
I beg to differ. Armstrong and Ducane are not anything like a Lennox. They are manufactured seperatly from Lennox. They are all owned by Lennox International but that is as far as it goes.
Its a good Life!
Professional Member
This is my personal opinion on the subject.
I work on commercial equipment all day and I do some residential installs for friends.
I have installed American Standard, Bryant, Coleman, Goodman, ICP, Payne, Rheem, Trane, York and probably a few others that I cannot remember.
Most of these units will use most of the same mechanical parts. Where you will see the biggest differences in these units is in the electronics (controls) and in the ease of service.
My preference goes towards the Rheem in servicing since the compressor is not sitting under the condenser fan lending itself to easier servicing.
On the American Standard the reversing valve and other items are located between the condenser and the exterior housing with a removable access panel. Once again this unit will be easier to service. One negative on the American Standard units is that if you plan to mount them on wall brackets they are a PITA to install due to the plastic base used which is very uneven.
Professional Member
I personally prefer the Trane XLi series line-up.
I like the rainshield on the XLi systems. And the 10 year warranty is nice to have as well.
But I guess one would venture to say I've been Tranewashed. I worked for a Trane dealer for about 2 years. I could fix a unit hanging upside down with a blindfold and only 1 arm. I knew them things inside and out. But thats what you get from seeing them day in and day out.
Lennox are a whole nother story. I am not a fan of Lennox. For several reasons.
I have since left the residential field. I work in Commercial and Refrigeration now. See a lot of Carrier and Lennox RTU. I prefer the Lennox RTU over the Carrier. For reasons which I cannot really explain.
Anyhow, thats my 2 cents on it. Get multiple quotes and stop looking for the good deal. Remember, if its too good to be true, then it probably is.
And ponder this.......a low grade system installed properly will out perform a high efficiency system installed improperly. So keep that in mind when you are discussing and choosing your contractor and new system. Don't go with the cheapest price. That is a normal indication of the cheapest labor.
I fully support the military and the War on Terrorism.
If you don't know, then don't do. If you don't know and still do, then be prepared to pay someone else a lot to undo what you did and then do it right.
If you do know, then do. But do it right. Otherwise, you may not be doing it long.
God Speed, Jim. We'll miss you - 2-26-23
It doesn't matter if its the primary, or the secondary brand.
If the contractor won't come back to address any issues you have.
Its a POS.
Definition of a conversation piece.
An HVAC system that doesn't heat or cool properly.
An HVAC system that the contractor won't look at on the weekend.
Remember. A salesmen may promise that a brand X system can deliver the moon.
But its what the installers can deliver that counts.
Banned
my American Standard came with 10 year parts warranty
it's an 18 seer Heritage!
.
Professional Member*
My American Standard 12.0 Heritage has 10 year warranty and it's 4 years old .
I would like to recommend Carrier Infinity or Maybe new Carrier 15.0 Seer with Variable Drive and Edge Thermostat.
I have FRANKENSTEIN unit myself.
Lennox-Gas Furnace 80MGF
Lennox -CH16-46
American Standard-12.0 S.E.E.R. Condenser ~3.5 ton
But, If I want 72* on a 100* day it brings it down fast and comfort is great.
'Life begins with the journey each day'
Professional Member*
All Allegiance® and Heritage® products:
* 10-year limited warranty on Duration™ compressor
* 10-year limited warranty on Spine Fin™ coil
* 5-year limited warranty on all other parts
* Optional extended warranties available for 10-year coverage on parts and labor (ask your dealer for details)
Why does American Standard website say different for the Heritage 18? Did American Standard change the warranty? Misinformation on the website assuming yours and aircooled's warranties came from the factory...
God Speed, Jim. We'll miss you - 2-26-23
Backed by Trane's industry-leading limited warranty
* Ten-Year Limited Warranty on compressors and outdoor coils
* Ten-Year Limited Warranty on internal functional parts on units installed after October 1, 2001 and manufactured after January 1, 2000.
* If you have an indoor gas furnace, coil or air handler installed at the same time as a XL14i outdoor condensing unit, those units will be covered for ten years on internal functional parts as part of the outdoor unit system warranty.
Professional Member*
I'm talking about American Standard's equivalent. I do know that the XLi has that warranty, but I'm not sure about the Heritage or Allegiance line. The website says it's a 10/5 warranty, but airmechanical's has a 10-year warranty--I assume from the factory.
Professional Member
Thinking back over various Lennoxes, Armstrongs, and Ducanes I've seen, I think you're right. They are a lot different.
But with other brands, it seems like the "sister brands" are a much closer match.
For example, Armstrong, Ducane, and Concord all seem like pretty much the same thing.
Professional Member*
I started out selling Armstrong & switched to Lennox. NO, they are not the same, except their residential packaged units. I won't sell Lennox Packaged residential any more because of high failure rates. Armstrong in general fails a lot faster than Lennox in my experience.
I just had an indoor coil go bad in a 6 year old Armstrong split heat pump. The coil is not available at any price and I have to replace the entire system. I did not even bid Armstrong this time.
Just because the Armstrong company is owned by Lennox does not make their stuff Lennox. Just like Heil is not a Carrier, even though they are both owned by the same people.
Remember, Air Conditioning begins with AIR.
Regular Guest
In this industry, you will find two common themes when you are researching equipment. Price and Quality. Though the actual manufacturing brand may be important, more important is to find a reputable dealer in your area who installs the equipment using the best practices available. Absolutely get an accurate load calculation done by a reputable dealer. The downside is to the consumer. How do you choose a reputable dealer? Check with consumer agencies in your area, etc... Unfortunately, even this path may lead you to a bad experience. What I'm trying to say is, you get what you pay for when it comes to HVAC installations, service, etc... Second is quality. To give you an example, I work for a company who is a Lennox Dealer, but prefer Trane. Every manufacturer uses similar parts, whether it is their top of the line, or bottom grade, they are all comparable in some fashion. However, typically with higher grade products, they do use higher quality parts in some instances. What I can also recommend to you is the type of equipment. I still would not buy a 90% plus furnace. I believe the two-stage, variable speed 80% offered by Trane or American Standard would be the best furnace. Doesn't American Standard own Trane? I'm pretty sure they do. I still would not buy a 21 seer A/C by Lennox or Trane. I believe they are still working out problems (the 21 seer is still relatively new technology) with their technology. Take a look at Tranes 15i, as that is an awesome A/C. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the 15i come in a two-stage application as well? Not sure. Anyway, do research, but be aware you can still be taken.
Member
Actually... It should be - Price and Cost. It is two different things. Price is the amount you pay right now... cost is what you will pay tommorrow for your mistake today.
* Warranty (Parts AND labor) and install is the single most important thing...Period. - Dont let a dime, hold up a dollar.
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