ReplyI want to say rheem but it’s a crapshoot. A goodman built on a wednesday is probably better than a rheem built on a monday, and vice versa. Id go with the better price which is likely goodman.
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While working on Ruud and Goodman units which do you feel is better quality?
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I want to say rheem but it’s a crapshoot. A goodman built on a wednesday is probably better than a rheem built on a monday, and vice versa. Id go with the better price which is likely goodman.
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We install Rheem exclusively. Minus the whole rust inhibitor disaster from
Copeland we have had very few problems. We were told though, if you are replacing a coil and leaving the existing case it is necessary to foil tape the insulation. The dust from the older copper coils will promote the new aluminum coils to corrode. Other then that I love it. That’s what’s in my house. Ripped a boiler system out over a year ago. Minus cleaning condenser and changing filters no issues.
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I second that, We also install Rheem exclusively. We changed alot of coils, but the aluminum coils solved the leak issues. My system has been in since 2011 no issues. Installed a system (HP) for my best friend in 2018 when they added onto their house, no issues yet either. However I installed a Tempstar HP system when they first built the place in 2003. Not one failure of anything there either. Although I am partial to Rheem, It's not the name on the unit, it's the name on the truck and the guy who drove up in it.Originally Posted by Metalman0880
As far as coils go, I'm of the opinion that a good vacum is the key. On all of those examples I know it was on the pump for about 3-4 hours. Don't matter what brand you install, sooner or later you'll go thru a series of some kind of issue.
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I don't know, this seems like asking would you rather drop a 8 lb hammer on your toe (no steel toe) or smash your finger in the break.
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I installed my goodman system 13 yr ago.
Only one control board problem, otherwise trouble free...
Those who dance, appear insane to those who do not hear the music.
Those who believe, appear ignorant to those who do not know God.
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Rheem, Goodman, Trane, Lennox, Carrier hmmmm all equally JUNK...
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Agreed. At least the Goodman has cheaper parts when it breaks though.
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I put a Rheem in my 83 year old home 16 years ago and have had zero issues. Easy to service.
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Goodman is far easier to work on and make do with non-OEM parts. Rheem doesn't give you a lot of space to work with in their units (if we're talking about new).
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All ac units have the same parts, some are put together better than others.
Most problems are with installation, to many rush jobs , if they do it right and then school the customer that they will need to upkeep service to maintain it.
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I disagree with the whole "They are all junk" mindset that most have. Are they of the same quality as the systems of the 70's & 80"s, no. However, when I take a 2 year old unit apart and have to struggle to get the panels to fit back together or see that unit less than 5 year old unit with most or all the screws stripped out, that is not the same quality. The other issue I see is serviceability. I realize you get use to servicing the brand you sell, so that one becomes easy, but, some units are just better designed for service than others, they have more space to add components, you don't have to struggle to get a bigger (size not uf) capacitor in it to replace the original one, you don't have to dismantle half of the unit to get to a part that needs regular service.
Not all brands are created equal and not all models in a brand are created equal. Some units are just better designed.
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The installation, testing and setup determine which one is the best not the name on the equipment. I have seen the cheapest equipment out perform the most expensive because it was set up correctly. And in most cases it had less repairs.
captain CO
Juan Madera liked this post.
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X2 what BNME8EZ said and plus what some others have commented about.
The majority of the time how well the equipment performs is the qaulity the installer provides in the installation and setup. Many units use the same Copeland scroll compressor or the WR relays, etc... I am a firm believer that the fancier, more options, more electronics you add the more problems that can arrise and do, the more sensative the equipment become to poor power qaulty and environmental issues. There are many studies about factory quality being worse for equipment assembled on Mondays and Fridays and I believe this is true after having worked in factories in early carreer.
I have two properties, in one I installed a Tempstar 80% Condesing Furnace and Rheem AC unit. In 23 years of use the only issue has been a failed induction fan blower about 5 years ago (plastic coupling to motor broke). The second property is a Goodman 95% furnace and a Ruud AC unit. In the 21 years they have been installed I have replaced the start contactor in the AC unit 3 years ago and this past winter the furnace induction fan motor started to make noise (have not replaced it yet).
All manufacturers have cheapened their construction; more aluminum less copper, thinner steel, less paint thickness, less corrosion resistance, designed service life shortened. The same has happened to all the componets that go into them. Just my opinion the number of units that will have more than a 20 to 25 year service (with minimal maintenance repairs) will become fewer and fewer
I had one buddy who used to say several times a day: It is a poor craftsman who blames his tools for poor quality/performance. Meaning a good dedicated tech can make a lesser quality thing perform well and that goes for about any thing, AC units, furnaces cars, trucks, etc....
Good Luck
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[QUOTE=Answer-Man;25545822] There are many studies about factory quality being worse for equipment assembled on Mondays and Fridays and I believe this is true after having worked in factories in early carreer.
[/]
Is that a real thing? We always have joked about that. Equipment made on those days really have more problems?
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I prefer goodman, despite the stupid toothed doors that take 20 minutes and a hammer to get in place and the coils that leak. Rheem air handlers are frigid hard to open up, the blower assembly is horrific if you have to work on it. Changing a transformer is really a chore with there design.
I stand by this, rheems have lasted longer by placing the compressor out of the discharge air but, with efficiency standards they have left that design.
Both the coils are gonna leak anyways would you rather pay 300 or 800 for a new one? Ide go with goodman.
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This is exactly what I meant by they are equally junk.
You can take any unit, I don't care how well it's built, or puffed up by the manufacturer, if the equipment wasn't installed properly, not maintained properly, and they all have the same issues, leaks, bad TXVs, ECM motor/module failure, glitchy control boards, hard to access igniters, flame sensors, xfmrs, etc.
I have seen dry charged 22 Goodman's on a 8 seer coil run longer, consume less electricity, and have less issues than a newly installed 20 seer Trane. And let's face facts, statistics show the anticipated life expectancy of today's equipment is less than 30 years ago, why?, poor installation practices, no I think not, it's beaten into everyone vacuum, nitrogen purge, digital gauges, adjust gas pressure, test CO, and yet most of this wasn't practiced 30 years ago, so what then?
Well poorer materials used upon manufacturing process is one thing, mass production, quality control, that pride in craftsmanship is gone on the manufacturing side even worse than in the field, then you get down to the largest single factor, DUCTWORK, it has been established by ACCA, that more than 90% of the ductwork in homes isn't sized properly, and this was by standards back in the early 2000's, if the ductwork wasn't sized good enough for 10 seer PSC motors, and those systems have seen the largest replacement amount, and let's face facts again, how many of us go into a two story home, furnace in the basement, single system and tell the customer well sir/ma'am, I will be having to rip open all of the walls and ceilings in your home to gain access to to original ductwork which has been documented by numerous agencies, isn't right and is causing strain on your system causing shortened life and poor delivery of the systems operation, that's right none, we over sell VS ECM motors signing it is a cure for the ductwork issues, it's not, the ductwork designed back in the 60's and 70's was seven times better crafted and installed but that was design based upon heating delivery from larger units with less airflow restrictions.
This is why I say all equipment is equally junk. Serviceability sure it's a factor for us techs but that doesn't make a unit last longer than another, just easier on us. And yes I am friends with a manufacturing rep who is a field service rep, who has told.me directly they know that the Monday/Friday joke has validity based upon thier warranty tracking. I mean we are all human, and we can all say we've had the F it Friday, and don't want to do it Monday.
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You are correct, much of this wasn't done 30 years ago, I was there. Here's a little secret for you, most aren't doing it today either. I regularly see people doing the same crap work they did when they started in the trade, like nothing has changed. Today's equipment is not as forgiving as yesterday's was, and this if for multiple reasons. This change in equipment is the reason for the stricter installation/service practices. Look at it this way if a shop isn't going to spring for a recovery machine do you really think they will buy a micron gauge, send techs to Jim Davis to learn how to use that expensive Combustion Analyzer, purge with N2. I saw a partial install last year that that didn't get finished till this year, the lines were open, both ends, while they were doing remodel work. We all know how clean that is. I heard a owner complaining about how expensive the training was to keep up on NATE certs. We can argue all day long about NATE, but the continuing ed is necessary either way. As I see it more equipment is killed by bad installers than dying of their own accord. You might ask why there are bad installers. That answer is simple. We have owners that are more concerned with today's dollar than how well equipment operates or lasts. Bad habits from one shop are transferred to surrounding shops like the plague, one infected individual passes it to another. To make it worse the good techs are leaving/retiring so there is not many left to show the freshman the right way and most of the freshman think they know it all already.This is exactly what I meant by they are equally junk.
You can take any unit, I don't care how well it's built, or puffed up by the manufacturer, if the equipment wasn't installed properly, not maintained properly, and they all have the same issues, leaks, bad TXVs, ECM motor/module failure, glitchy control boards, hard to access igniters, flame sensors, xfmrs, etc.
I have seen dry charged 22 Goodman's on a 8 seer coil run longer, consume less electricity, and have less issues than a newly installed 20 seer Trane. And let's face facts, statistics show the anticipated life expectancy of today's equipment is less than 30 years ago, why?, poor installation practices
Well poorer materials used upon manufacturing process is one thing, mass production, quality control, that pride in craftsmanship is gone on the manufacturing side even worse than in the field, then you get down to the largest single factor, DUCTWORK, it has been established by ACCA, that more than 90% of the ductwork in homes isn't sized properly, and this was by standards back in the early 2000's, if the ductwork wasn't sized good enough for 10 seer PSC motors, and those systems have seen the largest replacement amount, and let's face facts again, how many of us go into a two story home, furnace in the basement, single system and tell the customer well sir/ma'am, I will be having to rip open all of the walls and ceilings in your home to gain access to to original ductwork which has been documented by numerous agencies, isn't right and is causing strain on your system causing shortened life and poor delivery of the systems operation, that's right none, we over sell VS ECM motors signing it is a cure for the ductwork issues, it's not, the ductwork designed back in the 60's and 70's was seven times better crafted and installed but that was design based upon heating delivery from larger units with less airflow restrictions.
This is why I say all equipment is equally junk. Serviceability sure it's a factor for us techs but that doesn't make a unit last longer than another, just easier on us. And yes I am friends with a manufacturing rep who is a field service rep, who has told.me directly they know that the Monday/Friday joke has validity based upon thier warranty tracking. I mean we are all human, and we can all say we've had the F it Friday, and don't want to do it Monday.
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I remember Lennox Landmark units. They came in sections. Built like tanks. I'm going back to the mid sixties though.
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