Building a new home. got estimates from Carrier, Luxaire, Trane, & Tempstar on heat pump w/ gas backup. Anyone know of a site or book that “rates” these products? Consumer Reports only listed repair percentages for only furnaces for the 12 largest. Trane was third best. Tempstar next to last, Luxaire not included. Carrier was sixth best.
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I would argue that the most important factor in quality cannot be measured at the OEM level, and that is the quality of the installer. The installer in an AC system can make all the difference between a system that will purr for the next 20 years and one that will fail in short order.
Until that vagary is removed from the equation, I'm afraid that equipment comparisions are likely to be pretty pointless. Having said that, most installers seem to prefer scroll-based compressors over the older recip kind, as well as simple one-or-two-speed fans. Look no further for anecdotal evidence than HVAC-Talk.com
So, spend your time on finding a great installer rather than fixating on a particular brand. Get those references, check them, then make your selection among the remaining cntractors. Also, demand a heat loss/gain calculation for the home, anyone that doesn't do one probably does not deserve your business.