York vs Trane home AC?

[g20zoom]

I'm in the process of getting AC quotes for our home. 1400sf 2 story in southern CA. I've been reading all over...and it seems like installation is more important than the actual brand. Every installer seems to push their own brand. Problem is that the more well known dealers seem to be Trane, with one doing Trane but specializes in York.

3 ton York Affinity 5T(2 stage, 15 seer) - $4500 installed - 500 rebate 3 ton York Affinity 3S(1 stage, 13 seer) - $3900 installed - 200 rebate 3 ton Trane XR14 for $5800 Trane XB13 for $3800

Now everyone says Trane is known as the most reliable but like any brand, have repairs too.

Question...is York a good brand? I like the installation company alot and it just seems I get a lot of bang for the buck, good install, etc going with the 5T york. I plan to have the place for a while, but I don't know if I can justify the Trane cost. I know they have a good product, but just seems way over priced. A couple of folks said they don't even install the XB13 because it's the low end Trane....so if anything, it would be a XR14.

I'm getting more quotes on the Trane in the next week, so we'll see if they can narrow down the price.

Any comments on the YOrk 5T system?

thanks!

-joe

[Noon-Air]

Installation is everything. Getting it done right isn't free, your not gonna get what you don't pay for. As far as the quality of the equipment, let me defer you here.....

[g20zoom]

Well..that's for furnaces, and yes...several of the Trane sellers showed me that. It would mean more if it were ACs...I imagine divisions in one company can vary in quality. So does that few percent make a world of difference? Is it like comparing a lexus to a toyota? I don't need the best of the best, but i do want a fairly reliable unit for many years to come.

[KJPRO]

Yep...

Not when my competitor installs one.

Re-read the first sentence in this post.

[KJPRO]

Why did you have to start this??? Every competent tech knows that CR reports are a joke when it comes to HVAC equipment.

[KJPRO]

Then find the *best* installing company around and have them install what they sell and service. Remember, service is just as important as the initial install. If they don't stock parts or offer after hours service... that sucks!

[Ed]

Well, since you asked, I really dont care for york. Opinions will range from one end of the spectrum to another. FWIW, I put Trane in my house.

Ed

[Rod]

Trane is better. Of course any unit is only as good as the installer. York uses Bristol compressors which in our experience have a high rate of failure. We've condemned more Bristol compressors than any other brand compressor. Trane makes their own compressors and it is a great compressor. It is hands down better than the Bristol. If you don't want Trane then look for something with a scroll compressor in it made by Copeland such as Rheem. Copeland makes a good compressor also. At one time York made a decent unit and if I'm not mistaken they have changed hands as a company a time or two and their quality has suffered. I have Trane in my house (well actually American Standard which is the samething). Rodney

[KJPRO]

Bullshit, prove it.

Or most any other brand.

[Bubba]

hehe. Someone obviously brain-washed your stupid ass. Either that or you are getting paid by Trane which I know aint happenig. In case you havent figured it out, it is ALL shit. They are all mass producing junk that is basically 'throw-a-way" equipment. Just like everything else being made today. The equipment that gets the best installer is the equipment that has the best chance of running the longest with the fewest repairs. Bubba

[Rod]

Don't really have to prove anything I guess. I said at the beginning of the post that it was our experience. We sold 3 frasier johnson units a few years ago which as you know are made by York. All 3 systems leaked in the condenser or evaporator coils and one of them had a compressor go down. All within the first year. Now on the other hand the American Standard units we've put in have never had a leaking coil within the first 5 years. We have changed AS/Trane compressors but near as many as we have changed on york, coleman, frasier johnson. Now that could be attributed to the fact that some of the guys that sell that stuff don't pull evacuations on their installs around here. But there are plenty that put in Trane around here that I know don't pull evacuations on equipment either. Surely I'm not the only one who has noticed that a good many Bristol compressors lockup at around the 10 year mark. Flame on :-) Rodney

[Nicolas]

York ain't too bad and that bullshit about Trane is overblown. What goes in my house is what is prevalent for the area ans will be readily serviced 24 hours a day, everyday and with parts readily available. The stuff Steve sells is better then both in the long run. If you need "Home Depot" to sell furnaces and get your work for you..Well.. your just in the wrong business.

** Posted from **

[KJPRO]

No flaming, just the cold hard facts that your assumptions are complete BULLSHIT.

The first th

[g20zoom]

Well...I asked my estimator last week, and he says the York Affinity

3s and 5T have Copeland scroll compressors! The company/installer is a 30 year old company, so hopefully they are right.

Another company, did mention that the York Affinity condensors are dead quiet and have a smaller footprint, but he questions the small tubes on them and if they will clog over time.

I'm leaning towards the XB13 now...for reliability and the installer seems to do everything by the book, as he claims. evacuating, checking hi/low pressures, temp...etc.

[Bubba]

Whats he checking the hi/low pressures for? Worms? Bubba

[KJPRO]

I'd have them prove this... as I see, it's neither a Copeland or Bristol.

Clog??? With what??? I guess they don't own (or know what they're for) a micron gauge???

Equipment isn't reliable, till it's properly sized, installed and set-up to run with-in the manufacture's specifications. Does he understand Superheat, Subcooling, Latent and Sensible?

[Rod]

My technical understanding is just fine. Trane does not use the same components as other manufactures when it comes to their compressors and if you don't know that by know maybe you should checkup on your technical understanding of heating and a/c equipment. Also trane uses a one piece aluminum condenser coil (spine fin) which gives better heat transfer. I understand that contactors and capacitors and such are off the shelf parts but they do make their own compressors (with the exception of maybe some of their earlier scrolls) and it is a great compressor. Like I said before it is based on *our* experience. Not what we've read or heard. So if a certain namebrand performs well and we think it's a good unit then where is the harm in that. If you bought a kenmore dishwasher and it went down on you in a month, and you got another and it went down, and then you got another and it went down would you not think "maybe this company is not building a very good dishwasher"? That was our experience with York, Coleman, Frasier Johnson. Look again closely **OUR** experience. If York has went to copeland compressors then great, maybe they are turning over a new leaf but we have had a lot of trouble out of them. Like I said above we put in 3 and all 3 gave trouble and we've worked on more than we can count and they just don't hold up like some of the others. Regardless of how much you flame, whine, or cuss at me, my experience is still more important then what you say or think. Nuff said...

[Rod]

Just my opinion based on my experience. What's been your experience?

Never said or implied all other manufactures use Bristol compressors. As a matter of fact I said find a manufactor that uses Copeland.

How am I rating *all* other manufactures. Just talking about York, Coleman, and Frasier Johnson (you know they are all the same don't you?)Also not limited data. We've changed at least 50 Bristol compressors since we've been in business and around 15 Trane compressors. Not sure about copeland probably around 25 or so. Now some of those Bristols were in Goodman units before they went to Copelands. Also our local supplier (Winair) dropped the Frasier Johnson line because "They are junk" (their words). They got sick of all the warranty claims. Of course I guess they have limited data also.

Also keep in mind we do service on a lot of different namebrand equipment installed by a lot of different people. So my "limited" experience is based on all the hand full of York made units we installed but mostly on the countless number of them we've worked on over the years. Rodney

[Noon-Air]

Some of the stuff I am installing now has 2 stage Copeland scroll compressors.

[KJPRO]

I said "some of the same" not that the compressors *were* the same. Get it right!

If your technical skills are what you think, you'd understand!

Look again, your quote "Trane is better. Of course any unit is only as good as the installer."

The above sentence, it says BETTER... then "only as good as the installer" So what happens when he hires a Hack that installs a Trane unit? It equals a Piece of Shit, PERIOD!!!!!!

Oh my, a whole 3... WOW!!!!!

So you're sure there's no installation issues?

Just to yourself... cause your experience doesn't count for much here. It's really simple to see that you have trouble with FACTS!