A Guide to Choosing the Right A/C Brand for Your Home

There are numerous air conditioners on the market, and each brand has its range of available options, so choosing the right A/C brand for your home can be confusing.

An air conditioner is a large purchase, so it’s worth looking at available options from several leading manufacturers before you decide.

The focus here is on four industry-leading manufacturers with proven track records of innovation and quality. Since our air conditioners get such a hard workout during our brutally hot Arizona summers, we need high-quality, durable, energy-efficient air conditioners for our homes.

Chas Roberts sells all four of these leading air conditioner brands and can help you choose the best air conditioner for your home.

SEER

When evaluating air conditioners, it helps to understand SEER ratings.

The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, known as SEER, indicates an air conditioner’s efficiency and performance. The SEER rating shows how much energy an air conditioner will use in a year.

The higher the SEER, the less energy the air conditioner will use for cooling.

Here’s a summary of the four most energy-efficient air conditioner models from four top brands:

1. Trane

Trane has been a pioneering industry leader in providing products that deliver comfort at home for over a century. Trane designs, builds, tests, and rebuilds many parts used in the air conditioners it manufactures.

Trane’s most energy-efficient A/C unit is the XV20i TruComfort Variable Speed air conditioner. Some features of the unit include:

• Rated up to 22 SEER.
• Variable cooling stages for precise temperature control by automatically adjusting the temperature while maintaining speed to avoid temperature swings.
• Sound rating of 55 decibels (dB), which Trane claims is 4 dB less than its competitors’ minimum.
• The compressor, outdoor fan, and indoor fan can all vary speed and BTU as the outdoor temperature changes, slowing down or speeding up to keep the temperature within half a degree of the thermostat setting.
• The estimated energy savings of the XV20i is 64%.
• This unit is Energy Star qualified.

Trane also notes that the XV20i air conditioner was recognized as the Most Efficient of Energy Star in 2019.

Trane’s quietest air conditioner is the XV18 Trucomfort Variable Speed unit. It’s rated up to 18 SEER, has ultra-quiet performance, and is also Energy Star qualified.

2. Lennox

Lennox is another air conditioner manufacturer initially founded over one hundred years ago.

Lennox’s top-of-the-line air conditioners are the Dave Lennox Signature Collection, and the top energy-efficient model within that collection is the 2L28XCV A/C unit.

Some features of this unit include:

• Rated up to 28 SEER. Lennox claims no other air conditioner comes close to this level of efficiency.
• Variable-capacity for precise temperature control using Lennox’s Precise Comfort technology, adjusting cooling output in minute increments to minimize energy use and maximize comfort.
• Sound rating as low as 59 dB.
• The estimated annual energy savings of the 2L28XCV unit is 63%.
• This air conditioner is part of what Lennox calls the Ultimate Comfort System, a whole-home comfort system designed to provide the cleanest air possible.
• This unit is Energy Star qualified.

The 2L28XCV air conditioner has been designated as one of the Most Efficient of Energy Star in 2022.

Lennox’s other air conditioners include the Elite series and the less expensive Merit series. Although units within these series don’t match the energy efficiency of the 2L28XCV air conditioner, all but the two least energy-efficient units are Energy Star qualified.

3. Carrier

Carrier’s highest efficiency, most advanced air conditioner is the Infinity 26 model with Greenspeed intelligence, the 24VNA6.

Features of this unit include:

• Rated up to 26 SEER.
• Sound rating as low as 51 dB, which Carrier claims is up to 50% quieter than its nearest competitor.
• Variable speed compressor that allows the unit to adapt its output to the needs of your home, which Carrier terms Greenspeed intelligence, to provide only the amount of cooling needed.
• This unit is Energy Star qualified, but Carrier doesn’t list a percentage for the estimated annual energy savings.

Carrier’s next most efficient air conditioner is the Infinity 19VS model. This unit is a variable speed unit rated up to 19 SEER, with premium comfort features, and is also Energy Star qualified.

4. Goodman

Goodman is another big name in the HVAC industry, and they’ve been in business for decades.

Goodman’s top air conditioner is the GVXC20, a high-efficiency unit with Inverter Technology.

Features of this air conditioner include:

• Rated up to 24.5 SEER.
• High-efficiency variable speed compressors. The variable electronically commutated motor (ECM) allows for operation over a wide range of speeds from 0% to 100%, providing maximum energy efficiency.
• High-density foam compressor sound blanket.
• Designed to regulate and communicate with Goodman’s ComfortBridge Controls System, so you can remotely manage your cooling system via an internet connection.
• This unit is Energy Star qualified, but Goodman doesn’t list a percentage for the annual energy savings.

Goodman’s next most efficient air conditioner is the GSXC18 model Split Air Conditioner.

It has a two-stage scroll compressor that runs at either 65% or 100% and can also communicate with Goodman’s ComfortBridge Controls system for remote management of cooling and heating via the internet.

The GSXC18 unit is 19 SEER and is Energy Star qualified.

Conclusion

The top-of-the-line high-efficiency air conditioners manufactured by the four industry-leading companies mentioned here all have a proven track record of performance.

Each would be a vast improvement over the older model air conditioner you may have now.

Today’s air conditioners are far more energy-efficient than the air conditioners of even ten years ago, so you’ll save on energy costs with any of these new units. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that you could save 20-40% of cooling costs by replacing a ten-year-old unit with a new, more efficient model.

However, even the highest-performance air conditioner needs regular maintenance.  Chas Roberts has a 26-point maintenance plan to keep your air conditioner running smoothly on the hottest days of summer.

Chas Roberts has been family-owned and operated for over 75 years and is the largest HVAC provider in Arizona.  Contact us for affordable, reliable service.