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[FLYNDYNA]

 I just repaired a Goodman HVAC unit in my home that is 5 years old. I sent an e-mail to them Saturday at noon inquiring as to their product failure rate, as most of my neighbors have experienced some problem or another with this product, and never heard back from them. I've never owned a Goodman, and it seems like an off-brand...anyone have any feedback, either good or bad on this product line? I've always had York, Ruud or Rheem with great success. Any input would be greatly appreciated, as I would like to know whether I should begin shopping for replacement units now. Thanks!

Flyndyna

[SBB]

I just repaired a Goodman HVAC unit in my home that is 5 years old. I sent an e-mail to them Saturday at noon inquiring as to their product failure rate, as most of my neighbors have experienced some problem or another with this product, and never heard back from them. I've never owned a Goodman, and it seems like an off-brand...anyone have any feedback, either good or bad on this product line? I've always had York, Ruud or Rheem with great success. Any input would be greatly appreciated, as I would like to know whether I should begin shopping for replacement units now. Thanks!

Flyndyna

F/D

Have used Goodman in the past in apartments and townhomes.
Never had a short term reliability problem.
I call short term 5 years or less.
I use Trane now and a few Rheem.
Great success with Trane.
My suggestion is like you did, get the Goodman fixed and keep on for another 5 years.

SBB

[FLYNDYNA]

So, no one makes a CVO HVAC system with a Gold (but really brass) key? And, if it is made by Harley, does it start leaking oil at 1,000 miles?

 All kidding aside, my York went 22 trouble-free years. My Rheem had minor repairs at 15. Ruud, moved out after five years, buddy bought the house four years ago, still working great...

[Keats]

Goodman is the least cost provider (otherwise the cheapest)

Right now I think Trane is a good choice (replaced my heat pump 2 years ago with Trane), I had York in the past and liked them.

The Lennox I had before the Trane lasted 20 years, not bad!

[Screamin]

Carrier - 20 years and going strong.  Knock on wood.

[greglyon]

Just bought a Goldstar cheaper than Trane but reliability not as good.  I also purchased (for $500) a 10 year warranty that included labor as well as parts.  The upfront savings was about 1k on the Goldstar.  We give them a workout in my area.  What sealed the deal is when I was told the owner of the HVAC company and my installer both had this brand at their respective homes.     

[MIKEYTEE]

I too am having to replace my HVAC that handles the 1st floor.( gas package unit ) Ruud 11 years old.
I am looking at the Goodman unit. They have 10 year parts warranty and 20 years on the fire box. Made in the USA
and reason you don't here about them is they don't advertise.
Trane was my first choice, however the feedback on both was about the same. I think most problems are due to the installer.
Mike
 
50 degrees for high today.

[FLYNDYNA]

O.k., guess I should give these units a chance. I am just leary because they never contacted me back, not even after a second attempt. You never know what other people are doing to their HVAC units...perhaps they are not checking them for drainage, changing the filters, etc...

 Their website reads really well...

[MIKEYTEE]

O.k., guess I should give these units a chance. I am just leary because they never contacted me back, not even after a second attempt. You never know what other people are doing to their HVAC units...perhaps they are not checking them for drainage, changing the filters, etc...

 Their website reads really well...

Yeh, I was impressed.
Mike
 

[Boatman]

When I built my home in 1998, I installed a Janitrol (Junkitrol) which is the same as a Goodman.  From my experience, the gas furnace is the worst I have ever owned and will never own again.  The A/C  unit (same brand) has worked good with no problems (knock wood).   Goodman-Junkitrol are just plain cheap units.

I came from a house that my Dad had installed a Williamson 5 in one system which was a quality well built unit.  So good, the company went out of business.

When my Goodman Junkitrol takes a dump again, a Trane will probably be the replacement.

[Midnight Rider]

Been a few years since I worked in the field, but Janitrol was always junk, IMO.  Trane bought out GE's residential HVAC line quite a few years ago, and probably improved it in the process, because I never cared for the GE product.

Whirlpool used to make a good unit.  York makes a good furnace, but I don't know anything about their condensing (outside) units.  Rheem's were always pretty good.  If I have to replace my 30 year old Carrier condensing unit, it's probably be with a York.  Go for the 75th percentile with regards to energy efficiency.

The main thing when replacing A/C systems is to make certain they are properly sized for the application, and the climate.  IMO, a lot of units installed in newer homes are undersized...there's a fine balance there.  Most of the work an A/C does is removing moisture, so it must run long enough to do a good job of that, then it can cool the air as well.  If it runs for too short a period, it won't remove the moisture (humidity) and in the long run will use more energy from short cycling.  Another tip is to have the condensing unit on the East or North side of the home, if possible, or plant some shade trees/bushes to shade the condensing coils from direct sunlight, particularly the afternoon sun, but keep 18-36" of clearance all around the unit, and make sure the fan discharge is not blocked in any way. The outside condensing coils should be cleaned each spring to remove debris and dust/dirt so that heat transfer can take place more efficiently.  Inside filters should be checked/changed as needed...a clogged air filter will cause the refrigerant to transfer less heat, which can result in compressor valve damage.

Good initial installation and proper charging of split systems is the key to long life for the compressor...it depends on the refrigerant for cooling it's windings down while running, but it must be in vapor form, and a proper charge ensures this. The suction (larger of the two) lines going into the unit should be cool to the touch, and insulated, and will probably sweat a bit in the hottest/most humid times of the year.  The smaller line should be warm to the touch and uninsulated.

Better units have a time delay start so that when the power blinks, or somebody turns the unit back on right after it's turned off, the system will have time to equalize before the compressor tries to start against a load.  The discharge (high) side of the compressor is typically running 210-280 PSI and the low side 65-75 PSI in stable running conditions, so it's important for the unit to equalize before another start is attempted...takes a couple of minutes for that to happen, generally (heat pumps are exceptions to this).

Just a few tips to increase the longevity of your system...

[Wildrat]

My two favorites are Trane and Carrier. All the rest have good and bad points. Typically a unit in Florida will last 10-12 years and that has variables to it also. Up north I do not know but the AC units should last much longer not unless you are near saltwater. The furnaces down here have issues with the burners because of condensation, they usually rust out. Up north I do not know about the furnaces.
Goodman, Janitrol, Philco, these are pretty much contractor units. They are inexpensive. I call them throw away units. There is nothing wrong with them as they use the same compressor manufacturer as Carrier. I do not like Rheem,Rudd, or York. Rheem and Rudd are the same thing. They work and some people like them. I just don't like the way they are put together. York is a good unit, but I don't like it because they build a bunch of unnecessary circuits into them, pain to work on because the homeowner does not have his book with the diagram in it and the one on the unit is gone, then you have to spend time tracing wires. Luckily they are going away with age here in Florida.
The biggest problem with any system though is the installation. The people installing them are not very educated, they will take shortcuts so they can get the job done etc..
I was a service tech and had to fix a lot of their screw-ups. I was responsible for a few them finding new jobs also. I do not like Crappy work, that comes from working on aircraft where you could not get away with doing crappy work. They have a tendency to fall out of the sky when you do. I could say more but I won't.
Most of the systems will last if installed correctly and are maintained. I do not use a name brand at my house or my wife's work. I use Philco from Baker Dist. They are cheap, and they work great for me, but I installed them the way they should be installed. It's too bad people don't take more pride in their work. It's too bad that some techs are thieves. It's too bad there are companies out there that the owner was a crappy installer, a dishonest tech, a unscrupulous salesman, and now a ahole with an AC license and cares about nothing but the money.
Look at our economy, it's crumbling because of this same reason: Crooks
 

[sadunbar]

I have Lennox in my home and my shop.  I have never required a service call on any of the units.  I do basic service myself once a year (as simple as a few drops of oil in the motor) and change filters monthly.  Very energy efficient when purchased - although I am sure there are more efficient units on the market today...

[Jbbrown73]

I got a trane heat pump and it is fantastic.  Very efficient and maintains a very stable temperature.  Go for the air handler with the variable speed fan.  Midnight Rider made some very valid points, don't go too small or too big and get a good installer.  Buy the cheapo filters and change them religiously every 30 days. 

[Wildrat]

Lennox would actually be my third choice after Carrier and to be honest there are things about Lennox that I like. For instance the way they isolate the compressor so the unit sounds quieter, there electrical is straight forward also. The only issue with variable speed units is when the warranty runs out and that motor or controller board goes, it's pricey. Change the filters more if they are really dirty after 30 days. All the dirt that gets by them is going onto the evaporator coil ans after a while you will have a mold garden. You should see these coils in rental units, it's scary, or clean a coil where a hardcore smoker lives. I had one lady actually quit smoking after I showed her what was going into her. Anyway, I'm done with HVAC now, except my own, and I'm happy about that.