Heat Pump / AC Advice Please?

icebiker

icebiker

JORBA: Morris Trails
JORBA.ORG
Need some advice from those with experience in home heating/cooling systems. We are building a home in PA and going through the spec sheet with the builder. He is spec'ing a Trane heat pump (XL16i or 15i) with two zones, to heat/cool a 2-story home with 2,500 sq ft of living space. He is a reputable local builder (several friends and/or local residents used him as well and he is highly regarded. He has been great throughout the process to date) and has said he has experienced a good track record with these units.

However, I have read TONS of material that suggests these units are prone to failure, and that Trane as a company doesn't stand behind their products and has lousy customer service. Here are some examples:

XL16i: https://www.furnacecompare.com/heat-pumps/trane/xl16i.html

XL15i: https://www.furnacecompare.com/heat-pumps/trane/xl15i.html

General Dissatisfaction with Trane: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/trane.html Lot of complaints about premature failure of compressors, poor customer service, not covering cost of repair even within warranty, etc.​

So, my questions to you are:
  • Your thoughts about Trane as a company?
  • Your thoughts on alternative brands/systems in the same cost range?

Thanks in advance.
 
They all have problems, I'm sure there are many Trane units that work just fine, but...

Trane does not have a good reputation, because of that our last AC unit was Carrier.

Carrier units are better thought of in HVAC trade.

Good luck.
 
I don't have any answers to your 2 questions, but it would be interesting to know if the builder's installer only installs Trane units, and perhaps that is why the builder is spec'ing Trane, or if the installer does other brands too.

Would it make a difference if the units were being sold by Home Depot, or a different Trane dealer. Maybe they are getting great prices (relatively) from Home Depot.

Good to research it, especially since you must be getting 2 units i.e. one for each zone.
 
My brothers a HVAC guy up in Schenectady. He said that Trane sucks. They call them Tranewrecks! He recommends Mitsubishi mini splits for residential. That's all I know.
 
Trane was great 20 yrs ago, they haven't kept with the competition. Check out the reviews for Carrier and Lennox they are both at the top. Another consideration is Rheem if you want to save a little money. We recently replaced both units with a heat pump setup from Lennox, so far pretty happy with it. I did a lot of research and multiple estimates before deciding. PM if you need details
 
Amana or Lennox . We install them and Carrier. Amana systems get the least amount of service call backs . Stopped installing Trane. They were good years ago - junk now compared to others.
 
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