Over 20,000 people consider these brands best and worst according to a consumer report survey done in U.S.
The best air conditioner brands are
- Lennox
- American Standard
- Trane
- Carrier
- Bryant.
The Worst-rated brands are
- Coleman
- Frigidaire
- luxaire
- Maytag
- York.
AC Units Price Depends Upon These Factors
Performance/efficiency:
There are three different categories of performance for central air conditioners i.e Basic, Better, Best. The efficiency of a central conditioner is calculated by its SEER Ratings.
SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ration. The more the SEER ratings the more you save on your energy bills.
Basic Performance/Efficiency:
The basic performance central ac is called single-stage ac. These types of air conditioners have a SEER rating of 13 to 15 SEER.
These types of air conditioners don’t cost that much to install but the energy bills are comparatively higher than the better and best ones. Almost all the brands have their basic ac units.
Better Performance/Efficiency:
The better-performing ac units are called two-stage ac. These types of central air conditioners have a SEER rating of 16 to 20 SEER. These types of ac have a mid-level of energy efficiency. You can expect to save few bucks on the energy bills.
Best Performance
The best-performing central ac units are called variable-capacity ac. These types of central air conditioners have a SEER rating of 19 to 26 SEER. The installation cost of this central ac is very high around $6k to 12k.
But the energy efficiency of these AC’s is very high. As an HVAC technician, I personally don’t recommend getting a super-efficient central air conditioner. Because the maintenance cost and part prices of these AC’s are very high. You’ll not save that much on the energy bill.
Durability:
Different air conditioners have different durability. Some central air conditioners can stay up to 25years and some just stay to 12years.
Budget Brand: Payne, Aire-Flo, Airtemp, Goodman, and Ameristar, etc have average durability of 12 to 16 years. These central AC’s are also low in cost with cheap price parts.
Standard Brand:
Heil, Arcoaire, ComfortMaker, KeepRite, and Tempstar), (Armstrong and Ducane), (Rheem and Ruud), (Daikin and Amana), (Luxaire, York and Coleman), (Maytag, Broan, Westinghouse, Tappan, Frigidaire, Nordyne, and NuTone), Bosch. These standard central air conditioners can stay up to 15 to 18 years.
Premium Brand: Lennox, (American Standard and Trane), (Carrier, Bryant, and Day & Night). These premium brands can stay up to 18 to 25 years. The average cost of these central air conditioners is also very high.
Central Air Conditioner Cost By Brand
There are various brands that provide central air conditioning systems. Most of the central air conditioners are priced between $1500 to $12000.
| Brand | AC Unit Cost | Installed Cost |
| Aire-Flo | $1,900 – $4,270 | $2,920 – $5,730 |
| Amana | $1,920 – $5,290 | $3,630 – $8,560 |
| American Standard | $2,470 – $7,000 | $4,300 – $10,620 |
| Armstrong/Air Ease | $2,300 – $5,660 | $4,070 – $9,750 |
| Bryant | $3,200 – $7,190 | $4,300 – $9,940 |
| Carrier | $3,420 – $7,680 | $4,620 – $10,860 |
| Coleman | $2,560 – $5,610 | $4,410 – $9,310 |
| Comfortmaker | $2,070 – $5,170 | $4,130 – $9,020 |
| Daikin | $2,320 – $5,540 | $3,820 – $9,900 |
| Day & Night | $2,310 – $5,090 | $3,760 – $9,070 |
| Ducane | $2,110 – $3,950 | $3,410 – $7,050 |
| Frigidaire | $2,500 – $5,630 | $4,170 – $9,260 |
| Gibson | $2,390 – $3,930 | $4,000 – $6,110 |
| Goodman | $1,590 – $4,080 | $2,850 – $6,920 |
| Heil | $2,090 – $5,300 | $3,730 – $8,990 |
| Keeprite | $2,090 – $5,240 | $3,650 – $6,700 |
| Lennox | $3,160 – $7,230 | $4,750 – $10,780 |
| Luxaire | $2,610 – $6,020 | $4,590 – $9,580 |
| Maytag | $2,310 – $5,580 | $4,490 – $10,070 |
| Payne | $1,950 – $3,920 | $3,910 – $6,770 |
| Rheem | $3,460 – $6,660 | $4,730 – $9,410 |
| Ruud | $3,460 – $6,590 | $4,700 – $9,300 |
| Tempstar | $2,130 – $5,240 | $3,590 – $6,820 |
| Trane | $3,370 – $7,440 | $4,360 – $14,000 |
| York | $2,590 – $5,980 | $4,440 – $9,620 |
Central AC unit Prices By Size
| A/C Size | Home Area | A/C Cost | Installed Cost |
| 1.5 tons | 600 – 1000 sf | $1,880 – $3,460 | $2,840 – $4,620 |
| 2.0 tons | 1001 – 1300 sf | $2,260 – $4,290 | $3,410 – $5,740 |
| 2.5 tons | 1301 – 1600 sf | $2,700 – $5,090 | $3,610 – $6,700 |
| 3.0 tons | 1601 – 1900 sf | $3,050 – $5,830 | $4,590 – $7,930 |
| 3.5 tons | 1901 – 2200 sf | $3,400 – $6,560 | $4,860 – $8,970 |
| 4.0 tons | 2201 – 2600 sf | $3,470 – $7,020 | $5,060 – $9,360 |
| 5.0 tons | 2601 – 3200 sf | $3,820 – $7,590 | $5,750 – $11,170 |
Central AC Unit Installation Cost:
On average central air conditioner installation costs between $1400 to $3500. The cost of installation also depends upon the company and labor expertise.
Central Air Conditioner Part Cost, Installation Cost and Time:
| Repair Task | Part Cost | Install Time | Cost Installed |
| Troubleshooting Service Call | – | 1-2 hours | $75-$190 |
| Hourly Street Rate | – | – | $75-$150 |
| Replace Circuit Breaker | $25-$65 | 1 hr | $110-$180 |
| Thermostat Replacement | $80-$220 | 1 | $140-$325 |
| Replacement AC Contactor | $25-$75 | 1 | $110-$225 |
| Air Conditioner Capacitor | $25-$45 | 1 | $100-$225 |
| Air Conditioner Circuit Board | $40-$475 | 1 | $145-$575 |
| Repair Copper Lineset | – | 1-3 | $110-$275 |
| Replace Copper Lineset (30 foot insulated) | $155-$350 | 2-4 | $365-$625 |
| Evaporator Coil Replacement Cost | $250-$550 | 2-4 | $675-$1300 |
| TXV or Refrigerant Meter | $25-$60 | 1-2 | $150-$250 |
| Evaporator Drain Pan | $25-$65 | 1-2 | $100-$225 |
| Condensate Drain Line | $25-$45 | 1-2 | $100-$195 |
| Replace Condensate Pump | $35-$75 | 1 hour | $100-$165 |
| Compressor Hard Start Kit | $45-$75 | 1 | $100-$195 |
| Compressor Replacement | $175-$670 | 2-4 | $450-$1600 |
| Outdoor Coil Replacement | $175-$490 | 2-4 | $450-$1450 |
| Condensing Unit Fan Motor | $50-$200 | 1-2 | $100-$325 |
| Refrigerant Leak Detection | $25-$45 | 1-3 hours | $135-$225 |
| R22 Refrigerant Recharge (3 pounds) | $90 | 1 hour | $210-$380 |
| R410 Refrigerant Charge (3 pounds) | $45 | 1 hour | $95-$145 |