Our old Sears system made it through 20 summers, but it's shot & we need to replace. I've been reading reviews on all of the major companies & there are lots of dissatisfied customers out there. Any recommendations for a unit that will stand the test of time (if that still exists)?

I sell york, have not had any trouble with them. Most of the big name brands you can now get 10yr parts warranty and lifetime compressor warranty. The main thing to look at is the warranty you will get, and how well know the installer is. Good installs make the system!

Our old Sears system made it through 20 summers, but it's shot & we need to replace. I've been reading reviews on all of the major companies & there are lots of dissatisfied customers out there. Any recommendations for a unit that will stand the test of time (if that still exists)?

If you are trying to find a unit that will last 20 years like your old one good luck. The new units have a better energy savings but they are made as cheap as possible so they probably will not last 20 years unless you find a real professional that will install the system correctly. NOTE: Real professionals are very hard to find today and most of the HVAC folks out there belong to the SLAP and CLOBBER club of installers. Install as quick and as cheap as possible collect the money and down the road you go. This is what seems to happen more and more as time goes by.

There are some good guys but as I mentioned before they are hard to find since most of the other less qualified installers can talk a good game but cannot play if you know what I mean. I would like to mention that there are a few good guys here on this board since you can tell by there knowledge level when they are helping other people with there problems.

Thanks for the quick reply. I should mention that my husband did the install 20+ years ago & is planning on doing the replacement as well. He's a die-hard do-it-yourselfer & I've learned to trust his abilities over the years. It really comes down to picking the better quality product-if that still exists. Any recommendations as to Ruud vs Goodman? We're leaning towards a 14 SEER model to take advantage of rebates & tax credits. Thanks!

Thanks for the quick reply. I should mention that my husband did the install 20+ years ago & is planning on doing the replacement as well. He's a die-hard do-it-yourselfer & I've learned to trust his abilities over the years. It really comes down to picking the better quality product-if that still exists. Any recommendations as to Ruud vs Goodman? We're leaning towards a 14 SEER model to take advantage of rebates & tax credits. Thanks!

Does he have connections with a company that will sell him the units?
Most warehouse nowadays won`t sell to people unless they are contractors,and if they do chances are unless he is a hvac contractor you won`t get a parts warranty,, with that said like someone else said, there's not very little difference in the quality of the equipment,, installation means everything