[gkendric]

We are purchasing a home that has a 2 year old Goodman Heating & Air dual fuel unit. I am unfamiliar with Goodman and wonder just how good those units are and what is the average life expectancy of units by Goodman if that's a reasonable question to ask. I know Carrier, Heil, Trane and Lennox brands but Goodman is new to me so if you are familiar with them just how would you rate them for dependability, ability to service and overall performance?

Thanks in Advance

[ma0641]

Goodman has an up and down reputation. I have a gas heater and electric AC in a weekend house, 15 yrs old and works fine. My son has had to replace his Goodman heat pumps after 5 years. Goodman and Amana are the same company, and possible some Sears lines too.

[Joshdta]

Junk

[Grady White]

There is no junk equipment but a whole lot of junk installations. I have a Goodman (Janitrol) A/C I installed in my own house aprox. 25 years ago, do no maintenance other than change filters & rinse the coils on the outdoor unit a couple of times each summer. In those 25 years I have a grand total of $0.00 in repairs. Goodman does seem to be less tolerent of poor duct work than some other brands.

[Studs ad]

Goodman? I wouldn't throw it away. They aren't the best rated, but they have functioned quite well. Goodman brand incorporates several different legacy brands in its past. Different models, different brand names all need to be considered when you refer to Goodman. If you look for Janitrol parts for example you will eventually end up at Goodmans parts dept. Furnaces all have bad models and units - just like cars do.
Some manufacturers use somewhat generic parts which makes finding parts easier and generally cheaper. Lennox & some of the more recognized names used only OEM parts which can only be purchased through their outlets - more expensive generally. If you are going to hire someone to service your equipment and price is not issue then use whatever you find comfortable with. The more the furnace & air conditioner/ heat pump can do the more possibility of problems. The newer high efficiency models save energy costs for sure, but are more expensive to buy and repair. I think some major brands have gotten worse in the past few years. If you are worried about your system have it checked by a professional. If you have a high efficiency gas furnace make sure you keep clean filters in it. Those units have a secondary heat exchanger under the firebox- generally you have to remove the main blower fan to access it and if it gets dirty- which it can it will slow down the air flow into and out of your furnace. You will notice less or little air coming from your heat vents. In the case of the heating cycle the blower will keep running, but the fire in the furnace will cycle more than it should. The reason for this is the over temp switch will terminate the burn cycle- which is a safety not meant to cycle the burn cycle but to terminate if firebox gets too hot. When the firebox cools down the burn cycle can start. Often this will mean the furnace runs all the time but won't heat as well as it should and in really cold weather may not be able to keep up with needs. The older 80% units generally did not have this secondary heat exchanger and you shouldn't have the issue. If you are using the heat while you are not going to be there each day you might want to consider an alternative source to supplement it. I am retired and go south for awhile In the winter. The igniter on my high efficiency furnace burned out one week before I left. Fortunately I was there to notice it and fix it. I have some electric heat in my home which I use for backup, that would have saved me from freezing up, but if I didn't it could have been a mess. As for brands my son spent this last winter in a new home with a new Lennox furnace. The pressure switch that senses ejector air pressure failed. I had a spare switch, but wouldn't work for Lennox. Had to call Lennox dealer for repair. It shows that any brand can have issues. The house got cold before they got repairman there, by the way he quickly fixed the problem under warranty. Products aren't much better than the service available. I live I the boondocks, so I have to be selective on the brands I buy because of the servicing dealers. I would run it until it requires too frequent or too expensive repairs & evaluate it then. I watched a TV show sometime ago and Goodman is pretty proud of their product and the quality assurance program they have in place.