Thanks. I'm a subscriber and will check out the issue.

You're right, it's all like you say. If I could recommend any company now, I'd give one I recently bought my A/C sys for my condo, it's down here

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.centrumklima.co.uk/

The most important gift you can buy yourself is a current home energy audit (sometimes free) and an Angie's List or comparable rating service's subscription. You can take the best HVAC product and easily turn it into junk with the wrong installer.

HVAC isn't rocket scientry as much as defenders of the secret sauce want us to believe otherwise. Although it is it a very time-consuming job with many different variables slanted toward Murphy's Law.

You need to be hands on and expend as much energy as the installer. I go out of my way to find the best contractor and then make his/her job as easy and comfortable as possible with full easy access to everything, it always pays in spades.

I am a long time reader of Consumer Reports. They are very good for ratings on some products. But not very good on others. The ratings on central AC systems in my opinion does not tell you very much. Installation plays a big role on how long equipment will last. You cannot see this in their small graph.

I am also skeptical of rating's services like Angie's list. I am not a subscriber and have no experience. However it seems too easy for an HVAC installer to pay for multiple Angie subscriptions and post glowing recommendations about his company. You have to read every review carefully to determine if it is real or a fake.

Consumer reports is out of touch somewhat with the times and their reviews only reflect short-term features in a single unit not long-term usage in multiple. Their on-line customer reviews are sometimes way more illuminating and 180 degrees in satisfaction from Consumer Reports' official review.

Angie's List is good sometimes and they do claim to vet all reviews and place more weight with reviewers who have completed work with a particular contractor. However, the trick that some HVAC contractors pull is to provide a nominal service for cleaning through Angie's List and then go out of their way to provide incredible service. For an hours worth of time the dealer usually receives phenomenal reviews. You'll see all many A+ jobs for $50-100 and then see a few actual $10K installs rated at B and C. :)

I read everything on the Internet with a jaundiced eye and always look for multiple sources.

I enjoy CR but had a lesson on their reports back in the mid-80's. I represented two categories of products that were tested and reported upon. The one unit that based upon a very detailed understanding of my unit and the competition I felt mine was the best in the industry was reported as last place. The other unit I felt was a technical nightmareâ¦and I took the calls in a 6 state area, was listed as the best. Today, I take them with a grain of salt.

Guys, this smells like like a reliability survey, not a test with ratings. You have to keep in mind the limitations of voluntary self-selected surveys. It is not a random sample of central air owners, but people that really want to report their experience. Keep that in mind and it has use, but forget about that aspect and you lose.

My heat pump is 14 years old and I am really frightened that it might go out. I have had experience with one installer that has employees that tell me I need expensive fixes that I do not and charges 15 times the actual costs for parts I do need. My daughter in the same community used a different company to service her HP and got cheated badly and had to use a different company to fix the original problem and the mistakes of the first company. As far as I can find there is no reliable authority to tell buyers which are which.

It just follows logic that heat pumps will have a shorter life than a regular A/C. While Angie's List isn't perfect, it does give you retribution against such a shady company. Sign up and write reviews for companies with bad practices and reward the good ones, of which there are plenty.

Start doing your research and searching now for a reputable dealer. Because the average serviceable life is 15. You could go 20+, but don't take any chances.

Although who truly determines the longevity of an AC or heatpump are two people: the installer and the customer with proper maintenance.

Installation may not be a science, but it's certainly an art. If you an improperly positioned unit low on refrigerant with inadequate supplies/returns and long twisty uninsulated runs etc, it's going to die way sooner.

Theoretically my Greenspeed with all DC brushless should outlast a conventional pump as long as it's kept adequately cooled, but ultimately who knows. Again the logic boards these days are way more expensive than the motors, which is why it's imperative nowadays to purchase an additional whole house surge protector.

This post was edited by bsmith on Sat, May 31, 14 at 13:29

Completely agree with above comments regarding the value of properly installed system, regardless of unit brand chosen. Unprofessional installation may not only lower system efficiency, but also jeopardize system longevity. You can find more information in the following article from my blog: The Importance of Properly Installed HVAC System.

and best matching AHRI directory system! I do think there is wide difference in reliability/features as to heat pump condenser brands versus AC condensers and furnaces.

IMO