Best whole house a/c brand?

[navychop]

I have a (somewhat noisy) Carrier air conditioning system and natural gas furnace. IIRC, about 12-14 years old on the a/c side. It works, but we're thinking about replacing it, due to the tax credit which expires in December. Also, it does not seem to cool the house as quickly as we would desire.

From another thread, I gather that Carrier and Bryant are noisier brands. What do you folks think of Lennox, Trane, any other brands?

I believe the gas furnace is only a few years old. I am told that to qualify for the tax credit, you are almost forced into replacing both the a/c and furnace at the same time. Anyone know anything about that?

And are scroll compressors better? Have most/all companies moved to them?

My wife is most insistent that any replacement be quieter.

Thank you for any input.

 

[primestar31]

If I was going to replace my furnace and central air right now, I'd go straight to a geothermal furnace system. You'll pay more up front, but it'll gain much more on the back end.

 

[Van]

Agreed on that part, the heating and cooling savings are incredible from what Ive seen on several green tv shows.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I don't think the brand makes a differece.

 

[navychop]

TKS so far. I loved the water source heat pump we had years ago, but that option is not available here. Might price ground coupled, but up front cost is a concern. If my employer goes under, I doubt I'll be in this house long enough to recoup.

Besides, a local geo source contractor here is spreading those stick in the ground signs all over, giving the impression of it being a fly by night part of the industry.

 

[HD MM]

If money allows, it is much cheaper to do both the furnace and AC unit all at once.

I have a Trane furnace and AC unit. Through the years I've had a few HVAC guys come and service the units and they always told me they hated Trane. One guy said the units were overpriced and didn't run as well as other lesser known brands. It's a popular brand that's recognizable, but not the best for the money basically.