Craig, as you are so quick to recommend Hsu, Hsu, Hsu, and Rotel, Rotel, Rotel, I will jump in with my recommendation of Carrier, Carrier, Carrier. They are about 4 to 5 years ahead of the competition with current technology and experience. Let me explain:
Central air conditioners use a chemical that most people know as “Freon”, or “R22”. Freon is a HCFC (HydroChloroFlouroCarbon) that has been in use for at least 40 to 50 years. The problem with Freon is the “Chlorine” element, and is one of the major causes of Ozone depletion in the atmosphere. It has been legislated to be replaced with a “Chlorine Free” refrigerant within the next 6 years.
This is where things get interesting. About 10 years ago, Carrier contributed about 9 million dollars, and along with Allied Signal and Dupont, developed R410a – a Chlorine free refrigerant for residential applications. No other HVAC manufacturer was involved in the development of the new refrigerant. Carrier patented the name “Puron”, and installed their first Puron units in 1996. This was a full 4 years ahead of the first units from Trane and Lennox. Most of the competition is still in their “learning curve”.
Other Carrier highlights:
Silencer System – 4 design elements to reduce noise levels and alter sound pitch to be less irritating than conventional A/C’s. They consist of: 1) A low-speed fan with large diameter blades. 2) A computer modeled fan shroud to reduce air turbulence. 3) A compressor vibration isolator plate. 4) A compressor sound jacket or blanket.
Ceramic Coated Screws – Other Mfg.’s tout using stainless steel screws. The problem is that the base and cap are made of galvanized steel. With dissimilar metals reacting, corrosion is inevitable. Ceramic coating the screws eliminates this problem.
Reliability – Carrier’s scroll compressor design has the most trouble-free performance record of any scroll compressor on the market today.
Hopefully this helps. Sorry for the grammar.
Shawn.
