I know HVAC questions come up frequently here and I hate to add to the pile, but we are about to pull the trigger on a system costing ALLOT of cash and could use some advice.

I’ve interviewed three different companies and landed on one that is supposedly one of the largest Daikin dealers in the country, they also sell Rheem and Lennox. Daikin apparently has some serious rebates available on this variable speed system. It’s a 4 ton unit and I believe 18 seer.

I’m at a loss here and know ZERO about HVAC brands. Thanks y’all!

They're Japanese and the parent company of Goodman and Amana.

The Goodman that I owned was from before Daikin purchased them so I'm unable to give a thumbs up/down on Daikin.

Yep, I read that online as well. Supposedly these systems are made in Houston, TX. They (installer) are offering a *16* year warranty, I pay nothing but maintenance (filters and the service call for yearly tune ups). 16 years and NO repair costs sounds pretty damn good.

I too am about to pull the trigger on a new Daikin system.

I have some experience with an existing Daikin mini-split for about two years. That system had one refrigerant loss and recharge (covered by warranty). Otherwise excellent. Daikin has invested a lot of money in Texas facility. They are aggressively pushing new product and backing it up with warranty coverage. Proper installation appears to be critical for a successful system.

quote:

Originally posted by dry-fly:
Yep, I read that online as well. Supposedly these systems are made in Houston, TX. They (installer) are offering a *16* year warranty, I pay nothing but maintenance (filters and the service call for yearly tune ups). 16 years and NO repair costs sounds pretty damn good.

Goodman has 8 buildings around Houston including 3 manufacturing centers in NW Houston. Many years ago my church was working with Bhutanese refugees and Goodman employed many of them.

Good to hear....I’ve read and been told that the installation is one of, if not the biggest factor in a good system

I just recently replaced our complete heat pump system (old Bryant 5 ton system). Some things I updated my knowledge on before cracking open my check book.

• Regardless the name on the outside of the metal cabinet, the primary components (Ex. compressor, etc) come from only a couple different companies. So as price varies wildly, the actual components making up the systems don't.
• The "no repairs" for X years thing sometimes is nothing more than pay ahead. By that I mean you pay more for the system than you necessarily should now, rather than paying for the repairs later.
• Even on the exact same equipment configuration, pricing varies wildly between AC contractors.

In the end, I found a good local contractor and bought the Goodman 5 ton 14.5 SEER condenser and air handler myself through a local distributor and paid the AC contractor for his labor to install it. I figure I saved around ~$2k by doing it that way, and I still get my ten year free compressor replacement warranty.

Daikin is a very well known company around the world, they just aren't as well know in the US under than name. As already mentioned, Daikin owns both Goodman and Amana (which are almost the exact same units with different name plates applied.

Just for comparison purposes, here's a complete Goodman 4 ton 16 SEER package (incl 10kw heat strip and programmable thermostat) for $2,790 . If you're paying substantially more than that for your Daikin system, then you're paying ahead for your repairs (and likely more). Explore acquiring the equipment yourself and see if you can find a local installer to do the labor. You'll come out money ahead if you're willing to do a bit of additional legwork.

I just signed off on two Daikin systems. I used to engineer Copeland scroll compressors, and took a lot of time thinking through three options. In the end, I chose Daikin for several reasons:
1. Cost for desirable features
2. Warranty
3. Satisfaction warranty (performance)
4. Contractor

I chose a 16 SEER two-stage AC, 96% AFUE two-stage furnace, with variable speed motors.

Very good info guys, thank you.

I replaced ours a couple of years ago with a Daikin from A#1 Air. It’s been worth it. The installation went smoothly and the unit has been way more efficient than the old Heil system we had. Of course as the old system was 20+years old, it shouldn’t have taken much, heh?

Very good, A#1 Air is who we’ve landed on also

quote:

Originally posted by jbcummings:
I replaced ours a couple of years ago with a Daikin from A#1 Air. It’s been worth it. The installation went smoothly and the unit has been way more efficient than the old Heil system we had. Of course as the old system was 20+years old, it shouldn’t have taken much, heh?

I bought a Daikin 4 years ago, and when it works it works great! But I've needed service at least four times to repair either the air handler or the compressor controller. The air handler is supposed to only increase volume/speed when the temperature delta (sensed vs. requested) is above 2 degrees, but it seems to lose that capability and gets stuck in high volume. That said, the company has been great about doing all repairs under warranty. Before you buy one, read and understand the warranty being offered and have your salesman commit to it as well. Based on my experience, when my other unit finally dies I won't be replacing it with a Daikin.

The end manufacture is the installer.... so find the best installer and you'll have yourself a reliable, comfort system.

Thank you guys, A#1 Air will be here at 8am tomorrow (on Sunday) to install our new system.

quote:

Originally posted by dry-fly:
Thank you guys, A#1 Air will be here at 8am tomorrow (on Sunday) to install our new system.

So do tell, what are they going to install for you? Though we didn't discuss the topic, I'd recommend you replace whatever standard thermostat they install with an Ecobee unit. I absolutely love mine.

So here’s the new system, most of it anyway. The gas furnace / air handler thing looks like, well...a furnace. I didn’t go back in the attic for photos of it. The outside unit is what is impressive to me. It’s less than 1/2 the size of the old unit and is a 4 ton, 18 seer system. It’s made by Daikin and called a “Fit”. The system is not one or two stage, but infinitely variable. Lots of electronics that scare me, of course there’s the WiFi thermostat. It controls humidity levels as well on the app or thermostat. If it all didn’t have a 16 year parts AND labor warranty, I would have been too scared and probably just put a more traditional setup in. They got here at 8:45 this AM and were done by 1:30. FYI, our house is in the DFW, TX area and is about 1900sq ft.

That compressor looks more like the ones Daikin pairs with their mini-splits. That thing is tiny for a 4 ton unit. How quiet is it when its running at top speed?

It’s crazy quiet. You actually can’t tell it’s runing unless your right beside it.

Curious, how many installers is 'they'?

Daiken beginning in 2015, outsold Carrier, Trane and York worldwide combined. They are a massive powerhouse.

They have purchased Goodman, simply for their distribution system here in the US, and have actually improved Goodman quality in the process.

I think you will be fine with the system you have, but I would urge caution to anyone considering their VRF systems.

VRF = Variable Refrigerant Volume

Basically multiple ductless mini splits connected to a single outdoor unit.

There are good ones out there, but Daiken needs work.