Top 3 A/C Manufacturers for Southwest Florida

Common features of our top 3 A/C manufacturers for homes and offices in southwest Florida include:

1. 100% made in the USA
2. All of their products and models have few problems
3. The behind-the-scenes support must be impressive (this is perhaps the most important feature of a leading manufacturer)
4. Their warranty claim process is structured with simplicity in mind
5. Their equipment is competitively priced

Since 1977, we have experienced working with many manufacturers who were “the best”, but over time or due to acquisition from larger companies their level of excellence faded, and they were replaced by a new industry leader. Similar to any other industry, this seems to be a cycle. This is why it is on us to continually monitor trends and failure rates in order to recommend products you can trust.

What we have found in the recent 15 years is the quality of the equipment has declined with all manufacturers across the board. This has a lot to do with mandated government regulations placed on the manufacturing of A/C equipment. Once we understood and accepted that was the new reality of our industry, we decided to do a lot of research and find the manufacturers who have the least amount of problems. We continually obtain this valuable information by tracking all of our 1st and 2nd-year warranty claims on any equipment we install regardless of brand. The brand with the least amount of claims over a proven period of time climbs high on our recommended brand list.

Since failure is inevitable with any brand, we have discovered the most critical attribute of any manufacturer is the support they give to us, the contractor. We stand behind our new a/c installations and we expect the manufacturers we recommend will stand behind their products and provide reasonable support when they have a product failure.

For all the reasons listed above, the top 3 A/C manufacturers for southwest Florida homes and offices are Lennox, York, and Bryant.

has been an innovative leader in the HVAC industry since 1895.

• Almost all of Lennox equipment is made and manufactured in Marshalltown, Iowa. Only their Merit Series product line is made in Mexico.
• Lennox support is consistently very good, if not the best. They see the value of investing in the relationship for both the contractor and the family that will use their product to heat/cool their home.
• Lennox offers a broad range of models and products to achieve comfort and efficiency in any home or office.

 

York is an example of a manufacturer who has really stepped up their game in quality, support, and performance over the past 15 years!

• Since 2005, when Johnson Controls acquired York, they have restructured and are proving to be a strong contender to Lennox, Carrier, Trane, and Daikin.
• The support they bring to the contractors who partner with them is nothing short of impressive! They are also aggressively supportive of those who place their trust in York systems for the comfort of their home.
• York’s warranty is currently the leader in the industry. Their warranty claim process and payout are what every contractor desires.
• York is 100% American made.

 

Bryant is a great option for packaged systems.

• Since 1904, Bryant has been building on the foundation of quality and reliability upon which Charles Bryant founded Bryant Heating & Cooling.
• Bryant is the same exact equipment as Carrier, just under a different brand. Most of its lines being manufactured in United States.
• Bryant as long been a favorite in the mobile home community where correct duct sizing can be a challenge. Tri County AC recommends the Bryant package unit for its ability to handle and overcome some of the duct size restrictions as well as it’s affordability.

 

Here is some food for thought:

Replacing your air conditioning and heating system is one of the biggest purchases you can make for your home. If thousands of dollars are going to be invested in replacing the A/C, it is crucial to first find an HVAC contractor you trust and have confidence in. If the contractor you choose does not have core values that put you first and a strong relationship with the manufacturer, you and your thousands of dollars are at risk. The most valuable advice we can offer is to choose your contractor wisely, then you can confidently be able to listen to what they recommend.

 

*This post was updated on 2/16/21 to reflect changes in our top recommendations.