Hvac Ratings, A Repairman Ranks The Brands....Have you ever wished that you could take a professional shopping with you? With our hvac ratings, that is basically what you can do. With the help of an insider, you can avoid all the sales gimmicks and find value. You get to see what an actual heating and air conditioning professional would choose for their own home. You can be sure of an unbiased opinion because we do not sell any hvac equipment or receive any payment from any manufacturers.
We have researched the data about each brand and organized the different types of units into groups. Then we utilized our experience in the field to rate the different models. We are constantly updating our hvac ratings to keep up with the latest advancements in technology. We have given the brands a rating of from 1 to 5 stars in each group. A 5* rating indicates the brand that we would choose (if it was available) for our own home. When more than one brand is available with a 5* rating, we would choose the least expensive model. After you have decided on the type of equipment and the brand, you should get at least three quotes from authorized dealers. Most of the manufacturers have a dealer locator feature on their websites to help you. We have also included the manufacturers' web address in our ratings as well as our comments regarding the products we reviewed. For your heating system options, we start with ducted warm air furnaces. On our furnace ratings page, we have ranked gas fired furnaces in three categories. Our basic models have an efficiency rating of at least 90% while the premium models have two stage burners and variable speed blower motors. Our ultimate furnace ratings are for modulating and/or communicating furnaces. These are typically the most efficient models and have the most advanced features but they are also usually the most expensive. The basic models are typically the least expensive.
For reviews of furnaces that burn other types of fuels, you can check out our oil furnace or biomass rating pages. On the biomass furnace rating page, you will find reviews of corn furnaces as well as wood pellet and log burning units. For heating without a duct system, you can get reviews of stoves that burn logs. For units that burn wood pellets and/or corn or other grains, you can check out our pellet stove ratings page. If you are searching for a heating solution that looks like a traditional wood burning fireplace but you do not have the traditional chimney or want the mess of dealing with logs, you can check out our gas stove ratings. On our boiler ratings page, you will find our ratings for traditional systems such as gas fired boilers. On our oil fired boiler page you will find comparisons of units that burn fuel oil. You will find ratings for basic models as well as high efficiency condensing models. For units that burn more environmentally friendly fuels, you can check out our biomass boiler ratings page. There you will find reviews of units that burn wood pellets and/or corn or other grains. You will also find reviews of indoor and outdoor wood (log) boilers. You can also get an insiders' view on the brands of electric boilers. On our combi boiler ratings page, you will find compact boilers that can be hung on the wall or in a cupboard. They produce heat for the home as well as provide domestic hot water. For your other options in producing hot water, you can check out our water heater ratings page, where you will find our brand ratings for traditional storage type water heaters and point of use units. If you are looking for environmentally friendly options, you can check out our solar or tankless water heater ratings pages. These solutions will cost a little more initially but will more than make up for the cost over their lifetime. For your cooling options, our hvac ratings are separated according to the type of application. On our air conditioner ratings page you will find our recommendations for ducted central air systems. They are divided into three groups which are basic, premium, and ultimate. The basic models are the entry level units with the minimum efficiency ratings and typically are the least expensive. The premium units are more efficient but also more expensive while the ultimate units have the highest efficiencies and most comfort features but also usually carry the highest price. For situations where you do not have a duct system but would still like to have a typical air conditioning system, our ratings include ductless (mini split) systems. For more temporary applications, such as for apartments or rented homes where you cannot permanently modify the structure, our hvac ratings cover window air conditioners as well as portable air conditioners.
For situations where you would like a permanent solution to your cooling needs, without traditional mechanical refrigeration systems, we have rated your options. Our evaporative cooler ratings cover units that use the evaporation of water to cool the home. Our rankings are divided into several categories from the basic portable units to the most advanced units. For other cooling options, our hvac ratings include whole house fans which use the natural cooling of the night to cool the home. We have separated these systems into two categories which are basic models and ducted systems. For systems that provide both heating and cooling in a common duct system, you will find solutions on our heat pump ratings page. We have separated the brands into three groups based on their efficiency. The basic models are usually the least expensive while the ultimate category units have the highest efficiency and most features. For heat pump systems that use the ground or a water source, our hvac ratings include geothermal ratings. On that page you will find ratings for water to water, water to air, split systems, and direct transfer systems. For situations where you want the heating/cooling equipment all located outside, you will find solutions on our packaged air conditioner ratings page. You will find ratings for heat pump systems, electric heat/cool systems, as well as electric cooling/gas heating systems (gaspacks). For situations where you do not have a duct system, our hvac ratings include ductless heat pumps. There are many options available to control your hvac system. On our thermostat ratings page, you will find comparisons of controls for every situation. For low voltage (24 volt) systems which are common in North America, we have ranked the brands in four categories. The basic category is for digital non-programmable units which are typically the least expensive models. The premium models are typically programmable thermostats and usually cost a little more than the basic units. The ultimate category consists of controls that not only control the homes' temperature but also manage the humidity and fresh air systems. These thermostats are typically the most expensive but can provide a more comfortable home. The last category of low voltage units is wireless controls. These units allow you to change your systems and controls without running new control wires. You will also find our brand rankings for digital line voltage thermostats. These units are normally used in baseboard electric heating systems. They are also more widely used for central heating systems in Europe.
Our hvac ratings also cover products to maintain the proper humidity level in your home. On our dehumidifier ratings page, you will find our recommendations for units that remove excess humidity from the home. We have covered both portable units and whole house dehumidifiers. For older homes that are leaky, you may need a humidifier during the winter months. On our humidifier ratings page, you will find solutions for individual rooms in our portable humidifier ratings. We have separated them into the different types such as ultrasonic, warm mist, cool mist, and evaporative units and compared the brands to each other. If your hvac system is a ducted system, you can add a wholehouse humidifier to your existing heating and cooling system. Then, you will be able to maintain the proper humidity level in all of your rooms at the same time. We have covered all of your options from powered humidifiers to steam units. For ratings on systems to bring in fresh outdoor air to your hvac system, you can check out our energy recovery ventilator ratings page. Here you will find our ratings for systems that introduce that fresh air efficiently. For less humid climates, you may want to consider a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) while in most areas you will want to consider an energy recovery ventilator (ERV). RETURN FROM HVAC RATINGS TO HOME |