Al’s Plumbing in Plano, Texas provides full-service plumbing maintenance, repairs and replacements for every plumbing component in your home.  Al’s sells and installs Rheem Professional Series gas & electric water heaters, and tankless water heaters.  Al’s is near your home in Plano, TX; Allen, TX; and Frisco, TX.  We service all homes in southern Collin County, TX and Denton County, TX with no travel charges.

Call Al’s today to discuss any concerns or problems you have with your home’s Plumbing.  We will arrange an appointment at your convenience.

Please Note: These Details Were Accurate As Of May 2022. 

All Details Are Subject To Change Without Notice.

These 8 Companies Make 24 HVAC Brands. 

We List The Brand(s) Each Company Makes

-PLUS-

Ratings For Many Brands From; Consumer Reports & U.S. News & World Report Magazines. 

Image Source: Dreamstime

Shown: Central A/C or Heat Pump Outdoor Unit

Why Do 8 Companies Make 24 HVAC Brands?

Each HVAC Brand Serves A Specific Price-Point (good, better, best).

AND Within Each Brand’s Product Line(s) — There Are Typically Various Models (good, better, best).

• American Standard HVAC Makes: American Standard (best) brand.
• In 1984, American Standard acquired Trane.
• In 2008, Ingersol Rand acquired Trane.
• In 2020, Trane Technologies was formed.
• American Standard HVAC & Trane products are made in; Texas, New Jersey, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida, and Missouri.

• Product Lines: Platinum(best) // Gold (better) -and- Silver product lines (good).
• Trane & American Standard’s (best & better) Product Lines — Have Their Own Climatuff (brand) Compressor (in the outdoor unit)
• Trane & American Standard’s Silver Product Lines — Have A Copeland (brand) compressor.  More on this later in the article.

• Consumers Reports rated American Standard HVAC: 5 (out of 5)
• U.S. News & World Report rated American Standard HVAC: 3.6 (Out of 5). ***

• NOTE: Trane & American Standard brands are nearly identical.

** Source: https://www.tranetechnologies.com/en/index/brands.html

• Carrier Corporation makes; Carrier (best), & Bryant (better) brands.
• In July 2019, Carrier was acquired by United Technologies Corporation (UTC).
• In April 2020 Carrier Global Corp. became an independent company (once again).

• Carrier’s Brands; Bryant, Carrier, Day & Night, Payne, & WeatherMaker.
• Carrier & Bryant Furnaces are made in Indianapolis, IN.
• Carrier & Bryant Central A/C & Heat pumps are made in Colliersville, TN.

• Consumers Reports Rated Carrier & Bryant: Rated 5 (out of 5)
• U.S. News & World Report rated Carrier: Rated 4.2 (Out of 5). ***

*** Source: https://www.consumerreports.org/products/central-air-conditioning-33073/brand-reliability-only/  Note: Membership Required To Access This Report.

• Goodman Manufacturing makes; Amana (better) -and- Goodman (good) Brands.
• Goodman & Amana HVAC (brands) are manufactured near Houston, TX.
• In 2012, Daikin bought Goodman — to expand into the United States.
• Daikin, located in Osaka, Japan, is the world’s largest manufacturer of HVAC Systems.
• Daikin North America LLC, is located in Houston, TX — as an independent Daikin subsidiary.

• Consumers Reports rated Goodman & Amana under All Other Brands: Rated 3 out of 5.
• U.S. News & World Report rated Goodman 4.0 (Out of 5). ***
• U.S. News & World Report rated Amana 3.5 (Out of 5). ***
• NOTE: Goodman & Amana brands are nearly identical.

• Ingersol Rand Makes: Ameristar (good) brand.
• Ameristar brand is endorsed by American Standard — it’s not made by American Standard.
• Ameristar furnaces are manufactured in New Jersey.
• Ameristar’s A/C & Heat Pumps are manufactured in the U.S. — in Tyler, Texas.
• Ameristar’s Compressor Warranty is 10 years.

• Consumers Reports rated Ameristar under All Other Brands: Scored 3 out of 5.
• U.S. News & World Report did not Ameristar. 

• Ingersol Rand Makes: Oxbox (g00d) brand.
• Oxbox is endorsed by Trane since 2019 — it’s not made by Trane.
• Oxbox A/C & Heat Pumps are manufactured in the U.S. — in Tyler, Texas.
• Oxbox furnaces — we could not find where Oxbox furnaces are manufactured.
• Oxbox’s Compressor Warranty is 10 years.

• Consumers Reports rated Oxbox under All Other Brands: Scored 3 out of 5.
• U.S. News & World Report did not rate Oxbox. 

• International Comfort Products is headquartered in Lewisburg, TN.
• ICP Brands; Airquest, Arcoaire, Comfortmaker, Day & Night Tempstar & Heil.  It’s likely that all ICP brands are made Lewisburg, TN.

• Comfortmaker brand (made in Lewisburg, TN).   Source: https://www.furnacecompare.com/mfr/comfortmaker
• Tempstar & Heil brands are identical (made in Lewisburg, TN).   Source: https://answeregy.com/are/are-tempstar-ac-units-good.php

• We could not find a location where Arcoaire brand is made (it’s likely Lewisburg, TN).

• International Comfort Products (ICP) acquired Airquest in 1999 — From Inter-City Products.
• We could not find a location where Airquest brand is made (it’s likely Lewisburg, TN).

Source: https://www.icpusa.com/en/us/our-brands/

• Consumers Reports ICP Products under All Other Brands. Rated 3 out of  5
• U.S. News & World Report rated Bryant: 4.1 (Out of 5). ***
• U.S. News & World Report did not rate these brands; Arcoaire, Comfortmaker, Day & Night, Payne, & Tempstar.

• Lennox International makes; Lennox (best) -and- Armstrong. Ducane, & Aire-flo (good) brands.
• Lennox & Armstrong are manufactured in Marshalltown IA, Arkansas, OR in Mexico.

Lennox’s:

• Signature Collection Models (best)
• Elite Series Models (better)

Are manufactured at their Marshalltown, IA facility.

• Lennox’s Merit Models (good) — HVAC products are made in their Saltillo Mexico factory since 2008.

Source:https://www.reliableplant.com/Read/7494/lennox-opens-manufacturing-operation-in-mexico-

• Armstrong & Ducane Brands HVAC (owned by Lennox) are made in Orangeburg, SC.

Source: https://www.armstrongair.com/about-us#:~:text=A%20professional%20responsibility%20for%20quality,%2C%20using%20computer%2Dcontrolled%20equipment.

• Aire-Flo (brand) — We could not find information on where Aire-Flo HVAC is made.

• Consumers Reports Lennox (Brand): Rated 5 (out of 5).
• U.S. News & World Report rated Lennox (Brand) 3.9 (Out of 5). ***
• U.S. News & World Report did not rate; Armstrong. Ducane, & Aire-flo.

• Nortek Global Makes; Maytag, Frigidaire, Gibson, Nutone, Broan, & Mammoth (good) brands.
• Nortek states they have manufacturing & distribution facilities in Missouri, Tennessee, & Mexico.
• There is no indication of specifically where Nortek HVAC Systems are manufactured.

• Consumers Reports rated Frigidaire & Maytag: Scored 2 out of 5.
• U.S. News & World Report did not rate these brands; Maytag, Gibson, Nutone, Broan, & Mammoth.

*** Source: https://www.nortekhvac.com/top-brands/

• Rheem Manufacturing makes; Rheem (best), Ruud (better) –and- Weatherking (good) Brands.
• Rheem manufactures central a/c & heat pumps in Mexico. *4.

• Consumers Reports rated Rheem & Rudd: Rated 4 (out of 5).
• U.S. News & World Report rated Rheem 3.8 (Out of 5). ***
• U.S. News & World Report did not rate Rudd & Weatherking.

• Trane Technologies Makes: Trane (best) brand.
• Trane is part of Ingersoll Rand.
• Trane & American Standard HVAC products are made in; Texas, New Jersey, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida, and Missouri.
• Products Lines:XL & XR product lines (best & better) -and- XB  product line (good). 

• Consumers Reports rated Trane 5 (out of 5)
• U.S. News & World Report rated Trane 3.8 (Out of 5). ***

• York makes; York (best) -and- Coleman & Luxaire (good) brands.
• York HVAC Systems are manufactured in the U.S. — in  Oklahoma & Kansas. *5

• Consumers Reports rated York Among All Other Brands: Rated 3 out of 5.
• U.S. News & World Report rated York 3.6 (Out of 5). ***
• U.S. News & World Report rated Coleman 3.5 (Out of 5). ***
• U.S. News & World Report did not rate Luxaire.

*** Source: US News & World Report. https://www.usnews.com/360-reviews/services/hvac

Source: https://ameristarhvac.com/air-conditioners/

Source: https://oxboxhvac.com/furnaces/

Additional Sources:

*4 Source: https://talkbusiness.net

*5 Source: furnacecompare. com

Click Below To Read Our Report About Different Furnace & Central A/C Speeds

One Speed (3/4+ are 1 speed), Two Speeds, & Variable-Speeds.

Click On This Link To Read About The Different Central A/C Outdoor Units Speeds Available:

Alsplumbing.com Different A/C Speeds Available

The HVAC Contractor Is As Important (or perhaps more)

Then The HVAC Equipment Brand & Model

A “Good” HVAC brand with an excellent installation — will likely outperform a “Best” brand with shoddy installation.   Particularly with flexible ductwork — (which is used in most new HVAC System Installations) — if the ductwork is not installed correctly to specifications — the HVAC System will perform poorly.

Air flow through an HVAC System is one of the most important operating characteristics.   If ductwork is poorly installed, or too small — airflow is compromised, and the System can’t perform as it was designed to.

This; reduces your comfort, raises cooling & heating costs — and wears the System out faster.  It can also cause a furnace to overheat and shut down to protect itself.  The furnace will start running again once it’s cooled down — but will become damaged by multiple overheating events.

Before You Sign A Contract With An HVAC Contractor

TIP-1:  If you have existing Metal Ductwork — You’re Better Keeping It Versus Installing Flexible Ductwork.

UNLESS The New HVAC System Has HIGHER AIR FLOW –OR- Existing Ductwork Has Extensive RUST (ask to see photos of the rust). 

Before Agreeing To Install New Flexible Ductwork.  Ask the contractor to Modify existing metal ductwork — To Accommodate Higher Air Flow. 

TIP-2:  Tell your contractor you want photos of all the flexible ductwork once it’s installed.

TIP-3:  If A Contractor Doesn’t Want To Do What You Ask — Find One That Will.

Click Here To See Properly Installed Flexible Ductwork: PROPERLY Installed Flexible Ductwork #1

If Link Doesn’t Work: Copy This Into Your Browser:

https://www.google.com/search?q=poorly+installing+flexible+ductwork&sxsrf=ALeKk03gu4pPBZO8Rpu4pp2nISs0-P69wQ:1589302480663&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiimbOO5a7pAhWXHjQIHZuGB6gQ_AUoAnoECA8QBA&biw=1280&bih=646#imgrc=PNHJOQf7qolZmM

Click Here To See Properly Installed Flexible Ductwork: PROPERLYy Installed Flexible Ductwork #2

If Link Doesn’t Work: Copy This Into Your Browser:

https://www.google.com/search?q=properly+installed+flexible+ductwork&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwimhLzW5a7pAhWGSKwKHTaOB40Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=properly+installed+flexible+ductwork&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1D9elidpQFgs6gBaAFwAHgAgAFiiAHNCZIBAjE0mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img&ei=Z9W6Xua0MIaRsQW2nJ7oCA&bih=646&biw=1280#imgrc=gL4KfcNcn2fX-M

Click Here To See Shoddy Flexible Ductwork Installation: SHODDY Flexible Ductwork Installation #1  (Ductwork Compressed).

If Link Doesn’t Work: Copy This Into Your Browser:

https://www.google.com/search?q=flexible+ductwork+compressed&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj-n6H17_r3AhXRomoFHfffCnEQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=flexible+ductwork+compressed&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoECCMQJ1D_D1jlR2CYS2gAcAB4AIABzQGIAd8PkgEGMjcuMC4xmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=2z6OYr7GPNHFqtsP97-riAc&bih=646&biw=1280#imgrc=Ow39iOez91LXZM

Click Here To See Shoddy Flexible Ductwork Installation:  SHODDY Flexible Ductwork Installation #2 (Ductwork Bent Too Tight).

If Link Doesn’t Work: Copy This Into Your Browser:

https://www.google.com/search?q=flexible+ductwork+bent+too+tight&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjn-vqY8Pr3AhXCkGoFHcZHC18Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=flexible+ductwork+bent+too+tight&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoFCAAQgAQ6BggAEB4QBzoECAAQGDoGCAAQHhAFUNIIWLhgYKBkaABwAHgAgAFxiAGsD5IBBDMzLjGYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=Jj-OYufPNMKhqtsPxo-t-AU&bih=646&biw=1280#imgrc=PK11UPDqQRD5BM

Some Central Air Conditioner Brands & Models Have A Scroll Compressor — Others Have a Piston Compressor.

What’s The Differnce?

Scroll A/C Compressor?

A Scroll Compressor contains 1 fixed coil in the center of the unit.  A second coil rotates around that fixed coil.  The rotating coil pushes refrigerant towards the center, which compresses it.   Scroll A/C Compressors can operate at various speeds.  As compared — “reciprocating” (piston) Compressors can operate at many different speeds.

• Copeland brand (and likely other brands — Copeland is the largest maker) Scroll Compressors can be;  Single-speed,  Two-Speed, or Variable-Speed.

• Reciprocating/Piston compressors can operate at partial-load capacity — by shutting off some of their cylinders.
• Depending on the size of the compressor, a reciprocating compressor can have as many as 8 cylinders.

• Two-Stage (2 speeds) Units provide either Partial-Load & Full-Load capacity.

Image Source: YouTube Embedded Video.

Click On White Arrow In Center Of Image To View Video

Copeland Scroll™ UltraTech™ Compressor

Copeland’s 2nd Generation Variable-Speed Compressor(s) Began Production In 2016.

Copeland’s 2nd-Generation, Two-Stage (2 speeds) A/C Compressor Gegan Production In 2017.

This two-stage, Scroll, A/C compressor operates at 65% & 100% capacity — to more closely match cooling-output to the home’s current cooling-demand.

Two-stage compressors deliver higher energy-efficiency while operating at a lower capacity (during milder weather).

Copy this into your browser to see a Brochure For 2nd Version Copeland Scroll Compressor: 2nd Generation Copeland Two-Stage A/C Compressor

** Source: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/24278785/field-tested-award-winning-copeland-scrolltm-ahr-expo

** Source: https://climate.emerson.com/en-us/shop/1/copeland-sku-zpv0282e-2e9-xxr

** Source: http://climatecontrolme.com/2016/02/emerson-launches-second-generation-variable-speed-compressor-motor-control-drive/

What Is A Reciprocating (piston) A/C Compressor?

The reciprocating (piston) compressor is the most common.  A piston compresses the refrigerant by moving up & down inside a cylinder (much like a car engine).  As the piston moves down, it draws refrigerant into the cylinder.  As the piston moves up– the gas compresses.

Click On The Arrow In The Image Below To Watch How A Reciprocating (piston) Compressor Works.

Image Source: Embedded YouTube Video

Click On White Arrow In Center Of Image To View Video

An A/C Compressor’s Outside Appearance Tells You Which Type It Is

Click Here To See A Reciprocating (piston) A/C Compressor (short & wide): Reciprocating (piston) A/C Compressor

Click Here To See A Scroll A/C Compressor (tall & narrow):  Scroll A/C Compressor

This article advised that 8 companies make 24 HVAC brands.  Al’s Plumbing, Heating & A/C in Plano, Texas provides maintenance & repairs for all brands of Central A/C, Gas & Electric Furnace, and Heat Pumps.  Additionally, we sell and install new HVAC Systems from American Standard (same company as Trane), Ameristar (same company as American Standard) and Coleman HVAC (same company as York HVAC).

Click On This Link To Read About The Different Central A/C Outdoor Units Speeds Available: Alsplumbing.com Different A/C Speeds Available

This article details the 8 companies make 24 HVAC brands — and Which Brands each company makes.   Al’s Plumbing in Plano, Texas provides full-service plumbing maintenance, repairs and replacements for every plumbing component in your home.  Al’s sells and installs Rheem Professional Series gas & electric water heaters, and tankless water heaters.  Al’s is near your home in Plano, TX; Allen, TX; and Frisco, TX.  We service all homes in southern Collin County, TX and Denton County, TX with no travel charges.

Call Al’s today to discuss any concerns or problems you have with your home’s Plumbing.  We will arrange an appointment at your convenience.