Operating as one of the best-rated air conditioning companies in West Berlin, NJ, we install new air conditioning systems year in, year out. The brand we recommend most often is Rheem Air Conditioning Systems. And people ask legitimate questions: why Rheem, rather than Daikin or Trane? We like these brands too, they are very reliable. But 40 years of experience doing AC repair and maintenance led us to the conclusion that Rheem presented a favorable mix of qualities in terms of quality, efficiency, innovation and price that made it hard to beat in the context of our region.
We thought it would be good to discuss this more in depth, starting with innovation.
Commitment to Innovation
As an air conditioning company, we are drawn to brands that have a history of adopting new technologies and making them reliable. Rheem has a good name in the HVAC industry, with a long history dating back from 1954 when they introduced the Rheemaire. Since then, they have been rather innovative, and offered modern and capable AC units.
Moreover, we have observed that Rheem products evolve in the right direction, staying focused on meeting the needs of homeowners in terms of efficiency and reliability at a good price point.
Selecting an AC Unit
When an HVAC contractor like Filan & Conner recommends the purchase of such and such unit, or such and such brand, this follows a study and analysis of the specific needs and requirements of a household. Suitability is at the heart of the decision to do this long-term investment.
We have found over time that the Rheem range of air conditioning systems features a suitable option for a diversity of settings. The issues we have to content often boil down to:
- Size of housing (volume of air to heat and cool, number of rooms)
- Budget
- Efficiency
- Cost of repairs and maintenance down the road
- Manufacturer’s warranty
Customizing a Solution
Our HVAC technicians will customize a heating and cooling solution based on the geographic location of the home, its size and the way it is divided in sections and floors, as well as on the basis of an evaluation of building quality (how efficient are the building materials). Two homes may be of the same size, but their energy efficiency may not be the same. And obviously, in New Jersey, you have more months of heating than months of cooling, unlike Arizona for instance.
This is the first factor to consider, and we need to do a visual inspection of the home to understand its challenges. Selecting the proper unit starts with determining the tonnage of air conditioning that this home will need to provide comfort to the family all year long. After we do our calculations, we trim down the number of possible choices in the range of products, and we analyze the clients’ budget.
Cost Considerations
In the past, people used to purchase window air conditioning. That’s very rarely the case today for multiple reasons including efficiency, reliability, and noise. Since the 80s, gas packages and heat pumps have dominated the market.
The improvement in technology has been accompanied by an increase in prices, and it is clear that buy an AC today is a major investment.
Rheem is known for reasonable prices. Based our our 40-year experience selecting and installing new AC systems, the Rheem products sit in a mid-range pricing among reputable brands. We discard the cheapest brands because you get what you pay for, and in the air conditioning business, a cheap unit means less efficiency, less reliability, more repairs, less warranties, and less satisfaction.
We would love to recommend always more expensive brands, but they are often not within the means of our clients. Let’s face it: the comparative savings in terms of energy costs will not justify in the short-to-medium term the purchase of the most reliable air conditioner. Other factors will offset the extra cost in the minds of homeowners, but based on cost, efficiency, and reliability, Rheem offers a good solution right in the budget of most people in our state.
Efficiency in Terms of Energy Consumption
Speaking of energy efficiency, with the cost of electricity going up, it is clear that efficiency is a core concern. All major manufacturers partner with Energy Star, and their units are evaluated in terms of SEER. Rheem products do well in SEER ratings.
We lean towards recommending SEER of 17 and up, and variable speed units rather than single speed ones. This is because under 17 SEER, an air conditioner will have to work longer to achieve and maintain the desired temperature inside. Also, variable speed systems do not start and stop like single-speed systems: that saves energy and it also decrease the need for repairs.
Maintenance
Air conditioning manufacturers have learned over the years that a well-maintained unit is a unit that lasts longer. This is the reason why most manufacturers make professional maintenance a condition to maintaining their warranty.
As all air conditioning companies, Filan & Conner offers a maintenance contract with every AC unit we install. We do maintenance in fall and in spring, before the cold and the warm seasons.
Rheem’s systems are not costly to maintain. Some parts are expensive, but they are covered by long warranties, and they usually run 10 to 15 years without any issue. Doing regular maintenance reduces overall wear-and-tear on a system, so even the parts that are more prone to failure (due to weather conditions) last longer when correctly maintained.
On this account, we like the reliability of Rheem products, and so we most often recommend the brand.
Striking a good balance
Sometimes the right choice for a household is not a Rheem unit. It can be a Trane or a Daikin unit. Sometimes the house is so big that the best solution will be a complex one with the highest possible SEER. Sometimes, the budget of the client is so tight that Rheem won’t fit in it, even with a good financing solution.
As most air conditioning companies, we know we have to be practical and flexible. We are not prisoners of a brand, so to speak. When the product range limitations make it hard to recommend a brand, we offer a choice of units that match the issues at hand.
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