HIGH EFFICIENCY OIL FURNACE - NOMF The PS 90 gas furnace, sold by Tempstar, carries a 90% Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating. Overview of the PS 90-DV Tempstar is a heating and cooling company that offers a range of HVAC products including the PS 90-DV furnace. (Tempstar also makes the PS 90 -- the DV in this series stands for "Direct Vent".) The PS 90-DV series operates at 90% Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) and qualifies for the Energy Star label. The features of this furnace include: An RPJ stainless steel and primary heat exchangers to capture the additional heat generated by the furnace An induced draft combustion blower which contributes to the durability The Tempstar PS 90-DV furnace is very quiet thanks to the direct vent Heating on demand is available thanks to the multispeed PSC circulation Reliability is enhanced by the advanced silicon nitride igniter Overview of the SmartComfort DLX 80 The DLX 80 is a low-efficiency single-speed furnace, with an energy efficiency rating of 80%.

Its heat exchanger is made from aluminized steel and uses a ripple-edged design. There's thermal lining on the cabinet to reduce noise. The system is monitored and managed by electronic controls, but it lacks many of the features available for Tempstar's more advanced models. The DLX 80 contains a humidifier and air cleaner for improving the quality of air as it's being heated. Other special features include interior UV lights to kill off microbes that might otherwise grow on the coils. Overview of the SmartComfort VS 80 Promoted by the manufacturer as a reliable and durable unit, the Tempstar SmartComfort VS 80 (or F8MV) is a variable speed, two-stage gas furnace achieving 80 percent AFUE. It can be installed in tight spaces thanks to its 33-inch height, is functional with many thermostats and is available in multi-position models. If the VS80 is installed in a downflow orientation, a downflow vent guard kit is required. The VS 80 features an ECM variable speed motor that, according to the manufacturer, will save energy by operating more frequently at a low speed than the higher available speed.

The unit’s variable-speed blower improves the quality of indoor air by removing moisture while cooling the home. Sound production is minimized by the solid steel, thermal-lined cabinet surrounding the blower. fujitsu air conditioner indoor unitThe heat exchanger is manufactured with corrosion-resistant aluminized steel and interlocking seams, making it durable against cracking or separating.15000 btu window air conditioner reviews Equipped with a reliable direct hot surface ignition system and safety features that control the temperature limit, the VS 80 shuts off in the event of a system blockage. fujitsu air conditioner indoor unitAn electronic control system will communicate diagnostic information. Many other models are available - stop in or call and we will be happy to discuss which model is right for you.

Back in 2012, we posted an article called Trane vs. American Standard, What is the Difference? If you’d like to read that article, it can be found here. That post remains one of the most popular articles on our blog and we receive daily inquiries on this subject, so we thought it would be good to not only revisit the topic, but also expand on it. If you read that article, you now know there is absolutely no difference between Trane and American Standard with regards to components and models, but how do they stack up to other brands like Lennox, Carrier, Daikin, Rheem, Ruud, Bryant, Day & Night, Maytag, and the rest? First let’s talk about what other brands also manufacture the same product under different names, just like the Trane / American Standard comparison. Goodman Manufacturing in Houston, Texas makes all Goodman, Daikin, Amana, and Lincoln branded air conditioners. Did you pay extra for the Amana name? Carrier Corporation (who recently announced they were shutting down their US based manufacturing facility and moving all manufacturing to Mexico next year) makes Carrier, Bryant, Day & Night, Payne, Arcoaire, Comfortmaker, Heil, KeepRite, and Tempstar.

Rheem Manufacturing makes Rheem, Ruud, and Weatherking. Nortek Global “white labels” a lot of brands (same machine, different sticker) including; Maytag, Westinghouse, Broan, Frigidaire, Nutone, and Mammoth…to name a few. Thought about that Maytag Repairman commercial when you were buying that Maytag air conditioner? You own a Nortek! If you took the time to count the air conditioner brands we listed above, you’d see that these five manufacturers alone are responsible for twenty-four of the brands on the market! So why do they do it, why not just stick with one brand name? In short, it’s all about increasing market share. All air conditioner manufacturers have figured out that they can increase their market share by changing the label and adding more distributors, while maintaining some level of exclusivity with each distributor. Let’s take Phoenix, AZ as an example, where we, Magic Touch Mechanical are located (our main offices are located in Mesa, AZ).

Naturally this is one of the hottest HVAC markets in the country (pun intended). If you were to throw a rock in any direction from our office, you would hit an air conditioning and heating equipment distributor. Each of these distributors represents a different brand of equipment, however some are the same manufacturer just rebranded. So now that you know one of the HVAC manufacturers’ dirty little secrets, let’s talk about another similarity most of these brands have in common…components. When you visit these HVAC manufacturing facilities you start to notice another similarity between them. Most are all using third party components from the same manufacturers as well. For example, odds are General Electric or Dayton made the condenser fan motor in your air conditioner, Copeland probably made your compressor, and Sporlan most likely made your TXV (Thermostatic Expansion Valve) and filter/driers. In fact, it’s not until you start looking at some of the upper end, high efficiency air conditioners that you really see that much difference between them all.

The biggest difference is going to be the level of service the HVAC Contractor receives from the distributor. The better service the contractor receives from the distributor, the better service they can deliver to you, the end user! What do we mean by that? Well, let’s take this upcoming weekend where it is forecasted to reach 117°F (that’s not a typo, that’s how we roll in Phoenix, Arizona!). Air conditioners are going to break down this weekend, a lot of them, and that includes newer ones too. Some distributors will have plenty of parts on hand for their loyal contractors, some will remain open all weekend, some will open up after hours for their best customers…and others don’t or won’t. So one big difference is; if you’re A/C broke down this weekend, would it be up and running at the end of the day…or are your parts being special ordered and expected in 7-10 days? Of course, your air conditioning company plays a huge role in this too. Are they open on the weekends?

Are they an important enough client to the distributor that they can get an after-hours opening? Is the weekend technician equipped to & qualified to make a major repair if needed? Stay tuned for our upcoming posts diving deeper into the differences between air conditioning brands, but for now remember, it’s still more important that you choose the best air conditioning contractor than which brand you choose! Take a company like Magic Touch Mechanical; we are open seven days a week (no additional fees), our weekend technicians are equipped and qualified to do a major HVAC repair on a weekend, our distributors will open when we need them to, and we don’t put all of our eggs in one basket anyway…we represent four major manufacturers for a reason (remember the component similarities?). For now, we’ll leave you with this, there is more in common between air conditioning brands and equipment than most people know…a lot of times they even share the same address on their birth certificate!