The Central Air Conditioning Systems Consumer Reports Says They Can't Recommend

If you're in the market for a new central air conditioning system for your home, you know everybody has their own opinion about the best way to keep the house cool and comfortable. There are the brand loyalists who swear by one manufacturer, system apologists who maintain that a particular machine reigns supreme, and HGTV personalities like Mike Holmes who offer hard-won wisdom on how to choose the right HVAC system for your home. Consumer Reports also adds its expertise with a review of the most reliable central air conditioning systems currently on the market.

Consumer Reports surveyed more than 13,000 of its members who purchased a central air conditioning system between 2009 and 2024. As you can imagine, there are a lot of variables that play into each member's review, from the size of their home to the climate they live in to the type of central air system installed. With this data in mind, Consumer Reports focused on predicting the reliability of central AC brands based on real customer experiences. Out of the 22 brands evaluated in the survey, four fell into the organization's unfavorable reliability ranking: Comfortmaker, Heil, Luxaire, and York. While these brands did manage to steer clear of the lowest possible ranking, Consumer Reports does not recommend any models that fall into the bottom two tiers.

Since repairs often cost a few hundred dollars per service visit – and HVAC DIY fixes are unsafe — reliability matters when choosing a central air conditioning system. Consumer Reports found that among the most reported problems were issues with the evaporator coil, with the Luxaire and York brands having a problem rate of 11% with the coils. Evaporator coils help cool the home by absorbing heat and moisture from the air and transferring it to a refrigerant. Other common problem parts include the condenser coils, blowers, and compressors. Central AC controls also had frequent issues, though Consumer Reports noted these were separate from thermostat problems.

While Comfortmaker, Heil, Luxaire, and York fell into the second-to-last reliability tier for Consumer Reports, none of the 22 brands they evaluated received their highest ranking in both reliability and customer satisfaction, either. However, two brands were standouts for their reliability — Armstrong and Day & Night — while American Standard and Trane earned a top rating for owner satisfaction. This means that although Armstrong and Day & Night were more reliable, customers were less likely to recommend them compared with buyers of American Standard and Trane. Of course, routine and preventative maintenance are essential to keep your central AC system in tip-top shape, and you should always heed warning signs from your HVAC system and have issues dealt with as soon as possible to keep your home cool and comfortable.