If you are looking for an air conditioner for your home, you have probably already heard about the various names and brands in the market.
Grandaire and Goodman are two names that most often come up when discussing residential HVAC systems.
Both brands have a sizable customer base and are recommended by owners for their qualities.
So if you need to make a decision on them, which one should you opt for? Let’s compare these two brands in depth.
About Grandaire
Granadaire is produced by United Technologies, which also makes many other AC brands, such as Carrier, Bryant, and Tempstar. United is itself a subsidiary of Carrier.
Grandaire produces an entire range of heating and cooling solutions, which includes air handler coils, split and package AC systems, and gas furnaces.
Within its air conditioner range, the products are in the 13-SEER, 14-SEER, and 16-SEER ranges.
If you are not sure what that means, SEER is short for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. It is basically the cooling capacity per unity energy the unit consumes.
The higher the SEER, the more energy efficiency.
For comparison, 14 is considered a good SEER rating, and 16 is considered excellent. There are air conditioners in higher ranges as well.
Key Products
| Model Name | Tonnage | SEER Rating | Price (approx, w/o installation) |
| WCA3 | 1.5-5 Tonnes | 13 | $1800 |
| WCA4 | 1.5-5 Tonnes | 14 | $1900 |
| WCA6 | 1.5-5 Tonnes | 16 | $2500 |
Pros & Cons
Positives
- Easier to install in your homes
- Best suited for upgrading an existing HVAC system
Negatives
- Very few models
- No choice in energy efficiency ratings
- Noisier
About Goodman
Goodman air conditioners and other systems are part of the Daikin group.
It is considered to be a premium brand and produces the entire gamut of heating and cooling systems, including
- Split & Packaged AC Units
- Heat pumps
- Gas furnaces
Goodman has a broader range of products in the air conditioner segment, with nearly 15 products ranging from SEER 13 right upto 24.5
Remember, the EPA offers a subsidy on high SEER-rated air conditioners, up to 30% of the total project cost of the installation (basically up to $600).
So that plays into many of the Air conditioners that Goodman offers but does not come into consideration for Grandaire.
Key Products
| Model Name | Particulars | Tonnage | SEER Rating | Price (approx, w/o installation) |
| GSX13 | Split | 1.5-5 Tonnes | 13 | $1200 |
| GSXN3 | Energy Efficient Split System | 1.5-5 Tonnes | 13.4 SEER2 | $1900 |
| GSXN4 | Energy Efficient Base | 1.5-4 Tonnes | 14.3 SEER2 | $2500 |
| GSXB4 | Energy Efficient Base Plus | 1.5-5 Tonnes | 14.3 SEER2 | |
| GSXM4 | Multi-Family Split | 1.5-3 Tonnes | 14.3 SEER2 | |
| GSX14 | Split | 1.5-5 Tonnes | 15 SEER | $1,250 |
| GSX16 | Split | 1.5-5 Tonnes | 16 SEER | $1400 |
| GSXH5 | High-EfficiencySplit | 1.5-5 Tonne | 15.2 SEER2 | |
| GSXC16 | ComfortBridge Tech | 1.5-5 Tonne | 16 SEER | $1,600 |
| GSXC7 | High efficiency 2-stage scroll compressor | 1.5-5 Tonne | 17.2 SEER2 | |
| GSXC18 | ComfortBridge Tech* | 1.5-5 Tonne | 19 SEER | $1,850 |
| GSXV9 | High-Efficiency,Variable-Speed, Inverter DrivenSplit | 1.5-5 Tonne | 22.5 SEER2 | |
| GVXC20 | High-Efficiency,Variable-Speed, Inverter DrivenSplit | 1.5-5 Tonne | 24.5 SEER |
*ComfortBridge Technology is essentially automatic cooling adjustments
Pros & Cons
Positives
- Excellent variety of energy efficiency choices
- Reasonably priced
- Warranties are excellent
- More environment friendly due to the use of R-410 refrigerant.
Negatives
- Not very good with heating.
- Their units aren’t the best suited for dehumidification + cooling
- Reliability is slightly suspect.
Grandaire vs. Goodman: Features & Benefits
Now that I have had a rundown of the basics and the various models that each of the firms has in its kitty, let us get down to comparing them on various parameters.
Energy Efficiency
From the above product tables, it would be fairly obvious to note that Goodman has much better choices when it comes to SEER rating and therefore energy efficiency.
From teh GVXC20, which has a mind bogglingly good 24.4 SEER, right upto the base GSX13 model with a 13 SEER, there is a large range of choices available.
With Grandaire, however, the best model in terms of SEER rating is the WCA6 with a 16 SEER rating.
But this model, when seen in terms of price, is extremely expensive to some of the models available with Goodman.
Tax Benefits
I briefly mentioned this point earlier, but let’s see how it concerns these two brands in particular.
Grandaires ACs only qualify for the tax breaks suggested by the EPA when the unit has a 16 + SEER rating (for which there is only one model).
Moreover, the unit has to be new and either a professional must install it, or it can only be installed by the owner of the house.
If you live in a rental arrangement, it is not possible to get the tax benefits from Grandaire HVACs
On the other hand, Goodman has a variety of options where tax breaks are possible to get. You can check the above table to figure out which of the models are higher than 16+ SEER and therefore eligible for breaks.
For the split models, the deduction would amount to $300.
If you are purchasing one of the package systems instead of a split, the SEER requirement is even lower (13+ SEER rating)
Technology
Although I have not put this in the table, compressor technology is a key part of how good an AC is.
For Grandaire, the key technology in use is the single-stage scrolling compressor. On the other hand, Goodman offers both single stage and dual stage ones.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
First, a bit of background on scrolling compressors, to help you understand what the above jargon means.
Scroll compressors feature two intertwined spiral-shaped scrolls.
The stationary scroll is attached to the compressor body while the moving scroll follows a path determined by its matching fixed scroll. It is powered by a shaft connected to a motor.
The dual scrolls scrolls draw in the coolant between them, compressing them progressively due to the gradually diminishing pockets. This causes the refrigerant gas to cool down due to the extra pressure on it.
Now coming to the points about single-stage and dual-stage compressors.
Single-stage compressors are simpler and cheaper, but not very effective in removing moisture or conserving energy.
Dual-stage scroll compressors operate at two speeds, This helps them match their cooling output more closely to the thermal load.
They are therefore able to deal better with moisture removal and temperature stability, while also saving energy.
The following Goodman models are dual-stage:
- GSXC16
- GSXC7
- GSXC18
- GSXV9
- GVXC20
So that clearly gives the lead to Goodman in this parameter as well.
Condenser Fan Options
Just like compressors, AC condensers can also have variable speeds, and typically they match the speeds of the compressor.
For single-stage compressors, it is best to have single-speed condenser fans, whereas dual-stage compressors can and should have dual-speed condensers too.
All of Grandaire’s models have single-speed condensers, whereas for Goodman, the models GSXC18 and above have dual-speed condensers which account for better compressor efficiency.
How Noisy Are They?
Noise levels are measured in decibels (dB). To give you an example, a whisper is about 30dB, whereas at full blast, a motorcycle clocks about 95dB.
Grandaire air conditioners are somewhere in the middle, but closer to the motorbike at 69-79dD. If you want to sleep quietly at home, that can be really bothersome.
Goodman’s AC units have noise levels in the range of 40 to 70dB, but the lower end of the spectrum is more common.
The more expensive and high end models such as the GCSX16 and above all are less noisier.
Warranties
Grandaire claims to have the best warranty in the industry with a 10-year one on compressor and specific parts.Â
In practice though, their warranties are in multiple stages. For example, in the HVAC systems, their warranty is for a 12 month term, but after that the sealed system of the AC itself has a five year warranty.
Goodman on the other hand offers a complete lifetime warranty. This includes a lifetime warranty on the compressor, which is fairly unique. Moreover, there’s even a 10-year warranty on parts.
Heating
Grandaire products are the better fit if you need a heating and cooling solution. They have separate electric heating units that work alongside the condensers.
In the case of Goodman, the condenser itself becomes the heater, by reversing the normal cooling process.
Related articles:
- Air Conditioner Starts Then Stops After a Few Seconds (Solved)
- What Size Generator to Run AC
- How Long Does An Air Conditioner Last And When To Replace?
Conclusion
So there you have it. I feel that Goodman offers a lot of choices and is much more attuned to getting tax breaks and a better price. They also have a solid lifetime warranty that is difficult to compete within the market.
On the other hand, Grandaire is excellent if you are looking for a product that you can install on your own inside your house with minimal fuss. Moreover, Grandaire has Goodman beat when it comes to dehumidification and heating, the other two things that HVACs are used on.
While there is no clear choice between the two, the simple equation is that if you are looking for more environment friendly stuff, Goodman needs to be your choice, but if you want a handy product that is easy to work with, go for Grandaire.
Thank you, and I hope that I have helped you make the best choice of HVACs for your home.
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