PITTSBURGH (KDKA) —  If you’re in the market to replace your air-conditioning system, don’t sweat it. A lot of things can affect how well a system works: how it’s installed, the quality of the duct-work, even the size and layout of a house. To see which brands you can count on, Consumer Reports surveyed more than 16,000 of its subscribers.  Among heat-pump systems, American Standard again is  among the more reliable, along with Bryant. Consumer Reports estimates about 50 percent will break within five years. More air conditioning buying advice is available here. Complete Ratings and recommendations on all kinds of products, including appliances, cars & trucks, and electronic gear, are available on Consumer Reports’ website. Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On TwitterEnergy All-Stars: High-Efficiency Air Conditioners Room • Central • Ductless Split-System Thanks to new technology and new federal standards, air conditioners are more efficient than ever before and will improve further in the coming years.

Of course, bumps in efficiency also mean bumps in price. I'd like to share an article I read on Consumers Digest with you... The government is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to making sure that you have energy-efficient appliances in your home. For example, in September 2014, new federal energy-efficiency standards went into effect for refrigerators. Now, new minimum requirements went into effect for room air conditioners and in 2015 for central air conditioners. The latest: Department of Energy is considering standards for portable air conditioners—the last vestige of the consumer air-conditioning marketplace that’s untouched by regulation. Today, energy-efficient technology that was used by only one or two manufacturers previously is widespread, and energy-efficiency ratings hit record highs. Air conditioners are getting smarter, too—from being able to sense when you’re in a room to relieving you from making a maintenance call. Contractors tell us that a malfunctioning central air conditioner now can send an email that tells the contractor the problem and which part is required so he/she can fix the air conditioner in one trip, which should cut down on maintenance costs.

That’s a good thing, because more-efficient models will cost you more upfront.In January 2015, DOE minimum-efficiency standards went into effect that divide the United States into three territories: the north, southeast and southwest. Central air conditioners that are sold in the north still must have a minimal seasonal energy-efficiency ratio (SEER) of 13, which has been the national minimum since 2007. window ac unit support kitHowever, new central air conditioners that are sold in the southwest and southeast states must achieve a SEER of at least 14.security for ac unit That change pushed several manufacturers to revamp their lineups. ac window units cheapRheem, for example, says that instead of upgrading a few models to achieve compliance, it will roll out an entirely new product lineup for 2015 that meets these new efficiency requirements, some models of which already are available.

Trane, meanwhile, is bringing new models to market in addition to upgrading models that already exist in the company’s lineup. Unsurprisingly, these new models come with updated and new (read: higher) prices. Manufacturers don’t publish MSRPs for central air conditioners, but the four manufacturers with which we spoke all agreed that, in general, the new models are more expensive than their predecessors were. No across-the-board formula determines how much more a 14-SEER air conditioner will cost when compared with a 13-SEER model, says Dave Yates, who is the president of heating-and-cooling installer F.W. Behler. He says that, in some cases, manufacturers simply expand the size of the air conditioner and use a bigger coil to get the extra point of efficiency, which is a relatively inexpensive upgrade. Others invest in new compressors or technology. In general, we found that 13- and 14-SEER central air conditioners typically cost $1,200–$3,800. How New Regional Standards Might Affect You Read Now

However, Charlie McCrudden of Air Conditioning Contractors of America, which is a trade association, says making a big air conditioner can have a big effect on pricing. He recalls the last time that minimum standards went up, to 13 SEER from 10 SEER. “Suddenly, those boxes didn’t fit into trucks the way they used to,” he says. Consequently, transportation and shipping costs went up as a result of units getting bigger and trucks not being able to carry as many in a single shipment. McCrudden says manufacturers are doing more to keep their models a reasonable size, but he and other experts with whom we spoke agree that prices will climb—at least in southern states where higher efficiency now is mandated—as a result of the new standards. Split-system air conditioners, which consist of a compressor and condenser in an outdoor metal cabinet, an indoor cabinet that contains the evaporator coil and an air-handling unit that sends cool air through a duct system, must meet similar efficiency standards—13 SEER in the north and 14 SEER in the southeast and southwest.

However, split-system models that are sold in the southwest also must have a minimum energy-efficiency ratio (EER) of 12.2. EER is calculated at a single temperature—95 degrees Fahrenheit. SEER, meanwhile, is calculated at a range of 65–104 degrees F. On Nov. 8, 2016, Americans will vote in the 58th U.S. presidential election. Check out our Election Central for data behind this year's political campaigns, media and voters. A new Nielsen report examines the latest trends in Hispanic demographics, consumption and media behaviors, and takes a close look at the Latino electorate. For other uses, see Rheem (disambiguation). Rheem Manufacturing Company is an American privately held manufacturer that produces residential and commercial water heaters and boilers, as well as heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. The company also produces and sells products under the Ruud brand name. It is a subsidiary of Paloma Industries.[2] What became Rheem started in 1925 as a supplier of packaging to the petroleum industry, and is currently headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States.

The company is one of the largest manufacturers of both water heating and HVAC equipment in the United States, and also produces and markets products in Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Iraq, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UAE, and Ukraine. Rheem Bennett Displacement Meter at Deer Hollow Farm at Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve in California The company is named for its founders, brothers Richard "R.S." Rheem and Donald "D.L." They were the sons of William S. Rheem (1862–1919), former Standard Oil Company of California president who led the construction of a major oil refinery for the company in Richmond, California.[7] The brothers initially began manufacturing galvanized steel drums in 1925 as a co-partnership with Pacific Galvanizing Company in Emeryville, California.[5] A third brother, William "W.K." Rheem, helped finance the company at its start.[5] The Rheem Manufacturing Company was subsequently organized on January 22, 1930, buying out Pacific Galvanizing.

Rheem also acquired the Republic Steel package company, which also had a plant in Richmond.[8] Republic Steel made boilers and tanks, which allowed Rheem to enter the business of water heating. The company acquired the John Wood Manufacturing Company of California, which produced automatic gas storage water heaters, in 1931.[8] The company expanded overseas to Australia in 1936, building a plant in Sydney.[10] The Australian operations began making steel shipping containers including drums in 1937 and water heaters in 1939.[8] In 1941, the company became the largest manufacturer of automatic water heaters in the United States.[8] During World War II, much of the company's efforts went towards wartime production, including building ships and aircraft parts.[8] In 1954, Rheem brought the introduction of "glass-lining", which coated the interior of a water heater tank with porcelain to extend the life of the tank.[8] One of the most significant events came in 1956 with the introduction of "Rheemaire" central air conditioning and heater systems for homes.

This eventually became one of the company's primary business areas.[8] In 1959, Rheem purchased the Ruud Manufacturing Company. Beginning in August 1970, Rheem began producing Heat pumps and HVAC units for residential applications, based in Fort Smith, Arkansas.[9] In 1983, Rheem introduced the Richmond Water Heaters brand to the market, aimed at hardware stores and home-improvement centers.[8] In 1984, Rheem was acquired by Pace Industries, Inc.[8] The company discontinued its container in 1985, ending a 60-year run making steel drums and other containers.[8] In the same year, the company acquired Raypak, Inc., which expanded the business into swimming pool heaters as well as commercial boilers.[8] In 1988 Rheem was acquired by Paloma Industries, Ltd., a privately held Japanese company with headquarters in Nagoya, Japan, which wished to expand globally. Rheem was the first residential HVAC company to begin using scroll compressors throughout their lineup in 1994, and all air conditioners and heat pumps continue to use Copeland Scroll Compressors.

[13] The company was also first to introduce a 14 SEER remote condensing unit in 1997. In 1998, the company began supplying the Home Depot with a line of GE branded water heaters.[14] In 2009, Rheem and Ruud were the first to sell a Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater, which was more than twice as efficient as similar electric water heaters.[15] Also in the same year, Rheem and Ruud central air conditioners were reported to have the fewest percentage of units requiring repair among all major HVAC brands according to Consumer Reports. Rheem's market share of the central air conditioner market had ranged had been as high as 16% in the 1980s and had dropped to about 11% by 2000.[17] By 2008, a report by the United States Department of Energy ranked the firm as fifth in the U.S. in the central air conditioner and heat pump market with a 12% market share (behind UTC/Carrier with 27%, both Goodman/Amana and American Standard/Trane with 14% and Lennox with 12%), while in the residential gas furnace market as of 2008

, the company was also ranked fifth with a 12% market share (behind Carrier with 32%, Goodman with 15%, and both Lennox and Trane with 13%).[ Ruud was founded by Edwin Ruud (1854–1932), a Norwegian immigrant who lived in Pittsburgh. He developed the first automatic storage tank gas-fired water heater, which went into production in 1889.[19] Ruud worked for George Westinghouse (1846–1914), but eventually bought the rights to produce the product he invented and formed his own company in 1897. In 1913, Ruud merged and absorbed the Humphrey Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan which also manufactured water heaters.[20] The Humphrey Company had a large manufacturing operation in Kalamazoo, which Ruud continued to operate and expand. In 1954, Ruud moved all operations from Pittsburgh to Kalamazoo where they were headquartered until the purchase by Rheem. In North America, Rheem and Ruud both manufacture and sell a full line of heating and cooling products for residential and commercial applications, including up to 96% Annual fuel utilization efficiency gas furnaces, oil fired furnaces, up to 19.5 SEER Air Conditioners, Heat Pumps, Thermostats, Air handlers, Package Units, and Indoor air quality products such as media filters, UV lamps, and humidifiers.

In many additional countries around the world, the companies sell numerous types of water heating equipment, including gas fired tank storage and tankless water heaters, high efficiency condensing water heaters, hybrid heat pump water heaters, and solar water heaters under the Rheem, Ruud, Richmond, Paloma, Solahart, Splendid, and GE brands. Swimming pool-related products include gas fired and heat pump heaters sold under the Rheem and Raypak brands. Protech replacement parts for HVAC systems are sold through the PROSTOCK retail program. In December 2013, Rheem acquired Scottsboro, Alabama-based Heat Transfer Products Group (HTPG).[22] HTPG, a standalone company, produces the Russell, Witt, ColdZone and Kramer commercial refrigeration brands. In 2015, Rheem was recognized for the top spot in Water Heaters category for its brand familiarity by the Builder magazine. Rheem Califone manufactured A/V equipment under the Rheem, Califone, and Roberts brands commonly used in schools and institutions, including PA systems, reel-to-reel audio tape recorders, phonographs, as well as Combo organs.

[26] Rheem and Ruud also sold re-branded Briggs & Stratton residential Emergency power systems beginning in 2007.[27] However, as of March 2, 2013, the companies no longer listed backup generators on their respective websites. All currently operating facilities are ISO 9001 certified. The Rheem-sponsored car of Kevin Harvick in 2013 Since 2007,[42] Rheem has sponsored Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Xfinity Series through their Rheem, RUUD, and Richmond Water Heaters brands.[43] They previously sponsored Kevin Harvick and Harvick's racing team Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI), along with Ron Hornaday, Jr., Cale Gale and other former RCR & KHI drivers in the Cup, Xfinity, and Camping World Truck Series.[46] They formerly sponsored James Buescher in the Xfinity Series and Truck Series.[47] Brandon Jones, the son of current Rheem CEO J.R. Jones, currently competes in the Xfinity Series. ^ a b c ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q rTurning a New Leaf", Appliance magazine, November 2005.