Reviews: Rheem Air Conditioner


rheem air conditioner

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Your home is your sanctuary, and you should not be uncomfortable in your sanctuary. Living in a temperature inappropriate for your personal preferences causes a great deal of discomfort that you would be hard pressed to ignore. That is why you need a well-made air conditioner, and we are here to help you find the perfect one. In this article, we will review the Rheem Air Conditioner.

To help you understand your options and how the Rheem Air Conditioner fits among them, we will also review several similar products on the market. Follow along, and in ten minutes, you will have all the information you need to get an ideal temperature for your home or office.

So, without further adieu, let’s dive right in.

What Is A Rheem Air Conditioner?

rheem air conditioner

The Rheem Air Conditioner is a popular product released by Rheem Air Company. Rheem is a brand widely used by businesses and homeowners. This air conditioner is particularly popular among contractors and dealers in the HVAC technologies.

Rheem designed this product to maximize the efficiency of its features while keeping the price low enough to be accessible to all consumers. The air conditioner comes in many different types with different speeds and model characteristics.

Pro​duct Specs  

The Rheem Air Conditioner has a number of unique features.

Modulating Burners

First off, these air conditioners have a modulating temperature feature. This means they can offer the best climate control and are capable of unbalancing temperatures. With modulating burners, they can control dehumidification during their cooling cycles with a variable speed motor.

These modulating burners are present in most of the air conditioners Rheem puts out. Rheem values them highly for their ability to convey accurate temperature controls. These burners also increase the air conditioners’ effectiveness and efficiency.

Efficiency

Rheem Air Conditioners have been designed to maximize efficiency. Rheem aims to help consumers reduce their energy expenditure as much as possible.

Air conditioners have what is known as a SEER rating. This rating describes an air conditioner’s efficiency. The Rheem Air Conditioner has SEER ratings of up to 19.5. The higher the rating, the more energy efficient an air conditioner is. This means that Rheem air conditioners are quite efficient. An example of a 19.5 rated air conditioner is the Rheem Prestige RASL-JEC Central AC.

man installing an aircon

Comfort Control System

The comfort control system is present in the Rheem Prestige line of air conditioners. This special system provides on-board diagnostics and history error codes. These will help consumers identify any issues they encounter when dealing with the air conditioner. The system also has a convenient service call alert it can make to the thermostat.

These air conditioners also have programmable thermostats. The advantage of this feature is that it can save consumers a great deal in their electric bills. It will also help users cool their home according to their chosen schedule.

Noise Level and Refrigerant

Another significant feature is the air conditioner’s noise level and refrigerants. Rheem prioritized these aspects to accommodate consumers bothered by the noise created by most air conditioners. The Rheem air conditioner stays within decibel levels between 65 and 70. This means these air conditioners are particularly quiet.

The Rheem air conditioner uses Puron refrigerant.

Pricing  

Depending on the particular model, Rheem air conditioners range between $$$ and $$$. What accounts for such a wide range of prices? The price varies not only by model but also by size, features, and whether or not the customer wants the system installed for them.

To give you an idea of the different prices, here are some examples:

  • Rheem Prestige RA20: $$$ ($$$ with installation)
  • Rheem Classic Plus RA17: $$$ ($$$ with installation)
  • Rheem Classic RA16: $$$ ($$$ with installation)
  • Rheem Classic RA14: $$$ ($$$ with installation)
  • Rheem Classic RA13: $$$ ($$$ with installation)

To give you an idea of how the air conditioner can vary by size, here are the different prices and ranges of the Rheem RA16 Series:

  • A 1.5 AC unit covers a range of 600 to 1000 square feet and costs $$$ ($$$ with installation).
  • A 2 ton AC unit covers a range of 1001 to 1300 square feet and costs $$$ ($$$ with installation).
  • A 2.5 ton AC unit covers a range of 1301 to 1600 square feet and costs $$$ ($$$ with installation).
  • A 3 ton AC unit covers a range of 1601 to 1900 square feet and costs $$$ ($$$ with installation).
  • A 3.5 ton AC unit covers a range of 1901 to 2200 square feet and costs $$$ ($$$ with installation).
  • A 4 ton AC unit covers a range of 2201 to 2600 square feet and costs $$$ ($$$ with installation).
  • A 4.5 ton AC unit covers a range of 2601 to 3200 square feet and costs $$$ ($$$ with installation).

 

How It Compares

We picked a couple of similar products available on the market to see how they compare: 

  • Lennox

  • Carrier

  • Goodman

Rheem Air Conditioner

[amazon box=”B00WNY6FA0″]

PRICE

Relatively low for a high-end air conditioner

EASE OF USE

Simple, despite all the features

INSTALLATION

Doable with instructions   

DESIGN QUALITY

Top of the line

WARRANTY

10-year warranty

PROS

  • relatively inexpensive
  • many different models and sizes
  • modulating burners
  • relatively quiet
  • comfort control system
  • SEER ratings as high as 19.5

CONS

  • Installation is quite expensive
  • no lifetime warranty
  • If you do not register your air conditioner, the warranty is halved

Lennox

[amazon box=”B000NMH6WA”]

Lennox air conditioners have SEER ratings ranging between 13 and 26 (note that 26 is one of the highest ratings among all air conditioners on the market). On average, Lennox air conditioners have a SEER rating of 17.9, which is higher than the overall industry average of 16.7.

The compressors of Lennox air conditioners run at several different speeds. Most modern air conditioners have two-stage compressors that reach two levels of intensity. Lennox air conditioners have more than two stages and adjust in increments as small as 1 percent, minimizing energy use.

Many Lennox air conditioners have an iComfort Wi-Fi Touchscreen Thermostat that allows you to activate or deactivate the air conditioner via smartphone.

In terms of sound, Lennox air conditioners fall within the range of 59 to 76 decibels.

Lennox air conditioners are made with galvanized steel and have a zinc-coated steel base to increase durability and resistance to various weather conditions. Their design also includes a SmartHinge louver feature, which lets you open the air conditioner from any side.

PRICE

Slightly more expensive than Rhee

EASE OF USE

Excellent with many control options

INSTALLATION

Doable, but getting help is expensive

DESIGN QUALITY

Topnotch, but a bit loud

WARRANTY

10-year warranty

PROS

  • have among the highest SEER ratings
  • multiple compressors
  • iComfort Wi-Fi Touchscreen Thermostat

CONS

  • are quite loud
  • warranty is conditional
  • generally more expensive

Carrier

[amazon box=”B07D2M9GNC”]

Carrier air conditioners feature a two-stage compressor system, meeting the industry’s modern standards. The system allows for regulation of the speed and temperature of airflow in the home. They also offer what they call “WeatherArmor” protection, which lets customers install the air conditioners outside without worrying about the elements.

Most Carrier air conditioners are Energy Star qualified, proving that they satisfy the Environmental Protection Agency’s energy regulations. These air conditioners have SEER ratings that range from 13 to 21, with an average rating of 16.7.

They use Puron refrigerant, which cools the home and reduces humidity.

Carrier air conditioners feature Infinity Touch Control, which is an app compatible with tablets, smartphones, and computers. It lets you control your air conditioner from any location.

Carrier air conditioners make an average of 71.5 decibels of noise, with its lowest at 56 decibels.

Carrier provides a 10-year warranty with its air conditioners. They also design their units with powder-coated galvanized steel and a louvered coil guard. They call this combination WeatherArmor Ultra. This feature increases longevity and durability.

PRICE

The most expensive brand in the industry

EASE OF USE

Simple with many control options

INSTALLATION

Doable, but nothing special

DESIGN QUALITY

Excellent

WARRANTY

10 years

PROS

  • Infinity Touch Control
  • Excellent customer service
  • decently efficient
  • can add accessories to filter and purify air

CONS

  • are quite loud
  • generally more expensive

 

 

Goodman

[amazon box=”B0120UD6EY”]

Goodman air conditioners come in five different models. All of these air conditioners meet the Energy Star guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency. Their average SEER rating is 15.3.

Goodman air conditioners use R-410A refrigerant, which is environmentally friendly. It is chlorine-free.

The best models among Goodman air conditioners have a two-stage scroll compressor to minimize energy expenditure.

Goodman offers a high-density foam compressor sound blanket in case the air conditioners are too loud. However, Goodman designed their air conditioners with minimization of noise in mind, so this will not be necessary for most customers.

These air conditioners feature onboard diagnostics that store as many as six fault codes. This allows users to know when issues arise. In case of any needed repairs, each unit is designed with multiple access points for simplification and ease of use.

Goodman air conditioners in the DSXC series come with a lifetime warranty. The rest comes with a 10-year warranty.

PRICE

Cheaper than average

EASE OF USE

Moderate, but still better than average

INSTALLATION

Doable

DESIGN QUALITY

Middling quality matching the lower price

WARRANTY

Lifetime warranty on some models

PROS

  • more affordable at the cost of quality
  • lifetime warranty
  • onboard diagnostics
  • Repairs are simple
  • quiet

CONS

  • lower quality
  • do not have remote control via smartphone 
  • not very efficient

Conclusion

After evaluating the Rheem Air Conditioner while taking into consideration other air conditioners on the market, here are our thoughts.

The Rheem Air Conditioner sits at the top, with Lennox being a close second. Carrier air conditioners are generally excellent, but they are also quite expensive. If you are shopping on a budget, Goodman air conditioners are a good choice. Keep in mind, however, that Goodman air conditioners are of lower quality.

Rheem air conditioners are highly energy efficient and offer many control options. They are quite as well, making them an all-around excellent choice.

We gave Goodman a price rating of $, Rheem a price rating of $, Lennox a price rating of $$, and Carrier a price rating of $$$.

Comparison Table

[amazon box=”B00WNY6FA0, B000NMH6WA, B07D2M9GNC, B0120UD6EY” grid=”4″]

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